Dublin based market research agency Red C have just published a ‘state of the nation’ report on digital trends in Ireland.
It makes for interesting reading especially with regard to the exponential growth of online behaviour on mobile devices and how social media has become deeply integrated into our lives. Below is what we believe are the key learnings from the report:
- 65% of Irish people have access to the internet – that’s a lot better than it was a decade ago (at just 21%) but it’s still a good deal behind the UK at 82%
- The Irish are embracing mobile internet – the smartphone market is set to grow hugely in 2011 with a predicted 50% of the population owning a smartphone by the end of the year
- Mobile internet browsing will account for 10-12% of time spent online by the end of 2011
- Right now people spend as much time online as they do watching TV
- Facebook is the most popular social media site in Ireland. Irish subscriptions to Facebook rank at the 5th highest in the world (per head of population)
- The average 18-24 year old spends 3.5 hours online per day. Almost half of that time is on social media sites.
- Globally the most sought-after improvements in digital communications are all to do with mobile internet services and devices.
This study provides businesses with ample food for thought when it comes to their marketing efforts. Digital communications and social media should no longer be seen as sideline activities; instead they must be front and centre to capture the attention of potential customers.
The full .pdf of the Red C report can be downloaded here.