Ireland's out-of-home (OOH) industry has inevitably been affected by the recession, putting a strain on budgets and leading to short-term planning, but there are signs it has been less affected than other media.
Joe Dalton, managing director of Precision Media, says: "The Irish media market is suffering more than the UK because we've had it so good for so long. Outdoor spend will be down this year, but not as badly as other media. The local and European elections have boosted billings, as have major company rebrands."
Clear Channel claims the retail sector is also continuing to spend heavily on OOH. Bairbre Drury Byrne, marketing manager, says: "Dunnes, Tesco and Supervalu have all run very successful price-driven campaigns. There has been increasing price competition in the grocery sector and retailers perceive OOH as an effective way to reach a broadcast audience."
Other industry sources report that alcoholic drinks firms, film brands, electricity providers, the National Lottery and mobile phone operators also continue to favour the medium.
Michael O'Mahony, group marketing and commercial director at Belfast outdoor specialist PML, adds: "The large number of campaigns run by other media on OOH has also been encouraging. Newspapers, TV stations and radio stations have all used OOH extensively."
A further reason for OOH's resilience is that the Irish are a nation of commuters, particularly in the Dublin area, making them the ideal target for outdoor messages. Innovation in the market has also boosted interest, most notably the launch of the Titan Vision screens in prime train and bus stations, which marks Ireland's first digital OOH format.Simon Durham, managing director, Kinetic, says: "We expect the Titan Vision sites to do well in Ireland. They can be engaging and encourage consumer contact as they are located in areas where people have dwell time."
Meanwhile, JCDecaux introduced two new formats to the market late last year: Metropoles and Metropanels, which are backlit and scrolling panels. By striking a deal with civic authorities, JCDecaux managed to secure prime roadside sites in handpicked locations on the busiest traffic routes through Dublin city centre.
In a further move to alleviate losses, JCDecaux is pushing its Innovate service, where teams work with clients to add stand-out to campaigns. Innovate offerings include electro-luminescence, special builds, LED screens, countdown clocks, lenticulars and spangleys.
"LED countdown clocks proved popular earlier in the year," says Durham. "Jameson used a clock to count down to the Dublin International Film Festival and U2 is using the format to count down to the launch of its new album."
Special builds and lenticulars are also still proving popular with clients, and there are more interactive screen storefronts, such as the recent Ford Ka site in Stephen's Green shopping centre in Dublin.
But what did the industry think of PML's daring campaign, which used all the non-booked spaces to highlight the visibility of the medium? Some criticised the move as "desperate", while others predicted it could be detrimental long term if clients start to expect slashed rates.
However, Precision Media's Dalton says: "The campaign raised awareness of the out-of-home medium. Other media are doing it, so why not outdoor? Fair play to them."
OOH in Ireland: what's on offer
CBS Outdoor Ireland
Number of sites:
2,580 (Republic), 3,016 (Northern Ireland), including roadside billboards, Purchase Points and Premium Transit
Landmark locations:
Croke Park stadium in Dublin and city routes between Dublin and Belfast and Dublin and Cork
Cost of a two-week campaign:
From €2,500 for Cork Skylink Mega Rears to €32,000 for a Dublin Roadside campaign
Clear Channel Ireland
Number of sites:
5,850 (Republic), 2,400 (Northern Ireland), including Adshel Citylights, Adshel Connect phone boxes and More O'Ferrall billboards
Landmark locations:
Stadia, ports and all arterial routes into major cities
Cost of a two-week campaign:
Adshel €375 per panel (£285 in NI), Adbox €245 per panel (£160 in NI) and Adshel Connect €140 per panel (Northern Ireland only)
Image Zoo (Northern Ireland specialist)
Number of sites:
2,655, including washroom ads, Glowboxes, an inflatable billboard and the Triptych site - a series of three 10ft x 20ft light boxes
Landmark locations:
The Triptych at the start of the Golden Mile in Belfast and Glowbox panels in style bars
Cost of a two-week campaign:
From £42 per panel per cycle for washroom ads to £2,500 per cycle for the Triptych (minimum three cycles)
JCDecaux Ireland
Number of sites:
1,764 (Republic), 522 (Northern Ireland), including 48-sheets, 96-sheets, Europanels, Metropoles, Metropanels and Lightboxes
Landmark locations:
The new-format Metropoles and Metropanels in Dublin city centre, launched in September
Cost of a two-week campaign:
€30,000 for a 24-panel Metropole campaign, €10,200 for a 24-panel Metropanel campaign, and €23,680 for a Dublin commuter campaign
Titan Worldwide Ireland
Number of sites:
28,790 (Republic only), including Megasides, Europanels, City Impact, Commuter Cards and Titan Vision
Landmark locations:
Major bridges in Dublin city centre, Dunlaoghaire Dublin Area Rapid Transit Station, Rosslare Harbour and Heuston Station
Cost of a two-week campaign:
From €13,500 for malls to €147,000 for bridges (annual)