Planning for 2015
As is customary for marketing heads at this time of year, we’re looking ahead and planning for 2015 to get some idea of what we can expect from the coming year. The good news is that there are lots of positives to take us into the new year and here’s our top 15…
1. Ireland will continue to be the fastest growing economy in the European Union as Irish and foreign-owned companies start to invest again
2. Business and consumer confidence is set to increase even further than it did in 2014
3. Retail sales are on a firm upward trend – meet your customer in 2015 (albeit a US one!)…
4. Private consumption growth (year-on-year) turned positive for the first time since 2012 and this will continue into 2015
5. Unemployment (though still too high) is set to fall to 8% in 2015
6. Sustained growth is set to continue next year at around 3.6%
7. We get to celebrate some cool milestones like the 150th anniversary of the birth of one of our cultural icons, Nobel Laureate W.B. Yeats
8. Our current creatives continue to shine on a world stage, from musicians like Hozier (who played the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show earlier this month) to brilliant Irish designers like Don O’Neill, Simone Rocha and Emma Manley
9. The Web Summit will be bigger and better… already a massive success this year and that’s without decent broadband. Imagine what it will bring in 2015, when hopefully (and we’re optimistic) the RDS will have sorted out its WIFI issues
10. Ireland is set to become a new technology hub for central and Eastern European firms looking to access the US market – that’s according to PwC
11. It’s set to be a good year for food lovers – 2015 marks the anniversary of the world’s first restaurant, which was opened 250 years ago by Mr. Boulanger in France. We suspect there’ll be lots of restaurants celebrating this milestone in their own unique way…
12. Content marketing remains king – more and more brands will become publishers of useful content that customers will actually thank them for. Writing is where it’s at…
13. Travel becomes more ‘local’ than ever and Ireland is perfectly placed to deliver the kinds of authentic experiences tourists are looking for
14. Our food scene is bustling and set to thrive even more next year
15. Ireland is open for business in 2015 – Are you? Now is the time to get your business ready and we are here to help…