Digital Poised to Overtake Traditional Media Ad Spending in Ireland

This year will mark a major milestone for ad spending in Ireland, as digital surpasses all other forms of marketing for the first time, according to eMarketer’s latest ad spending forecasts.

In 2017, digital ad spending will leap by 12.0%, to total €433.0 million, equating to 51.4% of total media ad spending in Ireland. Advertiser enthusiasm for mobile will drive digital’s growth. Mobile efforts will claim 62.0% of all digital ad spending in the country this year, eMarketer estimates, and represent nearly 80% of digital investment by 2021. By that time, just under half of overall paid advertising spend will be devoted to reaching consumers on mobile devices.

“Thanks in part to a tech-savvy, outward-looking young population, Ireland has outpaced many other developed economies in terms of how much advertising and marketing spend is devoted to digital channels,“ said eMarketer principal analyst Karin von Abrams.

“2017 will be a tricky year for the country in some respects. For one thing, the UK, Ireland’s nearest neighbor and most significant trading partner, will begin the process of leaving the European Union, while Ireland remains within the EU. But that strong bond with Europe will help to buoy up the Irish economy, and also encourage the nation’s advertisers to look beyond their own borders for new customers. Ireland’s commitment to digital infrastructure and processes means it’s well equipped for that challenge,“ added von Abrams.