Irish internet users are substantially more likely to recognise that online ads are relevant to them if they appear on Irish publisher sites rather than international ones, according to a study commissioned by the Association of Online Publishers (AOP) Ireland.

The survey of 571 adults conducted by Behaviour & Attitudes on behalf of the AOP found that 78 per cent of Irish internet users agreed that ads on Irish sites were aimed at them, while only 11 per cent responded in the same way to ads on international sites, despite the use of geo-targeting.

Ads displayed on AOP Ireland sites also benefited from a higher rate of recall by consumers, the study found.

AOP said the finding “underlines the trust and loyalty that Irish internet users place in Irish premium sites”.

The members of the AOP are IrishTimes.com, Independent. ie, TV3.ie, TheJournal.ie, RTÉ. ie and Entertainment.ie. The first four were used in the survey, while the international sites included were Guardian.co.uk, Dailymail.co. uk, Gawker.com and Newyorker.com.

"The issue that marketing managers need to be aware of is that there is a risk of creating confusion among target audiences if their brand appears out of context," says Brian Fallon, chief executive of TheJournal.ie and co-founder of its owner Distilled Media.

The results show Irish internet users “believe ads on international sites are superfluous”, he says. However, on a CPM basis (cost per thousand impressions), they tend to be cheaper.

“Typically the Irish sites have been a lot more expensive [to advertise on]. But what this shows is that although it is more expensive, it is a lot more cost-effective.”

Advertising “blind” through ad networks can be “a false economy”, Fallon adds. “Real-time bidding whether it is done domestically or internationally is the way the business is going. The way it is primarily going is it is done blind and there are concerns about that.”