Electric Media buy Sales Online

Electric Media has become the largest Irish digital advertising company after the assets of Ireland’s longest established online advertising company, Sales Online, were transferred to Electric Media.

The transfer takes effect from March 1, 2010.

More than sixty online brands - including O2, eBay, breakingnews.ie, examiner.ie, Ticketmaster, Entertainment.ie, TV3.ie, CBS International, donedeal.ie - will be represented by Electric Media.

Dermot Hanrahan, Chief Executive, Electric Media said: "In both the US and the UK, online advertising is now the number one medium – bigger even than television – and with this transfer of assets, Electric Media is gearing up for the inevitable replication of that trend in the Irish market.

"While we do not yet have exact figures for online spend in this market – and we look forward to the new IAB Ireland’s figures later this year - we do know we are not yet near the UK online share. There, digital advertising accounts for 23.5% of all advertising spend – I estimate that in Ireland, we are still hovering in the late teens - but we will definitely follow the international trends.

"Online advertising is the only media sector to show increased spend in the past year in both the US and UK markets. And mobile advertising, in particular, is set to grow dramatically.

Simon Ferguson, Managing Director, Sales Online, said: "This agreement is the largest consolidation the Irish digital advertising industry has experienced to date. The deal is in the best interests of publishers, advertising agencies and advertisers who now have access to a significantly larger suite of premium brand websites, which provides for a centralized planning and buying point, delivering near 100% reach of the Irish mobile and online audience.”