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FREQUENLY
ASKED QUESTIONS |
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The most common questions
regarding marketing in Ireland and its media are fairly
straightforward and have a bearing on much of the work we
undertake at Garry Hill Media. The following are a few of
the most relevant ones with an overview answer.
Invariably each case is
different so if you feel that your question has not been
answered fully then please contact us directly and we will
be only too happy to help. |
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ADVERTISING QUESTIONS |
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How much should I
spend on my Irish advertising?
The Irish market is no different to any other market in
that the size of the budget should be dictated by the
expected return. Ireland offers a full range of media
options and each can be judged on the basis of audience
delivery balanced against cost.
When first looking at Irish media the capital cost appears
low by large international standards however care must be
taken to establish clearly what audience is actually being
delivered for this cost.
When
advertising on a 32 county basis do I need both RTE and
UTV television?
If budget permits we would recommend that both stations be
used. There has been a lengthy debate regarding the
transmission overlap between UTV and RTE and the likely
effect on conversion between NI and ROI. TV audience data
is now available on a 32 county basis and the relative
weight of advertising required between RTE, TV3, UTV and
C4 is easier to calculate.
When I
advertise with the Belfast Telegraph in NI do I need to
advertise with any other press?
It is true that the BT is the dominant newspaper in NI.
However a combination of the BT in conjunction with the
Irish News and Newsletter does deliver a larger morning
audience. It also has the benefit of addressing your
message to both religious communities.
If you are targeting a mass market audience a combination
of the Mirror Group Newspapers NI editions can prove cost
effective.
What
research source is available for NI press?
Most advertisers and agencies now use NI TGI for press
research. NI TGI has been available for some years and it
is now possible to track readership trends for most NI
newspapers and magazines.
National
press in ROI is dominated totally by the Independent
Group. Why should I advertise elsewhere?
The five national dailies, evening and Sunday newspapers
owned by the Independent Group do deliver over 75% of the
ROI population. However it is rare to buy all five titles
together because of their diverse readerships. More likely
combinations would be the Irish Times and Sunday Business
Post when targeting Businessmen or Weekend and Woman's Way
magazines when targeting Women.
The Independent Group does offer the largest readership
but it cannot be assumed that they reach all Irish
audiences effectively.
I have shops
in Cork and Limerick only. Do I need to advertise
nationally?
Both the Cork and Limerick areas are well served by local
media and unless you believe your catchment area to be
truly national then a regional campaign will suffice. In
the Cork area you have the choice of the daily Examiner or
local weekly newspapers. In addition you have 96/103 FM
local radio delivering some of the largest audiences in
the regional radio network. Cork Multi-channel TV offers
good concentrated coverage of Cork City. Limerick also
offers the choice of local newspapers and radio. The
Limerick Leader, a very widely read local, dominates the
Limerick press market weekly. 95 FM is the local radio
station offering good coverage of Limerick City and
county.
I advertise
with UK newspapers and magazines that have a good
readership in Ireland. Do I need to up-weight with local
Irish media?
Many UK newspapers and magazines do have a good readership
throughout Ireland [See Imported ABC]. However few offer
an Irish advertising 'opt-out'. UK press titles are not
monitored by the JNRR so it is impossible to determine the
actual size of readership. A common error made is to
assume that the creative treatment that works in UK press
will be equally successful in Ireland. On many occasions
copy is simply lifted from the UK and placed with Irish
press without even the simplest of changes such as the
reply address or telephone number.
A good tip is to ask your Irish office/agent how they feel
about your advertising message appearing in a UK title.
The CPTs for
Irish press are very high. Why?
Press costs can be high by UK standards. It should be
remembered that Irish publishers are trading in a small
market and the circulation revenue is limited. They cannot
benefit from the economies of scale enjoyed in larger
markets. Consequently advertising rates have to be set at
a level that provides the publishers with a profit. Few
Irish advertisers use CPT as the only basis for media
selection. |
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MARKETING QUESTIONS |
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I think I have a market for my product in Ireland. How can
I confirm this?
Simply by researching the Irish market properly. A good
place to start would be the Industrial Development
Authority for the ROI and the Industrial Development Board
who are responsible for Northern Ireland. Both the IDA and
IDB have access to very detailed market research
information on their markets. They have offices throughout
the world.
Ireland is well served by the research industry.
I sell X million products in the UK market each year.
What is the likely size of my sale in the Irish market?
It is truisms that most Irish markets are worth 5% of the
equivalent UK market. Despite the recent boom in the Irish
economy it would be wrong to overestimate the size of the
market. There are 48+ million adults in the UK-there are
2.8 million adults living in ROI.
Specific market sector sizes are available from a number
of sources such as Nielsen or TGI Ireland.
My Irish agent is selling a lot of my product. How much
marketing support should I give him?
The level of marketing support required is dictated by the
potential size of the market and the specific job required
of your agent. Start by checking how competitive your
products are in Ireland in terms of price, delivery
reliability and promotional support. A good agent with
many personal contacts built up over the years will need a
very different type of support to a representative, not
based in Ireland who relies on infrequent visits to your
customers for sales.
I am about to set up an Irish operation. I am happy
that I have the right product and that there is a viable
market in Ireland. Are there any local customs and
traditions I should know about?
A common mistake made by many companies, in particular UK
companies is to assume that the Irish market responds in
precisely the same way their home market. One of the main
traditions is to understand that most business is done on
a personal basis. This implies a relationship between
customer and seller. Foreign companies need to establish a
good relationship with their customers quickly. It should
be said that the market is small and one can make these
important contacts quickly.
It is also no coincidence that the more successful foreign
companies do employ Irish people to run their Irish
operation. This is not mere tokenism but recognition by a
foreign company that the Irish like doing business with
their own people.
The Irish economy is booming currently. This cannot
continue indefinitely. When will it slow down?
The ROI economy has gone through one of the most
spectacular growths in the past five years. It is the
fastest growing economy in the EC and has managed to
maintain an inflation level of less than 2%. This growth
is reflected in record house prices [up by 30% in Dublin
in the last year], record new car sales, record employment
levels.
Irish economists are agreed that this growth will continue
through 1999 into 2000 and for most of 2001. However these
economists are not in agreement about predicting when the
boom will subside. It is felt that there are too many
variables in the economy to allow for an accurate
prediction. It is generally agreed that when the economy
does cool down the change is likely to be sector rather
than general. Some economic sectors will be adversely
effected whereas other areas will remain largely the same.
As a worse case scenario the economists predict that even
if the economy does slow down it will do so to a level
much higher than that achieved before the levels pre boom
in the early 1990's.
The Northern Ireland economy is healthy currently. Can
I market my product on a 32 county basis?
The simple answer is Yes. The NI economy is healthy and
the Good Friday Peace initiative has had a very positive
effect on the level of inward investment. Historically the
NI economy has been very dominated by the strength of the
Belfast economy. Of late there has been an economic shift
towards some of the other key cities in NI such as Derry.
Most products are available in both ROI and NI and despite
price and currency exchange differences more NI shoppers
are coming to the South. The current strength of sterling
vis a vis the Irish punt makes a shopping trip well worth
while for the NI shopper. Historically many people living
in the Border counties would travel to NI to shop.
Essentially there is no reason why a product which sells
in one part of Ireland cannot sell in the other. Consumer
product preferences are broadly the same throughout
Ireland. Trade barriers are in many cases imaginary and
not real. Of course a company has to be aware of local
customs and traditions but that is no different to any
other market. |
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