Four in five (81%) Irish adults have been to the cinema in the last 12 months, with over half of these cinemagoers (55%) saying they value the cinema above other leisure activities, according to new research commissioned by Pearl & Dean Ireland and conducted by Kantar Media.

Pearl & Dean is the first media owner to partner with Kantar Media on its TGI Plus solution in Ireland. The research was conducted by integrating bespoke cinema-going behaviour data  with Kantar Media’s TGI consumer survey to create for Pearl & Dean a unique in-depth dataset of insights into Irish cinema-going habits and how brands and advertisers can best adapt their cinema advertising strategies to target effectively.

Irish leading the way in cinema-going across Europe

The data reveals that the Republic of Ireland (81%) is a leading market across Europe for cinema-going, ahead of Northern Ireland (73%) and Great Britain (68%). Cinema-going in Ireland has also surpassed pre-pandemic levels, which peaked at 76% in 2018.

Kantar Media’s TGI identified typical characteristics of the heavy cinemagoer in Ireland: 64% are between the ages of 16-44, with over half (57%) being male. The survey also found that a high proportion (64%) of heavy cinemagoers tend to be the main shoppers in the household and work full-time (55%), opening up opportunities for brands looking to target shoppers and busy working adults, who appreciate this downtime in the cinema.

The post Irish are some of Europe’s top cinema-lovers appeared first on Ireland's Forecourt & Convenience Retailer.

Pearl & Dean Ireland, which rebranded from Wide Eye Media in 2022, is the market leader for cinema advertising in Ireland and has 100% share of the cinema advertising market.

The Irish operation is also home to Adtower, Ireland’s largest Digital Out of Home Convenience Retail Media network and Packed.House an experiential and digital media services production company, and publisher of much-loved online properties including entertainment.ie, Beaut.ie and FamilyFriendlyHQ.ie.

In this new role Damon will be responsible for commercially scaling Pearl & Dean’s powerful group media assets in Ireland and new markets, building an omnichannel media offering and driving new revenue and commercial partnership opportunities under the wider Pearl & Dean media brand. Collaborating closely with Pearl & Dean’s board of directors and senior leadership team, he will jointly report to Kathryn Jacob, CEO UK, and Eoin Wrixon, CEO Ireland.

Prior to joining Pearl & Dean, Damon worked in numerous senior roles throughout the course of his career. This includes Microsoft Advertising, Clear Channel Global, The European Broadcaster Exchange, Zinc Media PLC and most recently with WPP’s proprietary programmatic agency Xaxis. He brings over 20 years of experience to the business with a unique background across, traditional, digital and programmatic advertising as well as branded entertainment and publishing.

The announcement of Damon’s role coincides with the celebration of Pearl & Dean’s 70^th anniversary in UK cinema advertising this year. The company has maintained its position as the UK’s best-known cinema sales house, with its impressive roster of Pearl & Dean cinemas including new contracts with Curzon Cinema and BFI IMAX won earlier this year.

Kathryn Jacob OBE, CEO Pearl & Dean UK, said: “We are delighted to be welcoming Damon to the Pearl & Dean team. Damon joins the business at a pivotal time, as we celebrate our 70^th anniversary and focus on further growth and new opportunities. His knowledge of the industry will be paramount in driving this forward and he is going to be a huge asset to our team across Ireland as well as to the wider team in the UK.”

Eoin Wrixon, CEO Pearl & Dean Ireland adds: “We are delighted to have Damon joining Pearl & Dean. His appointment is part of a significant investment as we grow our cinema advertising, out of home and digital publishing business in Ireland. Damon brings a wealth of experience and expertise and is a key addition to the Pearl & Dean team.”

Damon Westbury, Chief Commercial Officer at Pearl & Dean Ireland: “I am thrilled to join Pearl & Dean at such an exciting time, to spearhead our commercial expansion across existing media formats, new mediums, and markets. I look forward to architecting and building a compelling cross-media proposition, under this iconic brand, for our media agency, advertiser, retail and AdTech partners.”

The post Pearl & Dean strengthens its Irish business with the appointment of Damon Westbury appeared first on Ireland's Forecourt & Convenience Retailer.