The Irish Times Group hosted advertisers and agency clients at its Dublin headquarters on August 28th for a Lunch & Learn event focused on the challenges and opportunities of digital advertising in an increasingly cluttered media environment.
With digital ad spend in Ireland topping €1.06bn in 2024 — the first time the market had passed the €1bn mark — speakers highlighted both the opportunities and pitfalls facing brands. More than 60% of total advertising spend now goes to digital, with video and display leading the way.
David Murphy, Group Head of Digital Solutions at The Irish Times, compared the discipline of digital advertising to his passion for running: “It’s easy to start, but takes patience and hard work to achieve real goals,” he said. He noted that slowing down and giving ads “space to breathe” could significantly improve engagement. The publisher had adopted a “slow media” philosophy, with fewer interruptions in its articles, resulting in a 42% increase in active attention time. “If people are paying attention to your ad, awareness and recall increases, which in turn drives sales,” Murphy said.
Gavin McAuliffe, Group Head of Content Studio, underlined the role of branded content in cutting through the 3,000–5,000 advertising messages the average person encounters each week. “People spend longer with branded content and remember it for longer,” he said, citing figures showing brand recall lifts by 59% when content marketing is combined with display campaigns.
Attendees heard first-hand how advertisers were adapting. Sherry FitzGerald’s Rebecca McGetrick said the biggest takeaway was the importance of a pared-back approach to avoid oversaturation. Magdalena Konczyk of Helvetic Clinics highlighted the impact of AI on search optimisation, while Fire’s Melinda Szabo-Havas stressed the need for PR and branded content strategies to build digital trust as traditional clicks decline.
Rachel Costello, Head of Media Solutions at The Irish Times Group, closed the session by pointing to the value of trust: “The Irish Times is run by a trust, with no shareholders and all profits reinvested in journalism. That gives us independence, credibility and the ability to deliver truthful, factual reporting that audiences — and advertisers — can trust,” she said.
