Target McConnells appointed to communicate Digital Switchover Information Campaign

28 September 2011

Minister for Communications, Pat Rabbitte. T.D. today announced that his Department had selected a consortium led by Target McConnells to deliver a National Digital Switchover Information Campaign. The extensive nationwide campaign is designed to inform and educate TV Viewers about their digital switchover choices. The campaign will include TV, radio and print media.

The Minister said, “Television plays a central role in all our lives. It entertains, informs and indeed is a companion for many of us. As Ireland goes digital we must ensure that television viewers understand what is involved. To overcome the challenges that digital switchover brings, we must assist people with practical and helpful information to inform them what is happening and what they need to do to move to digital TV”.

For the campaign, Target McConnells are partnering with BeSpokeWithDirection, 11890 and Millward Browne Lansdowne, to provide a wide-ranging advertising and public relations campaign to communicate the key digital switchover messages over the next 18 months. The campaign will include extensive use of TV, radio and print media.

“This information campaign will be starting in a couple of weeks and will run for over one year. I will be announcing further details shortly”, concluded the Minister.

Notes to Editors:

The main objectives of the Going Digital Campaign are:

- To build knowledge and awareness that RTE’s national analogue TV network, which provides free reception of the Irish national TV stations, is closing down in the last quarter of 2012 and will be replaced by the RTE Saorview network.

- To inform people of the benefits of the switchover and that the change will allow for more efficient use of the transmission spectrum which will bring benefits to the Irish economy (the digital dividend).

- To ensure people are given the information they need to make the move to digital TV by quarter 4 2012

- To inform about the potential impact of this and the choices to be made in going digital

- To empower individuals, through provision of information and a national telephone helpline, to make informed choices before the date of switch off of the national analogue free TV network.

The main elements of the campaign are as follows:

- A nationwide advertising and media campaign

- Information Booklets etc.

- A national telephone helpline