From IMJ (Admatic CEO was a joint founder of Core with Alan Cox):

Following a strong first half of year, Core has upwardly revised its full year advertising expenditure forecast to 6.94%.

Earlier this year Core predicted that the market would grow by around 4.1% to €1.472bn. Now it is forecasting that this will rise by 6.9% to €1,57bn.

According to Core, the key drivers of this growth include stronger than anticipated performance across digital, particularly driven by increased investment in online video and TikTok; Out-Of-Home and TV. “These channels have performed better than expected due to significant increased investment from categories such as FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods), Utilities/Telcos and Retail,” Core says in its revised Outlook report for the remainder of 2024.

“This positive trend mirrors global patterns, particularly in the UK where ad spend has also experienced robust growth driven largely by digital investment and increased investment across traditional media channels such as OOH and TV,” says Christina Duff, managing director, Core Investment.

The revised forecasts from Core come on the back of strong trading performances in H1 2024 announced recently by TAM Ireland and Radiocentre Ireland which represent the TV and radio sectors respectively.

According to Core’s latest Outlook report, it is forecasting that video advertising will increase by 4.62% this year to €291.13m while out-of-home will continue its strong performances of recent years by increasing by16% to €93.9m while digital advertising spend is forecast to grow by 9.7% to €1.00bn.

Elsewhere audio advertising spend is forecast to grow by 3.39% to €176.35m while cinema advertising is expected to increase by 17.8% to €5.4m. The outlook for news media, however, remains bearish with Core forecasting a 9.44% decline advertising spend to (€94.15m.

According to Duff, audio investment across radio and partnerships is expected to increase by 2.73%, while digital audio will increase by 10% across all streaming platforms.

“Growth in revenue from government, retail and motors are driving spend across spot and content. Digital audio continues to increase; however, we have adjusted this down vs. our initial prediction of 18% growth due to competition in the digital landscape across channels such as video streaming taking share, and radio continuing to be both cost effective while delivering strong audience numbers. Streaming platforms and Podcasting will continue to witness strong growth as brands search for incremental reach within the audio landscape,” she says.

On the back of a strong first half of the year for live sports, including the Olympic Games, Duff says the “time spent” watching TV is up 1% in the year to the end of July 2024.

“Commercial impacts are up 8% which has helped ease some of the hyperinflation the market has witnessed over the last number of years. For younger audiences, viewership is up as high as 24% over the busy summer months,” she says.

“To add to this, streams across all the broadcast digital players are averaging growth of 17%. The key categories driving growth in advertising spend across Video include FMCGs, Telecommunications, Utilities and Retail. The first half of 2024 is tracking total video (TV and Broadcast Video on Demand) spend at 11%, but Core expects this to slow down slightly from September due to less live sport content compared to 2023, when the Rugby World Cup was held,” Duff adds.

With growth in OOH advertising continuing to increase, Duff says “the OOH sector can finally confirm that it has recovered post pandemic and is seeing significant growth across all formats and sectors including Retail, Media, and Food.

“The OOH sector has significantly invested in upgrading sites country wide, securing transport contracts, continued investment into digital, while focusing on sustainability and with new research on the way, there are plenty of positives for the medium.,” she says.

“The growth in Retail Media opportunities from the likes of Elevate Media, and increased DOOH formats has helped the OOH grow faster than initially predicted.

With digital advertising spend now running at in excess of €1bn a year, Duff says that  AI has played a role in growing revenues beyond previous expectations.

“The key watch out for advertisers will be growing inflation in some of these platforms to counteract changing consumer behaviours as the lines blur between search and social specifically. TikTok’s potential move into long-form video will also be a watch out as it could disrupt video investment,” she says.

When it comes to news media, print will be hit the hardest, according to Core.

However, it notes that “small growth in ad revenue across display/ video across news media channels, along with potential increased government spending towards the end of year will offset some of the double-digit decline expected in print.”

Cinema: +17.8% (€5.4 million)

Elsewhere a forecast hike of 17.8% in cinema advertising this year to €5.4m masks a tricky first few months of the year for the industry when overall admissions year to date are down 8%.

However, Core notes that “the final quarter of the year will reverse this trend with Joker 2, Gladiator 2 and many new family movies set to be released. Cinema’s unique attention-grabbing formats pre-movie will be a must have in a busy end to the year.”

From The Radio CentreRadiocentre:

Ireland’s Sounding Out 2024 event will take place on Thursday, the 10^th of October and will feature Robert Heath, author of the seminal book “The Hidden Power of Advertising”.  Robert will talk about why the move towards attention measurement is a big mistake. You will also hear insights on the attention debate from renowned strategist Craig Mawdsley (Founding Partner Craig + Bridget).  There will also be a focus on effectiveness where you will hear from Bridget Angear (Craig + Bridget) and Andrew Tindall, System1 about new frontiers of effectiveness thinking based on insights from  IPA and Effies case studies.  Ralph van Dijk will show why brands which define their audio strategy, both media and creative, enjoy strong business outcomes. This event will also feature a new research study, commissioned by Radiocentre Ireland which reveals insights on the role audio plays in driving mental availability. The event takes place on Thursday, the 10th of October 8.30am to 1pm in The Round Room at The Mansion House and it is an event not to be missed.

Registration here https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sounding-out-2024-tickets-1002845316337?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl

 

From Adworld

With streaming apps growing in popularity, Virgin Media Television (VMTV) is rolling out a new and revamped streaming service for mobile, tablet and smart TV viewers.

The new streamer, called Virgin Media Play, will be officially launched on September 2 and represents a substantial investment for the broadcaster.

Available live or on demand, viewers can watch all VMTV channels in-app and it will include significant additions to its existing on-demand library with exclusive content including  drama series ‘The Arrangement’ and reality shows such as ‘Below Deck Mediterranean’, ‘Million Dollar Listing’ ‘The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ and ‘Vanderpump Rules’.

Details of the new streaming service emerged this week at VMTV’s launch of its Autumn schedule.

The schedule includes a strong mix of drama, entertainment, sport and current affairs programming.

A key feature of VMTV’s sporting schedule will be the live broadcast of all Ireland’s Autumn internationals against New Zealand, Argentina, Fiji and Australia in the Aviva Stadium while Irish viewers will also have access to eight  games in the UEFA Champions League every week with two games live on Virgin Media Two and two on Virgin Media More.

New drama on the schedule includes the highly anticipated Irish series ‘Dead & Buried’ which was written by acclaimed Irish author, Colin Bateman, and filmed across various Irish locations. Other highly acclaimed drama includes “Coma’ and “Until I Kill You.” Dramas set to return for additional series this season include hit police drama ‘The Tower S3’ and the detective series ‘Grace S4’.

VMTV has also lined up a number of new and original documentaries, including  ‘Women Locked Up: Inside the Dóchas Centre’, which provides unprecedented access and compelling insights into life behind bars in Ireland’s largest women’s prison.

Against a backdrop of continuing protests and riots, the two-part documentary ‘Borders & Lies’ will explore “the role of social media in inciting hate, fuelling fear and shaping public opinion in relation to immigration.”

Virgin Media News will also investigate University Hospital Limerick in  ‘Ireland’s Most Dangerous Hospital’ while ‘Generation Rent’, presented by Virgin Media News correspondent Zara King, explores issues surrounding the housing crisis in Ireland, speaking with young people who are struggling to put their renting days behind them and get on the property ladder.

According to  Anthony Nilan, director of orogramming, Virgin Media Television:

“We’re thrilled to launch a new season of programming that truly reflects the diversity, ambition, and creativity at the heart of our content. This lineup brings together bold new voices and familiar favourites across a range of genres, that will captivate and engage audiences, staying true to our role as a valued public service broadcaster for Irish viewers.”

 

FROM IMJ ADWORLD:

From The Examiner:

Sky Ireland’s business saw revenues fall by £21m (€24.6m) last year, representing a 4% decrease on the 2022 revenues of £531m.

New accounts filed with Companies House in the UK for Sky Subscribers Services Ltd reveal the Irish branch revenues last year totalled £510m – which was a £21m or a 4pc decrease on the 2022 revenues of £531m.

From RTE

Latest JNLR Headlines for RTÉ Radio

• RTÉ’s radio services reach over 2 million adults* or 48% of the adult population every week with gains for all RTÉ stations
• RTÉ holds 17 of the top 20 radio programmes broadcasting in Ireland 
• RTÉ Radio 1 remains the only station with a weekly reach of over 1 million** listeners with gains of +31,000 YoY 
• RTÉ 2FM weekly reach increases by 94,000 YoY to 791,000
• RTÉ lyric fm has 335,000 listeners on a weekly basis increasing by +37,000 YoY 

 

Radiocentre Ireland’s Sounding Out conference will take place at The Round Room at The Mansion House on Thursday the 10th of October from 8.30am to 1pm. The event will showcase new research  on mental availability and will host an array of speakers addressing areas such as advertising effectiveness, how ad attention really works, how brands need to define their audio strategy,  among other topics. Save the date and more details will be announced very soon.

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.