Marketing

Advertising – the bellwether industry Advertising agencies have replaced construction sites as the bellwether for the domestic economy, writes Amárach Consulting’s, Gerard O’Neill. We used to count the cranes on the skyline to tell us how the economy was doing. Not anymore. Ireland’s domestic economy – especially consumer spending – has been hit hard by the recession, with only glimpses of improvement in a few sectors and regions. There aren’t any cranes, and so we need a better guide to our economic fortunes. The recent IAPI Industry Census 2013 is such a guide. Advertising agencies are now the bellwether for the domestic economy. Their fortunes reflect those of their clients – advertisers…

Liberty Global subsidiary UPC Ireland has agreed to acquire TV3 for €80m from private equity group Doughty Hanson. UPC Ireland will pay an additional contingent amount of €7m payable based on TV3 hitting certain targets. On completion of the acquisition, TV3 will become part of Liberty Global. TV3 is the number one channel in Ireland after public broadcaster RTÉ1 with an audience share of 12pc. In 2014, the TV3 Group achieved its best set of operating results since 2008. Magnus Ternsjö, CEO of UPC Ireland , said: “The investment we are making today secures the long-term future of TV3. With its wide range of home-grown programming, TV3 holds a unique place in the heart of Irish…

Dublin Airport and Shannon Airport were last night named among five winners of global marketing awards at the World Routes 2014 conference in Chicago. The awards, which are for excellence in marketing by airports, are voted exclusively by airlines worldwide and are divided into just four categories based on airport size. Dublin Airport won the World Routes Award for airports that handle between 20 million and 50 million passengers per year, defeating fellow finalists in the category, Copenhagen, Dusseldorf, Munich and Seattle Tacoma. Shannon Airport, meanwhile, won the category for under 4 million passengers, beating off competition from Bremen, Aksu, Cuneo Levaldigi and Kilimanjaro. Singapore’s Changi Airport Group was the…

Online classified ads site DoneDeal announced today that it’s sponsoring Setanta Sports’s coverage of this year’s FA Cup. The sponsorship will include DoneDeal stings throughout the broadcast of 30 live games. The official announcement was made this morning at Setanta Sports offices with the FA Cup on hand. “There is a natural fit between DoneDeal and Ireland’s leading premium sports broadcaster,” said Irene Parker, marketing manager at DoneDeal. “We see the sponsorship of the prestigious FA Cup as the perfect platform to drive new traffic to the 60,000 listings in our cars section. This sponsorship is a key part of DoneDeal’s 2015 marketing strategy to grow our motoring section.” “The FA Cup…

Brand champion – the Q&A series: Simon DemeryPictured: Simon Demery, general sales manager for Swizzels in Ireland Simon Demery is the general sales manager for Swizzels in Ireland where he is responsible for all aspects of the business with particular focus on the sales and marketing function in Ireland. He works closely with agents and customers to plan at least six to eight months in advance for key sales periods such as Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s Day and key summer activity. Swizzels Matlow was established in 1928 and started as a market stall in Hackney, London. Today, the factory in New Mills now produces more than 14 tons of chew sweets,…

Games on: London 2012 sponsorship As the clock ticks towards London 2012, brands are upping the ante to become as globally visible as possible to consumers, writes Grainne Rothery. As the opening ceremony for London 2012 edges closer, the €4.5bn battle for the hearts and minds of consumers is set to be cranked up a few notches as the official sponsors of the Games – and no doubt a few gatecrashers to the party – jostle for position. A recent analysis by consultancy company Onside Sponsorship reveals that Irish consumers could potentially receive Olympic-branded communications from more than 65 brands during the Games run-up. This comprises official Team Ireland sponsors,…

Alcohol brands ask to be blurred out of movieImage courtesy of Facebook According to reports, drinks brands Budweiser and Stolichnaya have asked to be blurred out of an upcoming movie starring Denzel Washington. Both companies cited their concerns due to the negative connotations alcohol has in the film. Entitled ‘Flight,’ the movie focuses on a pilot with an alcohol problem (Washington), who becomes a hero when he saves the lives of the passengers on his commercial flight following a plane crash. However, the brands have revealed their unhappiness with their association to the film, especially scenes where Washington is shown drinking and driving. Statement From Budweiser Speaking to Reuters, vice-president of Budweiser , Robert…

When using E-mail for customer service purposes, be sure to follow this helpful advice: Answer quickly—customers using E-mail expect a prompt response, usually within the same business day. Use the “Reply” key in your E-mail program so that the customer’s note is part of your response. Avoid slang, jargon and anything else that could be considered insulting, such as writing in all capital letters. Don’t send attachments—not everyone can open them, and some users are afraid to open them because of the threat of viruses. Instead, paste the contents of the attachment directly into the body of the E-mail. Treat E-mail as you would paper documents—assume it will be kept…