Online Marketing Blog from metrocafe311

With communication in such a state of change and the way information is shared and consumed evolving at such a fast rate it is important that the industry take stock and reflect on the past year to see where future opportunities lie. To that end Core Media conducted a study of what the media landscape will look like throughout 2011.

The report provides you with a snap shot of the key developments we expect to see in 2011 and assesses the consumer’s mindset across all major media channels including Press, TV, Online, Radio, Outdoor and Cinema. There is no doubt that it has been a tough year for traditional media with the closure of both the Sunday Star and the Sunday Tribune but with digital set to experience positive growth of +13% we are left feeling optimistic for 2011.

Technology has had a big impact on consumer behaviour and the rise of smart phones means that retailers will have to re-evaluate the relationship between the consumer and physical retail outlets. 85% of all adults that took part in our survey engaged in at least some online shopping over the Christmas period. This shows that consumers are taking an always on approach to information consumption and purchasing decisions are made at the consumer’s convenience, putting pressure on the brands to keep up.

As you know the internet reached new heights in 2010 and is set to grow at a faster rate in 2011. Internet brands like Facebook, Google and Twitter are setting the pace and shaping the landscape of commerce in Ireland leading to fantastic new opportunities for brands. There are already more than 500,000 smart phone devices in Ireland and by 2013 it is forecast that more people will access the internet via their mobile phone rather than a PC. Tablet PC’s and particularly the iPad are being heralded as a possible saviour of traditional newspapers.

Google’s dominance in the search arena will be challenged for the first time by Bing in the second quarter of this year. Location based social networking is also set to make a greater impact in 2011 with the launch of Foursquare and Facebook Places in the Irish market. All these developments in the digital space mean that it will be the only sector to experience growth throughout the year. We anticipate a 13% increase in advertising spend to €122 million or almost 17% market share. Search will account for almost 50% of this figure followed by display at 26% and classified advertising with 24%. Overall internet penetration will reach 87%, with broadband access growing to 75%.

Both Radio and Outdoor advertising will experience continued decline throughout 2011 with a drop in advertising expenditure of 5% and 6% respectively. Both mediums have a solid history in this country but need to be re-energised and becoming more digital will be a big part of this process.

So 2011 is set to be another very exciting year for the advertising and media industries. It is the clear that the future lies with digital but that more traditional media still has its place and if leveraged in a creative and engaging way can be strong tools through which brands achieve objectives and communicate messages. Let us know what you think and if you wish you can read the full report here!