Table of Contents
Overview
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- What you need to know
- Issues covered in this Report
Executive Summary
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- Market factors
- Social media usage among RoI firms remains high
- Irish consumers social networking when online
- Social networks’ latest platform improvements prioritise user experience
- New European data protection rules imminent
- Companies, brands and innovations
- The consumer
- Facebook the dominant social network
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- Figure 1: Types of social networks that consumers log on to regularly (ie log on at least once per week), NI and RoI, March 2018
- Consumers show strong preference for video-based content
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- Figure 2: Types of media networks that consumers log on to regularly (ie log on at least once per week), NI and RoI, March 2018
- Facebook dominates messaging apps market
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- Figure 3: Types of messenger apps that consumers log on to regularly (ie log on at least once per week), NI and RoI, March 2018
- Irish consumers most likely to share photos on social networking sites
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- Figure 4: Types of content consumers share (eg via private messages, on your profile) on social and media networks most often, NI and RoI, March 2018
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- Figure 5: Types of content consumers ‘like’ (eg via private messages, on your profile) on social and media networks most often, NI and RoI, March 2018
- Consumers remain wary of fake news on social networking sites
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- Figure 6: How consumers interact with social and media networks, NI and RoI, March 2018
- Social networks distracting consumers from ‘real life’
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- Figure 7: Agreement with statements related to social and media networks, NI and RoI, March 2018
- What we think
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Social networking a key activity for Irish consumers
- RoI firms heavy users of social networking sites
- Consumers actively engaging with social media content
- Data protection within the EU is changing
Market Drivers
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- Social networking a popular online activity
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- Figure 8: Activities carried out online by internet users, RoI, 2017
- Figure 9: Activities carried out online by internet users, NI, 2017
- UK/NI consumers spend almost three hours a day social networking
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- Figure 10: Average time spent on activities per day, UK (including NI), 2017
- NI consumers interested in content from other social media users
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- Figure 11: How consumers are using social media sites, NI, 2017
- RoI firms among highest users of social networking sites
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- Figure 12: Enterprise usage of social media in selected European Union countries, 2017
- Data security to become more important following privacy scandal
- New data protection laws will have implications for social networks
- Facebook alters News Feed to improve interaction and tackle fake news
- Snapchat launches new updated app
Market in Context
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- Case study: Dunnes Stores
- Background
- How it uses online social networks
- Recent social networking activity
- Case study: Dublin Fire Brigade
- Background
- How it uses online social networks
- Recent social networking activity
- Case study: Eddie Rocket’s
- Background
- How it uses online social networks
- Recent social networking activity
- Case study: JD Wetherspoon
- Background
- How it uses online social networks
- Recent social networking activity
- Case study: TV3
- Background
- How it uses online social networks
- Recent social networking activity
Companies and Brands – What You Need to Know
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- Facebook implements changes to tackle privacy concerns
- Pinterest in preparation stages ahead of IPO
- Flickr cuts Wall Art feature amid competitive pressures
- Twitter changes developer rules
Competitive Strategies – Key Players
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- Alphabet (Google+ and YouTube)
- Key facts
- User facilities
- Recent developments
- Key facts
- User facilities
- Recent developments
- Facebook (including WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook Messenger)
- Key facts
- User facilities
- Recent developments
- Flickr
- Key facts
- User facilities
- Recent developments
- Key facts
- User facilities
- Recent developments
- Key facts
- User facilities
- Snap Inc. (Snapchat)
- Key facts
- User facilities
- Recent developments
- Key facts
- User facilities
- Recent developments
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Facebook the dominant social networking site in Ireland
- YouTube the most popular media networking site
- Irish consumers regularly logging on to Snapchat
- NI consumers engaging with content on social and media networks
- Social networks seen as a distraction from ‘real life’
Usage of Social Networking Sites
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- Facebook the most popular social networking in Ireland
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- Figure 13: Types of social networks that consumers log on to regularly (ie log on at least once per week), NI and RoI, March 2018
- Facebook used by Irish parents
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- Figure 14: Consumers who log on to Facebook regularly (ie log on at least once per week), by presence of children in the household, NI and RoI, March 2018
- Google+ popular among older RoI consumers
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- Figure 15: Consumers who log on to Google+ regularly (ie log on at least once per week), by work status, NI and RoI, March 2018
- Affluent consumers regularly logging on to Twitter
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- Figure 16: Consumers who log on to Twitter regularly (ie log on at least once per week), by gross annual household income, NI, March 2018
- Figure 17: Consumers who log on to Twitter regularly (ie log on at least once per week), by gross annual household income, RoI, March 2018
Usage of Media Networking Sites
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- YouTube regularly used by Irish consumers
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- Figure 18: Types of media networks that consumers log on to regularly (ie log on at least once per week), NI and RoI, March 2018
- Instagram popular among Irish Millennials
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- Figure 19: Consumers who log on to Instagram regularly (ie log on at least once per week), by gender and age, NI and RoI, March 2018
- Strong usage of Pinterest among married consumers
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- Figure 20: Consumers who log on to Pinterest regularly (ie log on at least once per week), by marital status, NI and RoI, March 2018
- Parents regularly logging on to YouTube
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- Figure 21: Consumers who log on to YouTube regularly (ie log on at least once per week), by presence of children in the household, NI and RoI, March 2018
Usage of Messenger Apps
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- Messaging services dominated by Facebook-owned apps
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- Figure 22: Types of messenger apps that consumers log on to regularly (ie log on at least once per week), NI and RoI, March 2018
- Heavy internet users logging on to Snapchat regularly
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- Figure 23: Consumers who log on to Snapchat regularly (ie log on at least once per week), by daily internet usage, NI and RoI, March 2018
- Messaging apps hold strong appeal to Irish women
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- Figure 24: Types of media networks that consumers log on to regularly (ie log on at least once per week), by gender, NI, March 2018
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- Figure 25: Types of media networks that consumers log on to regularly (ie log on at least once per week), by gender, RoI, March 2018
Type of Content Shared and Liked on Social and Media Networks
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- Consumers ‘like’ entertaining content
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- Figure 26: Types of content consumers ‘like’ (eg via private messages, on your profile) on social and media networks most often, NI and RoI, March 2018
- Irish women ‘liking’ most types of social media content
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- Figure 27: Types of content consumers ‘like’ (eg via private messages, on your profile) on social and media networks most often, by gender, NI, March 2018
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- Figure 28: Types of content consumers ‘like’ (eg via private messages, on your profile) on social and media networks most often, by gender, RoI, March 2018
- Photo-based content widely shared on social networks
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- Figure 29: Types of content consumers share (eg via private messages, on your profile) on social and media networks most often, NI and RoI, March 2018
- Parents sharing family photos
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- Figure 30: Consumers who have shared photos of themselves/friends/family/pets on social and media networks, by presence of children in the household, NI and RoI, March 2018
- Humorous content being shared by women
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- Figure 31: Consumers who have shared comedy/humorous content on social and media networks, by social class, NI and RoI, March 2018
Interaction with Social and Media Networks
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- Consumers increasingly aware of fake news on social media
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- Figure 32: How consumers interact with social and media networks, NI and RoI, March 2018
- Competitions on social networking sites attract women
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- Figure 33: Consumers who have 'liked' and/or shared a brand/company status on social/media networking sites because of a promotion/competition, by gender and social class, NI and RoI, March 2018
- Millennials using social media as a source of local news
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- Figure 34: Consumers who use social media to check regional issues (eg traffic alerts), by age, NI and RoI, March 2018
- Awareness of fake news is associated with time spent online
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- Figure 35: Consumers who are warier of fake news posts on social media now compared to 12 months ago, by daily internet usage, NI and RoI, March 2018
Attitudes towards Social and Media Networks
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- Social media seen as a distraction
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- Figure 36: Agreement with statements related to social and media networks, NI and RoI, March 2018
- Women raising issues with companies on social media
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- Figure 37: Agreement with the statement ‘Raising issues with a company via social media is more effective than contacting them directly (ie by phone)’, by gender, NI and RoI, March 2018
- Efforts to combat fake news noticed by early Millennials
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- Figure 38: Agreement with the statement ‘Social networks are effectively combatting fake news content on their sites’, by age, NI and RoI, March 2018
- Young consumers turning to social media for brand information
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- Figure 39: Agreement with the statement ‘Social/media networking sites are a better source of brand/company information compared to company websites’, by age and social class, NI and RoI, March 2018
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
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- Data sources
- Generational cohort definitions
- Abbreviations
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