For this response, I interpret ‘digital marketing’ as digital advertising, which includes both social media and online advertising.
My Department administers over 70 separate schemes and services, which affect the lives of almost every person in the State. The Department is committed to ensuring that members of the public are fully aware of the welfare supports and services that are available to them. Public information campaigns, including social media and online digital advertising, are an important part of this work.
In accordance with Government procurement policy, the Department undertook procurement for the provision of “Media Strategy, Planning and Buying Services” in 2017. As a result of this, Wavemaker was appointed under an Office of Government Procurement framework tender and all media buying since 2017, including digital advertising, is via Wavemaker.
Public information campaigns are developed and targeted carefully in collaboration with our media buyer and use the best mix of media formats to ensure that the Department’s messages reach members of the public effectively, while ensuring value for money.
Digital and social media advertising form an important part of our Department's communications and all DEASP digital advertising, as with all advertising by the Department, is developed to help inform the public as to our services and initiatives. Digital advertising includes programmatic adverts (across a range of media websites/news outlets), Video on Demand (VoD), sponsored digital inserts/pages, as well as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram advertising. Digital and social media adverts can be used to target specific customer cohorts which can be useful when undertaking campaigns such as the promotion of online applications for Maternity and Paternity benefit, or the promotion of location specific initiatives such as regional jobs fairs, for example the Dundalk jobs fair. All of the Department's digital and social media advertising is targeted within Ireland.
There was no spending on digital advertising in the years 2012, 2013 or 2015. Digital advertising expenditure, inclusive of VAT, by campaign purpose, for the years 2014 and 2016-2019 are outlined in the following tables.
2014
|
Campaigns which included digital advertising
|
Digital advertising costs (incl. VAT)
|
|
Promotion of Educational Fair
|
€1,845
|
|
Promotion of Educational Fair
|
€554
|
|
Total:
|
€2,399
|
2016
|
Campaigns which included digital advertising
|
Digital Advertising Costs (incl. VAT)
|
|
Launch of Paternity Benefit
|
€29,520
|
|
Total:
|
€29,520
|
2017
|
Campaigns which included digital advertising
|
Digital Advertising Costs (incl. VAT)
|
|
Promotion of MyGovID
|
€40,590
|
|
Launch of Treatment Benefits for the self-employed (April 2017)
|
€28,055
|
|
Awareness-raising campaign on welfare fraud
|
€16,627
|
|
Promotion of Paternity Benefit
|
€22,588
|
|
Advertising for the Blanchardstown Job Fair
|
€813
|
|
Promotion of Jobs Week 2017
|
€2,521
|
|
Launch of Invalidity Pension for the self-employed
|
€9,768
|
|
Promotion of additional Treatment Benefits [optical & dental] (October 2017)
|
€3,449
|
|
Awareness-raising of changes to the National Minimum Wage
|
€7,380
|
|
Total:
|
€131,791
|
2018
|
Campaigns which included digital advertising
|
Digital Advertising Costs (Incl. VAT)
|
|
Promotion of Jobs Week 2018
|
€2,126
|
|
Advertising for the Dundalk Jobs Fair
|
€984
|
|
Advertising for the Blanchardstown Jobs Fair
|
€369
|
|
Awareness-raising of false self-employment & the Department’s role in determining employment status
|
€14,896
|
|
Awareness-raising of changes to the National Minimum Wage
|
€7,366
|
|
Total:
|
€25,741
|
2019 (to-date)
|
Campaigns which included digital advertising
|
Digital Advertising Costs (Incl. VAT)
|
|
Launch and promotion of the MyWelfare.ie online service
|
€24,600
|
|
Promotion of Jobs Week 2019
|
€3,502
|
|
Awareness-raising campaign of changes to employment legislation (Employment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act)
|
€4,485
|
|
Advertising of the Cross-Border Job Fair
|
€1,599
|
|
Promotion of the Working Family Payment*
|
€23,493
|
|
Promotion of JobsIreland.ie*
|
€12,291
|
|
Promotion of MyWelfare.ie: Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance*
|
€14,521
|
|
Promotion of MyWelfare.ie: Maternity/Paternity Benefits*
|
€30,705
|
|
Total:
|
€115,196
|
I trust this settles the matter for the Deputy.
*Please note that this is budgeted spend. Invoices have not yet been received.
