Key information
Request reference number: MGLA070725-9508
Date of response:
Summary of request
Your request
The total amount spent by the Greater London Authority on Facebook and Google advertising from May 2016 to the present, broken down by financial year.
I would also like to request the amount spent on external agencies or consultants to manage or advise the GLA on social media campaigns across this same time period.
Date for previous years up to 2019 is publicly available here: https://www.london.gov.uk/who-we-are/what-london-assembly-does/questions-mayor/find-an-answer/facebook-cost
Our response
I can confirm that the GLA holds information within the scope of your request.
The GLA has a responsibility to keep Londoners informed and engaged in the work of the Mayor of London and the London Assembly. This includes, for example, activity to inform Londoners about People’s Question Time events and encourage them to register to attend, or to encourage Londoners to take part in statutory public consultations. In any given year, we also run cost effective, multi-channel campaigns to ensure Londoners receive information about their top concerns. This includes, but is not limited to, support through the cost-of-living crisis, supporting rough sleepers, tackling violence against women and girls, and violence affecting young people.
This spend is part of the GLA’s annual Central Marketing Budget (CMB), as well as multiple organisational budgets outside of the CMB to provide Londoners with information to participate in elections (in line with the GLA’s statutory responsibility) or engage with specific policies.
GLA spend on Facebook advertising is as follows:
- FY 2016-23: See previous response – MGLA181022-1509
- FY 2023-25: See previous response – MGLA280325-2849
GLA spend on Google advertising is as follows:
- FY 2016-17: £26,702*
- FY 2017-18: £11,398
- FY 2018-19: £52,824*
- FY 2019-20: £28,717
- FY 2020-21: £27,307*
- FY 2021-22: £17,197
- FY 2022-23: £90,940*
- FY 2023-24: £114,864*
- FY 2024-25: £80,030*
*This spend includes separate or one-off activity that sits outside of the Central Marketing Budget (CMB), to provide specific support around the cost-of-living crisis, access to jobs & skills programmes, business support and warmer homes grants as well as GLA democratic participation campaigns (which are run by the GLA with no involvement from the Mayor’s Office).
The GLA’s digital and social media channels are managed internally. When additional media planning and buying services are required (including, but not limited to, social media and digital advertising), the GLA engages ‘Wavemaker’, as part of a shared services contract with Transport for London and the extended GLA Group. The details of this contract are published here and here