From The Irish Times/FT:

Agency heads say row over security of ByteDance-owned app has already hit brands’ confidence in the platform.

Agencies representing TikTok’s biggest advertisers are drawing up contingency plans as the US prepares to ban the popular video app, including seeking break clauses in their marketing contracts.

ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent, has been given until January to either divest its US business or face a ban on the app by US lawmakers, who are concerned about security because of its links to China.

The social media platform, with more than one billion global users, has become a key part of the marketing strategies for many brands given its huge popularity, particularly with younger audiences who are less likely to engage with traditional advertising such as TV.

TikTok generated $16 billion (€15 billion) in sales in the US last year, predominantly from advertising, people with knowledge of its finances have told the Financial Times.

However, multiple advertising bosses say their teams are now drawing up alternative plans for next year should TikTok be removed from the US, one of the world’s most important advertising markets.

One advertising executive said the ban threat was already having a chilling effect on spending by some brands. The person said they had quizzed company executives about what would happen if the US blocked the site.

“They didn’t have a good answer on how they sell ads in the US right now,” the ad boss said. “How does anyone believe that they’re going to be able to do what they’re doing in six months’ time?”

He added that the agency was drawing up contingency plans, including a “kill clause” to escape any financial commitments in the event of a ban. Brands and their agencies typically sign contracts committing to spend a certain amount on advertising in advance to secure prominent slots or volume discounts from media platforms

“You have to keep a little distance,” the person said. “You’re not at a loss for places to promote. It just so happens that TikTok is the biggest one at the moment.”

Another agency chief said the threatened ban was already disrupting clients’ plans. Other social media platforms would likely benefit as a result, they added.

“We have contingency plans at a high level if something were to happen,” they said. “Those audiences will go somewhere, and our investment will follow them.”

Shou Zi Chew, the Singaporean chief executive officer of TikTok, was among the company’s executives to attend the Cannes Lions week-long advertising festival last week. He did not appear publicly, however, instead attending private meetings with ad bosses about the platform.

In a report this month, GroupM said that “if a ban is triggered, we would expect ad revenue to move to other social-video platforms such as Meta’s Reels and YouTube’s Shorts, as well as other digital media owners, and the creators and influencers currently active on those platforms”.

A third advertising boss said that even if the US took no action, the negative publicity had already hit TikTok’s standing with some marketers.

“More brands are starting to think about [where the data goes] in terms of the investment, the return that they’re getting,” they said. “I am seeing more of a groundswell into the societal impact of the platform.”

ByteDance is fighting the threat of a TikTok ban, arguing that it violates free speech rights and claiming it would be impossible to split the app from the wider group. The Chinese government has said it would not support a sale. About 170 million Americans use the app.

In a statement TikTok said: “We continue to see strong growth in our advertising business as brands understand that TikTok drives results and can have a transformational impact on business growth, no matter the size.” – Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2024

From The Currency

Six months ago, Aoibhín Lennon, became director of the Outdoor Media Association (OMA), the representative group of five big out-of-home advertisers.

An important player in the Irish advertising industry, its members Clear Channel, Global, JCDecaux, PML Group, and Talon. Combined, they influence what we see each day in public spaces – from a billboard on the side of a building to digital signage in a shopping centre,, and from the side of a bus stop to the exterior or interior of public transport.

It is a powerful medium with about 2.4 million people seeing outdoor advertising in the previous week, according to 2017 research. But it is also a sector that came under fierce pressure during the pandemic as travel shut down and movement was restricted.

Lennon takes over the OMA at an interesting time. It is back growing and preparing to conduct new research into the power of the sector.

Digging into the data

Lennon was previously business director with Spark Foundry, a media planning and buying agency that is part of Core, Ireland’s largest marketing communications company. Lennon spent a decade with Spark Foundry, after previously working in Australia for seven years with MediaCom, ZenithOptimedia and Vizeum.

This range of agency experience gives her insight into what customers of OMA members are looking for. Lennon is passionate about her new role representing a market worth over €100 million a year.

One of her first tasks, she said, was overseeing new research into the sector by the Joint National Outdoor Research (JNOR). The research is being conducted by Ipsos, a global leader in market research.

The JNOR is funded by the members of the OMA and the new research will provide new audience data for outdoor campaigns for the first time since before the pandemic.

Lennon said Ian McShane, the former managing director of market research firm B&A, has been appointed as non-executive chair of the JNOR to oversee this project. “Ian has a wealth of experience,” Lennon said. “He’s just dug into the project and is making a difference with his background in research.”

The goal of the new work is to deliver a new all-island ‘Ireland Outdoor Media Advertising’ measurement system.

“The overall objective of the project conducted by Ipsos is to create an audience measurement currency for advertising in public spaces whether that is static, moving or digital in Ireland that is robust, reliable, and transparent,” Lennon said.

A new travel survey of a nationally representative sample of 3,000 people is being carried out.  “A travel survey lies at the heart of a people-centred measurement approach to ensure the metrics accurately reflect audience geo-demographics and reach and frequency,” Lennon said. This will allow the advertising industry to better analyse out-of-home campaign performance including digital advertising across target audiences, locations and formats.

“It’ll be brand new, a new system, a new interface. It will include digital, the previous system didn’t include digital, so this will include digital screens as well as obviously incorporate retail, shopping malls, car parks, trams, rail, all of that,” she said.

Traditionally, the OMA and JNOR have been separate legal entities but Lennon said the plan was to merge the two companies formally. Accountants Amergin and law firm Flynn O’Driscoll working on the this process.

A voice for the industry

Out-of-home advertising was one of the worst impacted sectors during the pandemic, but Aoibhín Lennon said the sector was now back in growth mode. She said Core’s Predict 24 Report, published in February, showed that 69 per cent of adults planned to spend more time outdoors this year, and 62 per cent plan intended to spend time with people outside their place of work or home.

According to Lennon, digital is becoming increasingly important. “OMA members in Ireland are increasingly adopting digital signage and interactive technologies to enhance the impact and flexibility of outdoor advertising,” she said.

“Digital billboards, interactive displays, and dynamic content capabilities allow for more targeted messaging, real-time updates, and creative flexibility, making outdoor ads even more engaging and relevant to audiences.”

Sustainability was also a focus for the industry. Printing formats use Forest Stewardship Council-accredited papers, and digital advertising powered down for four hours at night. “Paper posters are recycled after use,” she said. “Bus vinyl is converted to solid recoverable fuel and used in cement manufacturing. Most OOH (out of home) displays are now illuminated with LED lighting.”

The OMA saw its role, she said, as being “one voice” for the industry in telling its story to advertisers and other stakeholders. “The power of being out of home comes, I believe, from attention and trust. It is a trusted medium, and there is a power in good creative that everyone can see.”

“The reason I got involved is I love the medium,” she added. “People are out of home more, so they’re seeing more out-of-home advertising. It is a really trusted format.”

From the Echo (but we remember Ark’s Advertising/Frank Sheerin here, who wrote it!):

The Blackman Bar in Dublin Pike was the scene of one of the most famous Irish adverts – for Harp lager. CHRIS DUNNE talks to the owner of the pub about the experienc

In the cultural life of Ireland in the 1980s, the words “Sally O’Brien, and the way she might look at you” have iconic status.

They were uttered in an advert for Harp Lager, by an Irish exile remembering the things he loved most about home. The list included his pint and the aforementioned Sally – played by actress Vicki Michelle.

The ad was actually filmed in a Cork pub – the Blackman Bar in Dublin Pike – in 1982.

The landlady, then and now, was Maureen Healy, and she says there was great excitement when the pub was chosen for filming.

“Yes, we were all excited when we heard that the Harp ad was going to be made here in the pub for TV,” says Maureen.

“We were clearing and cleaning for weeks. We covered the tables with newspapers after all the cleaning. We still have ornaments and glasses from that famous day in 1982.

“A neighbour of ours borrowed Sally O’Brien’s glass to drink his milk out of it! Now the glass is so old you can barely make out the logo.”

The British actress Vicki Michelle went on to be famous as Yvette in the saucy BBC comedy ‘Allo Allo!’. And the ad became so famous in Ireland that Taoiseach Charlie Haughey apparently railed against the fact ‘Sally’ wasn’t played by an Irish woman.

However, Michelle gleefully pointed out that she had a granny from Cork.

Now The Blackman Bar in Cork city is up for sale, with a price tag of over €1.1million, as proprietor Maureen stands down after a lifetime of pulling pints.

She has earned her rest.

From Radio Today August

The advertising industry in Ireland attracts billions in revenue from almost every sector each year.

From companies launching their latest product lines to online entertainment websites, nearly every company tries to get their slice of the consumer pie by funnelling vast sums of money into ads.

Despite the adoption of modern technologies, specifically streaming services, one way to advertise has stood the test of time: radio advertising.

Although radio globally is suffering somewhat from a decline in listeners due to competition brought on by Spotify, Apple Music, and other digital platforms, it remains a prevalent form of entertainment. This is particularly true in Ireland, where listeners are increasing rather than decreasing.

The latest JNLR Ipsos report, which studies radio listenership in the country, revealed that more people listened to the radio in Ireland during 2023 than in 2022. In contrast to 2022, which found 193,000 fewer people listening to the radio, 2023 marked a time when approximately 91% of Irish adults listened weekly.

This range of listeners has helped Irish radio stations thrive, growing the industry to a revenue of €164 million in 2023—4% higher than the previous year. Almost all of this revenue is generated through advertising by companies and brands looking to reach the ears of millions of listeners.

Types of Radio Advertising in Ireland

There are three main types of radio advertising: spot advertising, branded content advertising, and digital audio advertising. Below is a brief description of each.

Spot Advertising

As its name implies, spot advertising is when a company (or advertiser) purchases a ‘spot’ on a radio station. This spot is a specific section of time limited to a number of seconds (or minutes) and is scheduled to occur at a particular time of the day or radio show.

Spot advertising is, traditionally, the most common and profitable form of radio advertising. With multiple advertisers vying for the best spots in prime-time positions, these few seconds can generate impressive sums of money for broadcasters.

Branded Content Advertising

Advertising on the radio via branded content can sometimes be more costly for companies and require more effort. However, these expenses are usually worth it, as this form of advertising can build a stronger connection and cement an advertising objective in listeners’ minds.

Branded content advertisements commonly consist of a sponsored message made directly by the radio host. Alternatively, they may appear as a specific segment of a radio show sponsored by a particular company, which is mentioned by name repeatedly throughout the show.

Digital Audio Advertising

Digital audio advertising is the newest form of radio advertising and is experiencing the most significant growth worldwide. This form of advertising works in tandem with streaming or download services and inserts advertising into audio streams accessed via various channels.

These channels include radio shows streamed via the Internet, on-demand music services, and, in some instances, podcasts.

According to Radio Centre, a body founded by the Irish Raidió Teilifís Éireann (also known as public service broadcaster RTE), almost 24% of weekly audio is nowadays consumed through digital channels. As such, tapping into these advertising channels can help companies reach more people more effectively.

Popularity of Advertising Types

As mentioned above, spot advertising is the most popular and traditional form of radio advertising. In 2023, €127.2 million (or 77.5%) of total radio advertising revenue came from spots sold to companies seeking to establish their brand.

Despite being the most common type of advertising, spot advertising revenue was on a downward trend, with agency earnings dropping consecutively each quarter since the start of 2023. That is, until the final quarter, when revenue spiked significantly, leading to an overall 1% growth in this type of advertising compared to 2022.

Following spot adverts, branded content advertising generated the most revenue, €29.5 million. Accounting for 18% of total income, this type of ad saw decent growth across 2023, increasing by 9% compared to the year before.

Unlike spot ads, this surge in growth didn’t occur during the last quarter of the year—driven by holiday spending. Instead, branded content grew steadily across all four quarters and, surprisingly, generated slightly less through agencies during the last quarter of 2022.

Despite only generating 4.5% (€7.2 million) of total ad revenue, digital audio revenue saw the most significant growth during 2023. Up 33% from 2022, many expect this type of advertising to continue to grow in the future, possibly becoming almost as popular as spot adverts.

Spending by Sector

With many sectors trying to get prime advertising positions over the airwaves, some are willing to spend more than others. Sectors like gambling are restricted due to local laws, meaning that advertising Irish casinos ranked by casinos.com wouldn’t reach many people. This, in turn, means that the gambling sector spends little on radio advertising.

In contrast, industries without significant advertising limitations, such as car manufacturers, are big spenders in radio advertising because they have seen the results of previous ad campaigns run via local radio stations.

Alongside car manufacturers, the largest spenders by sector include travel and transport providers, pharmaceutical companies, and business-to-business providers. These industries generated millions in ad revenue over 2022 and into 2023.

As a special mention, it should be noted that advertising by one entity declined significantly in 2023—the Irish government. This has been attributed to increased spending in other areas, specifically social media advertising, where the government spent €1.1 million in 2023.

Future Revenues

Forecasts outlined in late 2023 predicted that radio advertising revenue in Ireland is likely to reach €178 million by 2028. However, this forecast was published before the close of 2023 and predicted that 2024 revenue would reach just €157 million.

Considering that revenue in 2023 exceeded the 2024 prediction, producing revenue of €164 million, it is likely that the sector will surpass €178 million in the next four years. Should this hold, radio broadcasters can look forward to extended periods of flowing revenue provided by companies looking to get their 15 seconds of fame on the radio.

From Irish Times August

Distilled Ltd received dividends of €14.5 million in the year – down from €19.5 million – from its subsidiary undertakings

The company behind property website Daft.ie and sales website DoneDeal.ieincreased its profit after tax by a third last year, its latest set of financial results show.

Distilled Ltd, which runs online advertising services through various websites such as Daft.ie, DoneDeal.ie, Adverts.ie and Gumtree.ie, has filed accounts for the year ended December 31st, 2023, with the Companies Registration Office.

It made a profit before tax of €12.2 million, which was up from €9.5 million the year before. After tax, it made a profit of almost €10 million, which was up from €7.5 million, and which was transferred to reserves. Turnover came to €41.4 million, up from €36.7 million.

The parent company received dividends of €14.5 million in the year – down from €19.5 million – from its subsidiary undertakings during the year. The parent company declared and paid dividends of €13.9 million during the year.

The accounts show the group increased its headcount from 140 to 148, and increased spending on staff from €12.6 million to €14.2 million.

Brothers Eamonn and Brian Fallon are co-founders of the Daft.ie property website, which they established in 1997, when they were 20 and 15 years old, respectively.

The resulting joint venture company, Distilled Ltd, is 50 per cent owned by the Fallons, who hold their shares through DML Capital Unlimited – also Journal Media’s ultimate parent company – and 50 per cent owned by Adevinta, a Schibsted spin-off.

Among the risks to the company, the directors cited a deterioration in general economic conditions or in the online advertising market.

It flagged other risks including the failure to adopt new advertising formats or to attract new users or monetise existing traffic.

The directors said they remained confident, however, that the risks would be mitigated by a continuing trend of advertising spend moving to online media.

They also pointed to continued investment in new value-adding products for users, as well as investments in new technologies to enhance user experience across its platforms, and the adoption of new advertising formats to meet the demands of advertisers.

From IMJ August:

From The Irish Times August (but we thought they did already?):

Deal is part of a wider move to expand the group’s media services and product offering, says managing director.

The Irish Times Group has acquired the remaining shares in luxury and lifestyle publisher Gloss Publications, the company behind magazine The Gloss, in which it has held a 50 per cent stake since 2006.

The acquisition of the shareholding held by Gloss Publications co-founders Jane and Sarah McDonnell is part of a strategic move by The Irish Times Group to expand its media and digital services offering after acquiring leading deaths notice site RIP.ie earlier this year.

Founded in 2006, the Gloss, which is published on the first Thursday of every month in large glossy print format with The Irish Times, features a mix of lifestyle, interior design, food and travel articles and features.

The company publishes a special Gloss Interiors edition, circulated by The Irish Times, twice annually – in the spring and autumn. Gloss Publications also publishes magazines for private clients, including universities, and runs premium events, including the annual Gloss Gala.

Deirdre Veldon, managing director of The Irish Times, said the acquisition would enhance the group’s portfolio of “quality journalism and services”.

“Sarah and Jane have created top-class publications in The Gloss and The Gloss Interiors, which are avidly consumed in digital and print by their loyal and discerning audiences,” she said. “We have enjoyed working as co-shareholders with Jane and Sarah over many years and we believe now is a good time to build on that relationship to bring their high-end brand of original content and premium events to a wider audience.”

Commenting on the deal, Jane McDonnell said the strategic partnership The Irish Times has had with the Gloss Publications over nearly two decades has been key to the company’s success. “Over the past 18 years, we have invented and reinvented our titles The Gloss, The Gloss Interiors and thegloss.ie and created many successful unique event formats – including The Gloss Gala – in multiple sectors.”

Gloss editor Sarah McDonnell said: “We set out to create a new media brand, one that combined all the strengths of print with the benefits of digital. Our readership is outstanding in its breadth and loyalty to the brand. This highly engaged audience drives us to aspire to excellence in everything we do.”

Radio Listenership JNLR report shows strong growth in Radio overall, but Spin is still the younger station and Sunshine for over 35’s in Dublin. RTE continues to dominate though. Always ask us, but the reports attached from our UM friends are excellent to have.

Highlights:

1. Overall Reach:
   • A total of 3.3 million individuals tuned in to radio during Q1 2024, representing an impressive 80% of the population.
2. Year-on-Year Growth:
   • Across all age groups, there has been a general increase in listenership for all stations compared to the previous year (YOY).
   • Nationally, the average growth corresponds to approximately 40,000 new listeners.
3. Station Preferences:
   • Radio 1 continues to be the favourite among the 35+ audience.
   • Today FM maintains its strong position within the 15-34 age group.
4. Regional Insights:
   • Dublin: Despite a year-on-year drop in listenership, Spin remains the most popular station among 15-44 year-olds.
   • Cork: While there was a decline of 15,000 listeners across all adults in the combined stations ofC103 and Cork 96FM, 4FM experienced a notable increase
     of 15,000 listeners.

UM JNLR detailed Q1 2023 vs Q1 2024

UM JNLR detailed Q1 2023 vs Q1 2024

From RTE

Sinn Féin has spent the most on online ads in the past five years with Fianna Fáil a close second, according to new research.

Analysis by Mulley Communications, using Google and Meta Ad Transparency tools, shows that Sinn Féin spent €64,149 in the past 90 days on online ads, twice as much as all other parties combined.

Over the past five years Sinn Féin has spent €266,428 on online ads, followed by Fianna Fáil on a figure of €213,215.

Fine Gael spent €170,154 and Labour’s five-year online ad spend amounts to €54,139.

“When you look at the five-year ad spend of the parties, there’s not a huge difference between them,” said Damien Mulley from Mulley Communications.

“However, this year, Sinn Féin is showing a significant increase, nearing their total 2023 spend in just the first half of the year, even though the local and European campaigns have barely started.”

The analysis shows that in recent weeks, Sinn Féin has spent €7,000 on Google ads and €1,500 on Facebook and Instagram ads focusing on Taoiseach Simon Harris.

The analysis of Sinn Féin’s 2023 ad spend was calculated using the mean of expenditures, which were displayed per ad in ranges on the Meta Ad Library.