Influencer Marketing in the Attention Economy:

The session opens by reframing the influencer space—now widely referred to as the Creator Economy—emphasising its explosive growth in the era of short-form video. With platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels reshaping content consumption, brands must adapt to fast-paced, real-feeling content to break through.

Amplified Intelligence reports that average active attention on social is just 2.5 seconds, pushing brands to focus on formats that are native, dynamic, and less polished.

The Rise and Impact of the Creator Economy:

The Creator Economy is no longer niche. Goldman Sachs valued it at $250 billion in 2023, projecting it to almost double by 2027. Influencers—more accurately described as “people of influence”—play a powerful role, particularly with younger audiences. Core’s research shows that 54% of adults under 30 say influencers are more impactful than TV or radio on their purchasing decisions.

Evidence of Impact:

Campaign results from Core clients demonstrate the power of creator-first content:

• 84% increase in average view time per person using TikTok-style copy.

• 72% higher average watch time vs. polished content.

• 171% higher completion rate than traditional video formats.

These results underscore the effectiveness of creator-driven storytelling over traditional polish.

Barriers and How to Overcome Them:

1. Lack of Strategy:
   Many businesses jump into influencer marketing without a long-term plan. Core’s Influencer Selection Framework uses weighted criteria (e.g., engagement rate, reach, D&I fit) to remove subjectivity and focus on results-driven partnerships.

2. Perceived Risk:
   While some brands fear backlash, the risk is manageable. Clear contracts, regulatory alignment, and getting to know the creator behind the content are all critical safeguards.

3. Measuring Success:
   Core prioritises rigorous planning and objective-setting from the outset, helping brands measure influencer impact—from brand awareness to conversion and ROAS.

Influencer Integration in Paid Social:

Rather than operating in silos, the speakers advocate for syncing influencer content with paid media. Benefits include:

• Extended reach beyond organic limitations (e.g., Meta’s 5% organic reach average).

• Boosted engagement via viral potential and paid amplification.

• Lower funnel success, driving conversions through direct response strategies.

• High-quality native creative that performs better on platforms like TikTok.

Case Study: An Post Book Club on TikTok:

Unpost’s award-winning influencer strategy tapped into the #BookTok community to launch Ireland’s first TikTok-based book club. Collaborations with high-profile creators:

• Increase brand affinity by 6%

• Drive 23% year-on-year growth in parcel sales

By combining community trends with authentic content and high-impact paid media formats, An Post reached a new generation while reinforcing its brand relevance.

Key Takeaways for Brands:

• Build a long-term influencer strategy—it's the difference between good results and great ones.

• Integrate influencer plans with media plans to enhance efficiency and return.

• Find your authentic space in digital communities and trends.

• Commit to consistency—an always-on strategy with key firework moments throughout the year delivers compounding brand and business gains.

In this episode of Digital Now and Next, the team explores how search and social media are converging and how changing consumer behaviours, especially among Gen Z, are driving this shift.

Key Points:

1. Shifting Consumer Behaviour:

   • Over 50% of Gen Z now prefer using TikTok and Instagram for search over Google. This change is transforming how users discover and consume content online.

2. Impact on Search and Social Strategies:

   • Social platforms like TikTok and Instagram are becoming more search-oriented, while Google is incorporating more visual content and AI-driven results to stay competitive.

3. Planning Holistic Strategies:

   • To stay effective, brands must integrate search and social strategies, using consistent messaging and unified planning to leverage the strengths of both channels.

4. New Opportunities for Advertisers:

   • Platforms are enhancing features like visual search and in-platform e-commerce, creating fresh avenues for brands to engage users and drive conversions.

5. Focus on Authentic Content:

   • As consumers become more discerning, content should be people-first, not algorithm-first, to build trust and engagement.

The episode concludes by highlighting the need for a holistic approach to digital strategies, embracing the symbiotic relationship between search and social to optimise brand visibility and engagement.

In this episode of Digital Now and Next, the team explores the evolution of video advertising and how marketers can adapt to maximise its impact in a fragmented media landscape.

Key Points:

1. Challenges in Video Advertising:

   • Despite video consumption growing by 60% over the last decade, its effectiveness has declined. Fragmentation and poor ad quality are key issues impacting results.

2. Focus on Content and Context:

   • The session highlights the need to focus more on what and where ads are served rather than just how they’re served. Planning should prioritise engaging content that captures attention and resonates with the audience.

3. The Impact of Cookie Deprecation:

   • The death of third-party cookies is seen as an opportunity to return to thoughtful planning, focusing on understanding consumer behaviour and creating more personalised content.

4. Leveraging Local Content:

   • Emphasising local content and partnerships is crucial, as Irish audiences respond strongly to local stories and culturally relevant media.

5. Balancing Long-Term Brand Building and Short-Term Sales:

   • While tactical sales messages are essential, 75% of advertising impact is driven by long-term brand building. Brands should focus on campaigns that build demand rather than overwhelming audiences with excessive, low-impact messages.

6. The Role of AI:

   • AI and machine learning can help automate lower-funnel tasks, enabling marketers to focus more on upper-funnel strategies like brand building and creativity.

The episode concludes by urging brands to simplify their strategies, focus on emotional connections, and optimise the use of AI to improve campaign efficiency and effectiveness.

In this episode of Digital Now and Next, the team explores the critical area of digital marketing measurement, providing insights into how marketers can adapt to the evolving landscape in 2024 and beyond.

Key Points:

1. Importance of Measurement:

   • With increasing pressure on marketing budgets and the deprecation of third-party cookies, precise measurement strategies are essential to prove the impact of digital activities and justify investments.

2. Data Quality and First-Party Data:

   • Accurate and consistent data is the foundation for effective measurement. First-party data is becoming the primary source for understanding customer behaviour and preferences as third-party cookies are phased out.

3. New Measurement Approaches:

   • Brands must explore new privacy-centric solutions like data clean rooms, server-side tracking, and statistical modelling to maintain effective targeting and measurement while respecting user privacy.

4. Holistic Measurement Strategy:

   • Adopting a combined approach of digital attribution, structured experiments, and marketing mix modelling (MMM) provides a comprehensive view of performance, enabling continuous improvement and strategic decision-making.

5. Future Focus:

   • Marketers should embrace continuous learning, always-on measurement, and integrate data-driven insights into campaign planning to stay ahead in a rapidly changing environment.

The episode concludes with a call to prioritise data quality, first-party data strategies, and new privacy-centric solutions to navigate the future of digital marketing measurement successfully.

In this episode of Digital Now and Next, the team delves into the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the marketing industry in Ireland, drawing on research insights and practical applications for businesses.

Key Points:

1. Understanding AI Usage and Perception:

   • 58% of Irish adults claim little understanding of AI, yet they frequently use AI-powered platforms like email, social media, and streaming services.

   • AI is a critical part of marketers' daily operations, with 98% stating it plays a key role in their business strategy.

2. Navigating the AI Hype:

   • AI is evolving rapidly, influencing areas like content creation, legislation, and ethics. The discussion includes recent developments such as the Irish government's legislation and high-profile industry debates on AI’s role and ethical considerations.

3. Practical Marketing Applications:

   • Key AI applications include policy development, time-saving automation, and campaign optimisation. AI tools such as Social Hero help streamline social media planning and campaign management, saving up to 40 hours per campaign.

4. Future Trends and Considerations:

   • AI is reshaping social and search behaviours, with Gen Z increasingly turning to platforms like TikTok and Instagram for information. Brands must stay vigilant about misinformation and ensure their ads appear in safe environments.

The episode concludes by highlighting the importance of education, policy development, and optimising AI usage to drive better marketing outcomes while adapting to future changes in AI and media landscapes.

In this episode of Digital Now and Next, the team explores the role of Connected TV (CTV) in the evolving video landscape and how it integrates into the wider video strategy for brands.

Key Points:

1. Video’s Impact:

   • Video remains the most effective medium for long-term brand building, accounting for nearly 40% of all ad spend in 2023, despite increasing fragmentation across media channels.

2. Rise of Connected TV:

   • CTV is a major growth area, offering sophisticated targeting capabilities and creative flexibility. CTV delivers a cost-effective solution, achieving 63% more efficiency in targeting the 15-44 demographic compared to traditional TV.

3. Strategic Planning:

   • The team discusses a three-pronged approach for planning CTV within a video strategy: balancing reach, leveraging addressability, and driving innovation.

4. Advanced Targeting and Creative Options:

   • CTV enables brands to use over 1,500 different audience segments and allows dynamic creative delivery tailored to user profiles, time, and location, reducing production hours and improving campaign efficiency.

5. Future Outlook:

   • CTV is set to grow further, with new ad opportunities from platforms like Netflix and Disney+. This shift will require brands to adapt their audience segmentation and data strategies, as online video continues to outpace linear TV for younger demographics.

The episode concludes by emphasising that CTV will increasingly dominate video strategies, offering unique targeting and creative opportunities for advertisers.

In this episode of Digital Now and Next, the team explores the evolving social media landscape and how to effectively engage with audiences in the new "Entertainment-First" era.

Key Takeaways:

1. Current State of Social Media:

   • Social platforms are becoming increasingly similar, with blurred distinctions between them.

   • There is a shift towards private interactions (e.g., group chats, direct messages) rather than public posts.

   • Platforms like TikTok have driven an evolution towards entertainment-focused content.

2. Audience Behaviour Changes:

   • Users are now more mature and discerning, impacting how they engage with content and brands.

   • Platforms such as Substack and Telegram are growing, indicating a trend towards niche, focused content consumption.

3. New Social Strategies:

   • Brands need to adapt to these changes by leveraging platform nuances and prioritising vertical video formats.

   • Emphasising content that resonates and drives private sharing is essential.

4. Effective Planning:

   • Using tools like "Social Hero," brands can better allocate budgets and diversify social media investment across multiple platforms.

   • High-impact content formats and collaborations with content creators can boost engagement significantly.

5. Future Trends:

   • Media fragmentation and platform convergence will continue, with further emphasis on attention metrics and robust measurement frameworks as digital advertising evolves.

The episode concludes by encouraging marketers to prioritise platform-specific content strategies and collaborations to thrive in the ever-evolving digital space.

This episode explores the evolving digital landscape and how brands can plan and leverage emerging trends—specifically in the gaming sector—to maximise their impact in 2024 and beyond. The speakers highlight the immense potential of gaming and Esports as dynamic platforms for brand engagement and business growth.

Key Points Covered:

1. Gaming and Marketing Case Study:

   • The session opens with a detailed case study about Pringles, which used a creative marketing campaign to introduce a virtual character named Frank into real-world streaming events. This activation, which saw a fictional character interact live with a Twitch Ambassador, led to a 25% year-on-year sales increase, illustrating the power of authentic integration and community engagement within the gaming world.

2. The Scope of Gaming and Esports:

   • The gaming industry, currently the fastest-growing entertainment category, is surpassing traditional sectors like Hollywood and music. In 2022, the industry generated $1.4 billion in revenue, which is expected to quadruple by the end of the decade.

   • Esports events now often draw more viewership than traditional sports tournaments like Wimbledon, showcasing the competitive potential of the sector.

3. The Gaming Market in Ireland:

   • The speakers discuss the growing momentum of gaming in Ireland, highlighting local initiatives such as the establishment of an Esports Academy in Cork and the Esports Broadcasting Center supported by Riot Games. Additionally, brands like McDonald’s and Munster Rugby are actively engaging with the gaming community through sponsorships and events.

4. Understanding the Gaming Audience:

   • Gaming in Ireland is significant, with 1.1 million adults participating regularly. This audience is not homogenous; it includes various segments like casual gamers, achievement-based gamers, and socially driven gamers, all engaging through different devices and platforms.

   • This demographic is also heavily digital, with a strong presence on platforms like Reddit and Snapchat, and a preference for non-ad funded video sites.

5. Challenges and Misconceptions:

   • Some misconceptions about marketing in gaming include beliefs that gamers are not receptive to ads or that the process is complex. The speakers dispel these myths, showing how strategic in-game ads can offer high viewability and attention rates, as well as opportunities for deep audience engagement.

6. Gaming as a Solution to Advertising Challenges:

   • With declining linear TV consumption among younger audiences and the increased use of ad-blockers, traditional advertising strategies are less effective. Gaming offers new, immersive ways to reach these audiences in environments where they are highly attentive and engaged.

7. Effective Marketing Strategies in Gaming:

   • Brands can start with low-barrier entry approaches like in-game ads or develop a comprehensive gaming strategy that involves nuanced platform integration and content creation. Authenticity and community support are key elements for success.

8. Future Steps:

   • The session concludes by recommending that brands either incorporate gaming into their media plans or create a full-fledged strategy to effectively connect with gaming audiences in meaningful ways.

This episode emphasises the importance of embracing gaming as a powerful tool for brand engagement, providing numerous examples and strategies to inspire marketers to tap into this rapidly growing ecosystem. The speakers encourage businesses to think beyond traditional media, highlighting the creative and commercial potential of gaming and Esports to deliver substantial business outcomes.