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Tourism emphasis on targeting home marketFailte Ireland hopes to exploit the economic downturn with a major marketing campaign urging people to holiday at home rather than travelling overseas. Research shows that 23 per cent of adults in Ireland were planning to reduce spending on foreign vacations this year, while only one in ten people said they expected to spend less on home holidays. Over 60 per cent of those surveyed said they would be cutting back on eating out and socialising. Launching Failte Ireland's biggest ever home holiday campaign – over €3 million in agency investment plus industry funding – chief executive Shaun Quinn said the marketing catch-cry this year is: ‘Holidaying at home is the new going away'. The number of people who said they would definitely take a foreign holiday this year had dropped by 38 per cent when compared to feedback for 2008. The number of people who are committed to a short home break stayed at 27 per cent. Quinn said that the indications were more people were also considering taking their main holiday at home this year. |
RTE calls for digital review
RTE has urged the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) and the department of communications to review the strategy on digital terrestrial television (DTT) following the decision by Boxer DTT to withdraw from the project. The Boxer consortium is a 50:50 venture between Denis O'Brien's Communicorp group and Boxer in Sweden.
The economic downturn and problems in finalised negotiations with RTE for use of the DTT network which RTE is building were reasons given for exiting the project. The DTT underbidders, a group including Eircom, TV3 and Setanta Sports, were offered the chance to take up the negotiations. The other contender is a group led by RTE and UPC.
DTT has to be phased in over several years. RTE is thought to be technically capable of launching a DTT service covering 80 per cent of homes by the year end. But the service, on which RTE has spent €40m on equipment to date, would be limited to RTE 1, RTE 2, TG4 and TV3. Under EU laws, Ireland must switch off the analogue signal in 2012.
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CANNON FIRES SALVOSAmy Cannon, a final year student in marketing at DIT, went to great lengths to get a job as a radio host with FM104. Along with her classmates, Cannon created posters, printed t-shirts, toured Dublin night clubs and even ran around town to get people to vote for her in an FM104 apprentice-style competition to earn a job at the station. |
Heineken reviews its media
Heineken has asked four agencies to pitch for its media planning and buying services only a number of weeks of putting its consumer public relations out to pitch. Four agencies are in line for the Dutch beer group's media, namely Mediavest, OMD, Vizeum and the incumbent, Mindshare. The account is worth about €10 million annually. In relation to PR, Heineken has invited four agencies to pitch.
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OMD and Mediaworks have signed a deal giving the combined two agencies more powers of negotiation with media owners. OMD and PHD form the Omnicom buying and planning unit and handle work for Cawley Nea\TBWA and Irish International BBDO in Ireland. Mediaworks and Owens DDB have a non-equity relationship with DDB group. The OMD/Mediaworks deal follows the formation of the Core group, representing Publicis and McConnells media interests nationally. McCann Erickson Dublin's Universal McCann previously had a relationship with McConnells via Magna but this link was ended when Core was formed and Universal has challenged its dissolution.
TV3 has a new morning show hosted by Sybil Mulcahy and Martin King. The Morning Show with Sybil and Martin follows Ireland AM at 10am to 11am each weekday. The show covers everyday issues like relationships, parenting, health and wealth.
POWER FM, the Dublin digital radio station which has operated on various platforms for 16 years, has been granted a temporary licence by the BCI. Continuing on powerfm.org Monday to Thursday, the station will have three-day weekend broadcasts until June 14.
PHOTOGRAPHER Barry Delaney has launched a collection of some of his finest urban photographs over the past two years in book form. Stars and Souls of Modern Ireland is availableonline at www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/558232
For more on these stories, see the May issue of Marketing by subscribing online.
Also you can read Nicky Doran reviews of the latest ad work in Since You Ask (sponsored by McCann Erickson)… Colm O Riagain on why brands have become the ‘deejays of music' for consumers and John Canacott on the need for better marketing integration… Plus regular columnists Breandan O'Broin Stray Thoughts and Colm Carey, who writes about looking for signs of growth in The Research File
