So long 2011 |
| Michael Cullen nominates some of his favourite ads and recalls other highlights from the past year a year when digital again made headway and the recession hit hard |
Media star: Facebook and Google
There seems to be no end to the amount of time and effort marketers are looking to get more out of digital, whether it be from online ads or use of social media. Dr Kenneth McKenzie, strategic planner at Owens DDBs Motiveworks has an interesting take on it. He says Facebook and Google will fine-tune their user analytics for advertisers.
Only a dolt would underestimate how pivotal this change will be. Apart from employees, the six global agencies combined are smaller than any one of the Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google quartet.What any one of these companies can offer is pico-level detail, tons of data and remarkably clever people who do algorithms for fun.
All that geek stuff leads to better forecasting, tighter evaluations and more efficient campaigns, McKenzie said. That firepower isnt present in the ad industry, or market research. It just isnt. In Ireland, Facebook in particular have done a good job in attracting some quality advertising alumni. Theyve done this to learn what ad agencies here know and do. Theyve bought the Irish ad industrys playbook with these hires.
McKenzie says the Heineken initiative is just the start. Global brands will increasingly turn to Facebook and Google and ask them to handle their media.He suggests putting a few quid on one of them buying up a global agency from cash reserves alone by 2016.
The migration online continues to create headaches for traditional media, anxious to see how they can maintain their business models with far less disposable income about. With circulations likely to plummet, print media will have to be more inventive to survive. Otherwise, the elusive Scarlet Pimpernel may end up doing a Houdini disappearing act.
Top media agency: Core Media
MediaVest won Mars-Wrigleys business from UM and Mediacom and was appointed to handle the Emirates launch. Starcom won Dixons and Superquinn and Clear Blue Water was kept busy with the IDA, all of which meant Core Media moving up several notches last year. Starcom won two media golds at the Sharks festival in Kinsale. Core finished the year by acquiring Mediaworks from Owens DDB. It could spark a trend in 2012.
Top creative agency: DDFH&B-JWT
While word on the National Lottery review was still awaited at the time of press, the most successful agency last year was undoubtedly DDFH&B-JWT. On the pitch front, it won Eircom/eMobile, Dublin City Council (DCC) and DCU. It held on to F
