Marketing & Communications
Best Media Agencies in Ireland (Updated August 2026)
The companies in this list are ordered alphabetically by name. That is the only ordering applied, so a company's position implies no ranking, preference or assessment of quality.
A media agency plans where advertising should run, then buys the space and negotiates the rate on your behalf. That trading relationship is the entire product, and it only exists for national television, radio, print and out-of- home. Several firms here instead run self-serve search and social campaigns, which is media buying in a much narrower sense with no negotiation behind it. Only four of the ten publish a figure, all at 900 euro.
Trading relationships, or a self-serve ad account?
- Buying relationships or platform access. Only a genuine media agency negotiates national rates. Everything else is platform work.
- Payment model. Commission on spend or flat fee. One of those rewards the agency for spending more.
- Scale fit. A 500-person group and a one-person shop are both here. Neither will serve the other's clients well.
- Separate invoicing. Media cost and agency fee should never appear as a single line.
- Whether you need the planner at all. Out-of-home inventory here is concentrated enough that some buyers go straight to the outdoor advertising companies and book direct.
Ask to see a post-campaign report from another client, with the numbers redacted if necessary. How an agency reports on a campaign that underperformed tells you more than any credentials deck.
Pick the type before you pick the agency
The real decision in this category is not which agency, but which type of agency, since the two kinds on this list solve different problems.
- Confirm buying relationships exist, do not assume them. Only a genuine media agency has the trading relationships to negotiate national television, radio or print rates. A digital marketing agency using self-serve ad platforms cannot do this, whatever the pitch deck implies.
- Match agency scale to campaign scale. A 500-person network group is built around budgets that justify its planning overhead. A campaign under that threshold gets better attention from one of the smaller digital-first agencies here.
- Get the payment model in writing before the plan is built. Commission on media spend and a flat planning fee create different incentives, and the model should be agreed before any media is bought, not discovered on the invoice.
- Ask for independence from any network, where it matters. A network-owned agency may be steered toward its own inventory or preferred partners. An independent firm like Dragon Ltd has no such conflict, though it also has less negotiating leverage on scale.
Neither type is the wrong answer. The wrong answer is briefing a digital agency for a national broadcast campaign, or a network agency for a small paid social budget.
Planning and buying, versus running platforms
A genuine media agency plans where advertising should run across television, radio, print, out-of-home and digital, then buys that space and negotiates rates on the client's behalf. Several firms in this file instead run self-serve digital campaigns, paid search and paid social, which is media buying in a much narrower sense with no negotiated trading relationships behind it. Creative production, the ads themselves, generally sits outside scope for both types and is handled by a separate creative agency or an in-house team. Businesses typically bring in a true media agency once a campaign needs to run across channels a small team cannot buy directly, or once budget reaches a scale where negotiated rates meaningfully beat rate card pricing.
Two neighbouring categories overlap with the digital half of this page. Digital buying has largely separated from traditional planning, and the online advertising agencies sell it on its own terms. If the gap is broader than media altogether, the marketing agencies cover the rest of the mix.
Flat planning fee, or commission on spend
This file has no published hourly rates at all, and only four of the ten agencies publish a project minimum, all at the same figure: €900, from Starcom Ireland, CSM Agency, Effector and Dragon Ltd. That figure describes entry-level digital campaign work rather than national media buying, which is priced per campaign against the media budget involved and rarely published. Two payment models dominate the category: a flat planning and buying fee, or a commission calculated as a percentage of media spend. Commission scales with budget and rewards the agency for spending more of it, which is worth weighing against a flat fee on a large campaign. Whichever model applies, insist that agency fees and media costs appear as separate lines on every invoice, since the €900 figure here tells you almost nothing about what a national campaign will actually cost.
Worth knowing before the budget is set: not all reach is bought with media money. Brand partnership marketing trades access to someone else's audience instead, which puts a different line on the plan and is priced per campaign rather than per placement.
We have selected and reviewed these companies based on factors such as their services, industry experience, reputation, client portfolio, pricing where publicly available, market presence, and other relevant business metrics. The information and pricing mentioned are based on details available at the time of publication and may change over time. We recommend verifying the latest information directly with each company.
1. 256 | Content Marketing Agency
Best for owned and earned media
- Content Marketing Institute Agency of the Year
- ISO 9000 (digital marketing)
- Location
- County Dublin, Ireland
- Team size
- 11-50
256 is a content marketing agency in Dublin 8, founded in 2013 by a team from traditional publishing, with 11 to 50 people. The work is creating and distributing content across digital, social and print rather than buying media space.
What sets them apart
Two credentials on the listing are checkable and unusual: Content Marketing Institute Agency of the Year, and ISO 9000 certification covering digital marketing processes, which the listing records as the only such certification held by any agency.
Who they suit
Sectors are financial services, consumer goods and professional services, and no project minimum or rate is published. It belongs on this page as owned and earned media rather than paid. If the requirement is negotiating national rate cards, this is the wrong category of supplier.
Services
- Content Marketing
- Digital Marketing
- UX Design
Industries
- Financial Services
- Consumer Goods
- Professional Services
Languages
- English
2. Core
Best for national campaigns across every channel
- Location
- Dublin, Ireland
- Team size
- 201-500
Core is the largest marketing communications company in Ireland, with 201 to 500 staff in Dublin and separate teams for planning and buying, sponsorship, and data and research.
What sets them apart
The scale is the offer. A campaign that needs national media negotiated, a sporting sponsorship secured and consumer research run can be handled inside one group rather than across three suppliers, and the buying volume behind it sets the rates.
Who they suit
Sectors are retail, finance and consumer goods. No project minimum or rate is published, which is normal at this end of the market. It suits a national advertiser with a budget large enough to justify the planning overhead; below that, the group's own structure works against you and the smaller digital shops here will give the account more attention.
Services
- Media Planning & Buying
- Sponsorship
- Data & Research
Industries
- Retail
- Finance
- Consumer Goods
Languages
- English
3. CSM Agency
Best for performance media for growing brands
- Location
- Dublin, Ireland
- Team size
- 11-50
- Min project
- From €900
CSM Agency is a Dublin growth consultancy of 11 to 50 people working on search, paid advertising and social media, with clients in Ireland, the UK, the US and the UAE.
What sets them apart
It sits on the digital side of this page. Campaigns run through self-serve platforms and are measured against revenue, with no national trading relationships behind them. Sectors are B2B services, e-commerce and technology.
Who they suit
Projects start from 900 euro. It suits a growing brand that wants digital spend held to a revenue number. For a national broadcast or out-of-home campaign it is the wrong type of agency, which is the distinction this page exists to draw.
Services
- SEO
- PPC Management
- Social Media Marketing
Industries
- B2B Services
- E-commerce
- Technology
Languages
- English
4. Dragon Ltd
Best for independent media and marketing advice
- Location
- South Dublin, Ireland
- Team size
- 11-50
- Min project
- From €900
Dragon Ltd is an independent full-service agency in South Dublin with 11 to 50 people, covering advertising, media and design, and working in English and Irish.
What sets them apart
Independence is the commercial argument. Not being owned by a holding network means no incentive to steer spend toward group inventory or preferred partners. The trade-off is less leverage than a network agency brings to a rate negotiation.
Who they suit
Sectors are retail, healthcare and non-profits, and projects start from 900 euro. It suits a client who wants media advice with no conflict of interest attached, buying at a scale where independent judgement matters more than volume discounts.
Services
- Advertising
- Brand Strategy
- Graphic Design
Industries
- Retail
- Healthcare
- Non-profit
Languages
- English
- Irish
5. Ebow,the digital agency
Best for creative technology and media together
- Location
- Dublin, Ireland
- Team size
- 11-50
Ebow was founded in 1999, making it one of the longest-running digital agencies in Dublin, with 11 to 50 people. Services span web design, search and paid advertising, and content marketing, with offices and clients outside Ireland.
What sets them apart
Twenty-five years is the substantive claim here. The agency predates most of the platforms it now works in, which is unusual on this list and means it has watched several cycles of what stops working.
Who they suit
Sectors are arts and culture, healthcare and e-commerce. No project minimum or rate is published. It suits a business wanting build and digital media from one long-established supplier, and like most firms on this page it runs platforms rather than negotiating national media.
Services
- Web Design
- SEO & PPC
- Content Marketing
Industries
- Arts & Culture
- Healthcare
- E-commerce
Languages
- English
6. Effector
Best for social and digital media for SMEs
- Location
- County Dublin, Ireland
- Team size
- 11-50
- Min project
- From €900
Effector is a Dublin city centre agency of 11 to 50 people working almost entirely with small and mid-sized businesses on social media and paid social.
What sets them apart
The named client is Gino's Gelato, a long-running account where the audience was built from nothing. That is a useful reference point, because it is a consumer brand at a size most agencies on this page would not take on.
Who they suit
Platforms are mainly Facebook and Instagram, with web design alongside. Sectors are food and beverage, retail and hospitality, and projects start from 900 euro. It suits an SME that wants managed social advertising without a large media commitment; the platform list is narrow, so a campaign needing search or out-of-home goes elsewhere.
Services
- Social Media Marketing
- Web Design
- Facebook & Instagram Ads
Industries
- Food & Beverage
- Retail
- Hospitality
Languages
- English
7. Fearless Media
Best for video content for corporate and social
- Location
- Dublin, Ireland
- Team size
- 1-10
Fearless Media is a Dublin team of under ten making video for social feeds, corporate video series and conference wrap-up films.
What sets them apart
It is a production company on a media page, which is worth being clear about: it makes the asset, it does not buy the space. Sectors are corporate, healthcare and events.
Who they suit
No project minimum or rate is published and there are no verified reviews. It suits a company running an event that needs it filmed, or a corporate communications team changing how it publishes. For campaign planning and buying, the agencies at the top of this list do that work instead.
Services
- Corporate Video
- Event Video
- Social Media Marketing
Industries
- Corporate
- Healthcare
- Events
Languages
- English
8. Starcom Ireland
Best for media planning and buying at scale
- Location
- South Dublin, Ireland
- Rating
- 3.0 (1 review)
- Team size
- 51-200
- Min project
- From €900
Starcom Ireland is a media planning and buying specialist in South Dublin with 51 to 200 people, and part of the Core group.
What sets them apart
Group membership is the practical point. Buying volume across the group sets what Starcom can negotiate for television, out-of-home and other premium placements, at rates a small agency cannot reach. This is one of only two entries here doing genuine national planning and buying.
Who they suit
Sectors are clothing and accessories, retail, and food and beverage. Projects start from 900 euro, which describes entry-level work rather than a national campaign, and the listing carries 1 verified review at 3.0, too small a sample to read anything into. Being network-owned is the thing to raise: ask for the rationale behind any inventory recommendation.
Services
- Media Planning & Buying
- Broadcast & OOH Advertising
Industries
- Clothing & Accessories
- Retail
- Food & Beverage
Languages
- English
- Irish
9. Upload Media
Best for creative media production
- Location
- County Dublin, Ireland
- Team size
- 1-10
Upload Media is a creative production agency in County Dublin, founded in 2018, with a team of under ten. It shoots video and photography and builds websites to house the results.
What sets them apart
Like Fearless Media, it supplies assets rather than a media plan. No advertising space is bought here, which makes it a supplier alongside a media agency rather than an alternative to one.
Who they suit
Sectors are corporate, education and real estate, and no project minimum or rate is published. It suits a business that needs campaign assets produced before anything is booked, particularly property and education clients where photography and video carry the pitch.
Services
- Video Production
- Photography
- Web Design
Industries
- Corporate
- Education
- Real Estate
Languages
- English
10. Wasper Media
Best for social content and distribution
- Location
- Dublin, Ireland
- Team size
- 1-10
Wasper Media is a Rathfarnham, Dublin agency of under ten people working with local businesses on social presence, content and digital advertising.
What sets them apart
The scope is content creation, social media marketing and branding, aimed at retail, hospitality and local service businesses. This is the end of the market where the same person makes the content and runs the ads.
Who they suit
No project minimum, rate or verified reviews appear on the listing. It suits a local retailer or hospitality business that wants one supplier for content and social. As with any team this size, ask what monthly output looks like and who covers holidays, and expect the commercial detail to come out on a call.
Services
- Content Creation
- Social Media Marketing
- Branding
Industries
- Retail
- Hospitality
- Local Services
Languages
- English
A good media agency gets a brand's message in front of the right audience, whether that's negotiated national coverage or a well targeted paid social campaign. What it doesn't do is give the people who saw that message a reason to keep buying afterwards. Reach and retention are bought differently. Brandfire designs and builds loyalty and rewards programmes for brands across Ireland, the work that starts once the media spend has done its job.
Frequently asked questions
- What does a media agency actually do?
- It plans where your advertising should run and buys the space, negotiating rates on your behalf. That is distinct from a creative agency, which makes the advertising, and from a digital marketing agency, which usually runs self-serve platforms rather than negotiating with media owners.
- How are media agencies paid in Ireland?
- Either a flat fee or a commission on media spend, and the difference matters. Commission rewards the agency for spending more of your budget. Flat fees do not. Ask which model applies and request that media costs and agency fees appear separately on every invoice.
- Do I need a media agency or a digital marketing agency?
- If you are buying television, radio, print or out-of-home, you need a media agency with buying relationships. If you are running search and social, a digital agency is enough. Only two firms on this list are media agencies in the traditional sense.
- Can a small business use a media agency?
- Generally not the large ones. Network media agencies are structured around budgets that justify their planning overhead. Smaller advertisers are better served by the digital agencies on this list, or by buying directly from media owners.
Want to build a loyalty programme for your media plan?
We can help you design and deliver a solution tailored to your customers and commercial goals.
More agency lists
Marketing & Communications
Best Conversion and User Research Companies in Ireland (Updated August 2026)
Ireland-based conversion optimisation and user research firms compared on team size and service mix. A genuinely small field, and the list reflects that.
View the listMarketing & Communications
Best Growth Marketing Agencies in Ireland (Updated August 2026)
Ireland-based growth marketing agencies compared on budgets, team size and verified reviews, from martech builders to performance shops.
View the listMarketing & Communications
Best PR Agencies in Ireland (Updated August 2026)
Ireland-based public relations agencies compared on project minimums and team size, from media relations specialists to broader shops.
View the list
