Starcom

What Starcom does

Starcom (Ireland) is a Dublin-based media planning and buying agency operating as a sub-brand of Core, which is described as Ireland's largest marketing communications company. Founded in 2002, the agency delivers media strategy, creative media solutions, and brand experience development for enterprise clients, sitting alongside sibling Core brands Zenith and Spark Foundry. Its stated value proposition integrates data, media, creativity, technology, and human instinct to build brand experiences and move both consumer and business outcomes.

The business operates on a professional services revenue model with quote-based pricing tailored to each client's scope, focused on a single horizontal segment of enterprise brands ('Great Brands'). Customer engagement is direct and consultative, with no self-serve or productized channels. The agency supports its positioning through content marketing, including monthly Consumer Mindset reports and thought-leadership pieces on AI and regulation, distributed via its website, email newsletter, and LinkedIn presence of its six-person leadership team.

Operationally, Starcom Ireland is a small team (11-50 employees) led by Managing Director Emer Lawn, with Deputy Managing Director Aisling O'Sullivan, Revenue and Business Development Director Anna Doyle, and three Digital Board Directors. The agency is privately held under Core, a private Irish marketing communications group, with no external investors, public listing, or disclosed financials in the source material. Geographic scope is regional, focused on Ireland.

Name

Starcom

Legal name

Starcom

Website

https://starcom.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Starcom (Ireland) is a Dublin-based media planning and buying agency and sub-brand of Core, Ireland's largest marketing communications group. It provides media strategy, creative services, and brand experience development to enterprise clients through a small, consultative team.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Advertising and Media Services

NAICS

Media Buying Agencies (541830), Advertising Agencies (541810), Media Buying Agencies (54183)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

B2B/ABM Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

B2B / Industrial Market Research (MPAAALAA)

Keywords

• Media planning buying
• Marketing communications
• Brand strategy
• Advertising agency
• Performance marketing

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Marketing Communications Services: Starcom generates revenue through providing marketing communications agency services including media planning, creative strategy, and brand experience development. As part of Core, the agency offers comprehensive solutions across creative, strategy, research, media, sponsorship, data, investment, learning, and performance services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Starcom is a B2B media agency that provides media planning and buying, creative strategy, brand experience development, sponsorship, research, data, and performance marketing services to brands. Operating as part of Core, Ireland's largest marketing communications company, Starcom helps clients build effective, memorable brand experiences and deliver measurable business results through the integration of data, media, creativity, technology, and human instinct.

Product overview

Starcom is a sub-brand of Core, Ireland's largest marketing communications company. Core's portfolio includes Starcom alongside other media agency brands such as Zenith and Spark Foundry. Starcom specializes in media services, leveraging data-driven strategies, creative solutions, research, sponsorship, digital capabilities, and performance marketing to help brands thrive.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Media Planning and Buying

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• CorecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStarcom is an integral part of Core, Ireland's largest marketing communication company. Core provides the broader organizational infrastructure and portfolio of agencies including Zenith, Spark Foundry, and Starcom, enabling cross-agency collaboration and comprehensive marketing solutions.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Havas Media: Global media agency within Havas Creative Network operating in Ireland. Comparable to Starcom as a media planning and buying competitor with similar positioning around data-driven, creative-led brand experiences.
• Initiative: IPG Mediabrands media agency with a Dublin operation. Directly competes with Starcom on media planning and buying mandates for the same brand-side clients in Ireland.
• Carat: Dentsu-owned global media agency with a Dublin presence. Closely comparable to Starcom in offering media planning and buying, data-driven strategy, and digital execution to enterprise brand clients in the Irish market.
• OMD: Omnicom Media Group's flagship media agency with operations in Ireland. Directly competes with Starcom on the same local media planning and buying briefs across multinational and Irish brand clients.
• Mindshare: WPP/GroupM media agency with a Dublin office. Directly comparable to Starcom as a data-driven media planning and buying competitor for Irish and multinational clients served locally.
• Wavemaker: WPP/GroupM media, content, and analytics agency operating in Ireland. Closely comparable to Starcom in offering media planning, buying, and brand experience services to similar enterprise client segments.
• PHD Media: Global media planning and buying agency operating locally in Ireland under Omnicom. Directly comparable to Starcom as a similarly sized competitor competing for the same multinational and Irish brand media budgets through the same Omnicom holding structure.
• MediaCom: WPP/GroupM media agency operating in Ireland. Comparable to Starcom as a competitor offering integrated media planning, buying, and digital performance services to enterprise brand clients in the domestic market.

Regional players

• Rothco: Award-winning Dublin-based creative agency (now part of Accenture Song). Comparable to Starcom as a domestic Irish agency competing for the same brand budgets, though more weighted toward creative production than media planning.
• DDFH&B: Long-established Irish marketing communications agency (part of WPP/GroupM). A domestic competitor comparable to Starcom in scale and client base, offering integrated advertising and media services to Irish brands.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/starcom-ireland

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Starcom