Here are the top digital marketing data and statistics that caught our eye.

Global digital ad spend ‘to overtake newspapers’ by 2015

The amount spent on internet and mobile advertising worldwide is forecast to exceed that spent on newspapers within two years, according to new research.

Google UK trends: Search ‘accounts for 56% of all traffic to Google sites’

Traffic to Google’s websites, including YouTube, Gmail and Google Play, account for 5.6% of the entire UK online audience, largely driven by its search business, according to new research.

Global web trends: 40% of world online by 2014 as mobile broadband soars

Forty percent of the world’s population will be online by the end of the year, still leaving 4.4 billion people unconnected, according to a UN report.

Just 7% of marketing departments take responsibility for big data (Infographic)

Big Data is being accepted as an important means of informing strategic business decisions, but isn’t being owned by the departments who use it most, according to a new study.

How to make Google Author Rank work for you (infographic)

As Google places more importance of social media and authority to determine search rankings, this infographic from Internet Marketing Inc offers a guide to getting the most from the firms Author Rank.

Kids’ social networking trends: Facebook plateaus as Blackberry falls from favour

Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are the most popular social media sites among 10-15 years olds in the UK, but Blackberry is falling from favour, according to new research.

The Amaze Generation from Amaze on Vimeo.

UK digital ad spend hits £3bn in 6 months- consumer goods now top sector for mobile display

Digital ad spend up in the UK rose 17.5% to reach a record six-month high of over £3bn, with consumer goods overtaking entertainment and media as the biggest mobile display advertiser, according to new research.

Global ad trends: Humour and ‘real life’ themes key to mass appeal

As advertisers aim to stand out in today’s fragmented media landscape, advertising is only part of the formula for reaching consumers. Creating a memorable brand identity by resonating with consumers is just as important, and some messages resonate better than others, according to Nielsen’s latest Trust In Advertising report.

Half of Brits skive online at work- but women ‘waste less time than men’

Nearly a half of British employees shop or read news online during work, a third spends time on social media, but generally women waste less time than men, according to new research.