Prosperity. Happiness Works.

Online advertising grew drastically in the first half of this year, while spend on other media fell, according to the latest Irish report on adspend.

The bi-annual advertising spend study from IAB Ireland and PwC found that Irish online advertising recorded its highest level of growth at 20.5% in the first half of 2011.
Online now ranks number three in total media spend, outperforming radio, outdoor, cinema and magazine.
The breakdown of online spend is as follows:
•    Display (34%)
•    Paid search advertising (45%)
•    Classified advertising (21%)
Strong growth in display has been witnessed in IAB adspend studies in the UK and across Europe as brands embrace online advertising in growing numbers.
For the first time an estimate of display adspend on mobile has been provided in the adspend study. Mobile advertising is still a relatively new platform in the digital media mix. The dramatic increase in smartphone penetration and usage has contributed to increased interest in mobile advertising. Display adspend on mobile is estimated at €1.6m in H1 2011.

Imagine ‘checking in’ on social media just by tapping your phone against a poster? And gain instant rewards?
An Irish company is making a splash across the pond with a new platform which will offer just that.

Called RewardAble, this new platform from Betapond combines social check-ins with near field communication (NFC) and was showcased for the first time at the recent Innovation in Entertainment Showcase in Sony Pictures Hollywood.
RewardAble CEO Declan Kennedy explains that consumers will be able to ‘check in’ on social media and pick up rewards by simply tapping their phone against a poster or scanning a QR code.
The software, which will be available on all smartphones and integrates with NFC technology, will allow customers to discover new ways to get instant rewards whilst also benefiting retailers by bringing customer loyalty to the next level.
NFC authentications means customers will also have the highest level of privacy and protection.

Heineken has become the latest brand to turn to mobile discovery firm Shazam for its TV advertising campaign.
The firm launched its ‘Gorgeous Girl’ ad last week, the second in a series by Irish creative agency Rothco. However, despite the official 18 July release date, fans and music lovers were given a sneak peek by ‘Shazaming’ the song from the ad. The song in question is Bossanova Baby by Elvis Presley.

The application Shazam allows users to find out about and listen further to a song they hear but don’t know.
Evan Krauss, executive vice president of advertising sales at Shazam, said last month that many firms are using the technology to “drive deeper engagement with their television ad campaigns”.
“We’re now seeing companies in nearly every industry sector taking advantage of Shazam’s second screen experience to provide consumers with additional product information or give them an easy and fast point-of-interest retail experience at the click button,” he said.

A new alternative to Google AdWords is fast attracting advertisers and publishers from around the world.
Established in South Africa in 2009, Ad Dynamo has already built up a presence there, in the UK, Spain, Netherlands, Nigeria, the US and Ireland.

It works by bringing advertisers and publishers together and ensuring the relevant adverts are placed on publishers’ websites or mobile application through contextual advertising.
The growth of Ad Dynamo has been rapid, especially in the last 18 months; Gianni Ponzi of Ad Dynamo Ireland says the company is offering a genuine alternative.
“We pay publishers faster than anyone else and at a lower threshold. We are more cost effective and we are passionate about making sure both our advertisers and publishers get the best deal they can.”
“People are really taking to the fact that we provide another option to Google. We keep 80% of our advertisers and are working on the rest,” says Ponzi.

A sample of our Outdoor ads, promoting our Happy Seat campaign. And here’s our Happy Seat site: www.happyseat.ie