Marketing Society of Ireland

What Marketing Society of Ireland does

The Marketing Society of Ireland is an independent, non-profit professional membership organisation founded in 1970, headquartered at P.O. Box 58, Bray, Co. Wicklow, and operating primarily in the Republic of Ireland. It serves marketing professionals, market researchers, advertising practitioners, marketing students, and early-career marketers through tiered individual and team memberships (Student €10, Joiner/Junior €75, Personal €150, Team €400 annually), recurring networking and thought-leadership events, and dedicated sub-programmes including the Future Council for professionals in their first five years. The society's core products are the Research Excellence Awards (established 2009, Ireland's only dedicated market research awards), the Lepere Elevate Award (student competition since 2017 with a €1,000 prize), the Mentoring Programme launched in 2020, and the STEPS Mentoring Programme launched in 2025 in collaboration with IAPI Futureheads. The society runs a flagship annual Christmas Lunch combined with the Research Excellence Awards ceremony and maintains active sponsorship relationships with major Irish media, banking, and research organisations (RTE, AIB, DMG Media Ireland, Global, Mediahuis, Norstat, Business Post, OMA, FUEL) that fund category-specific awards.

The organisation does not operate proprietary technology platforms; member-facing services are delivered through a standard website (marketingsociety.ie), email newsletters, LinkedIn and Twitter/X social channels, Eventbrite ticketing, and physical event venues across Dublin and other Irish cities. Revenue is generated from three streams: recurring annual membership subscriptions, event and ticketing fees, and Research Excellence Awards entry fees (€200 for one entry, €400 for two, €575 for three, €150 per subsequent entry), supplemented by category sponsorship. The society is governed by a Council of marketing professionals led by Chairperson Deirdre Wafer, with Irene McEvoy as Data Controller; it has no parent company, no subsidiaries, no venture or private-equity backing, and is not operated for profit. Distribution is direct-to-member via the website and event-based, with third-level institutions acting as channels for student membership and Lepere Elevate Award nominations.

Name

Marketing Society of Ireland

Legal name

The Marketing Society of Ireland

Website

https://marketingsociety.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Marketing Society of Ireland is a non-profit professional membership organisation founded in 1970 that serves Irish marketing professionals, researchers, and students through tiered annual memberships, networking events, the Research Excellence Awards, the Lepere Elevate Award, and mentoring programmes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Associations

NAICS

Professional Organizations (813920), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Corporate Conferences & Sales Kickoffs (MPAGAGAC), Sponsorship, Exhibitor & Partnership Management Services (THAHACAK)

Keywords

• Professional membership services
• Marketing networking events
• Industry awards programs
• Mentoring programmes
• Professional development

Headquarters

HQ city

Bray

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Annual membership fees from individual professionals (Personal, Joiner/Junior, Student tiers) and corporate team memberships, providing access to events, networking, awards, and mentoring programmes.
2. Event Revenue: Ticket sales for events, workshops, and networking gatherings including the annual Christmas lunch, Research Excellence Awards ceremony, and Future Council events.
3. Research Excellence Awards Entry Fees: Entry fees for market research award submissions: €200 per entry, €400 for two entries, €575 for three entries, €150 per subsequent entry.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Marketing Society of Ireland is a nonprofit professional membership organization founded in 1970 that serves the Irish marketing community through tiered individual and corporate memberships (Student €10, Joiner/Junior €75, Personal €150, Team €400 annually), networking events, awards programmes (Research Excellence Awards, Lepere Elevate Award), and mentoring initiatives (STEPS Mentoring Programme). Revenue is generated through membership subscriptions, awards entry fees (€200 per entry), event ticket sales, and corporate sponsorships from major Irish enterprises. The society operates as the central hub connecting Irish marketing professionals across agencies, brands, media, and academia.

Product overview

The Marketing Society of Ireland operates as a professional membership organization offering a portfolio of programs and events for marketing professionals in Ireland. The core offerings include the Research Excellence Awards (established 2009) for recognizing market research excellence, the Lepere Elevate Award for student competition, the STEPS Mentoring Programme for emerging talent development, and the Future Council for early-career professionals. Regular events provide networking and thought leadership opportunities, culminating in the annual Christmas Lunch & Research Excellence Awards celebration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Research Excellence Awards: Annual awards program honouring excellence in Irish market research, established in 2009
• Lepere Elevate Award
• STEPS Mentor Programme
• Mentoring Programme
• Future Council

Products and services

• Marketing Society Membership Tiered annual membership offering access to networking events, thought leadership programming, awards entry opportunities, mentoring programmes, and member resources for marketing professionals in Ireland. Available as Student (€10/year), Joiner/Junior (€75/year), Personal (€150/year), and Team (€400/year covering 4 nominated members).
• Research Excellence Awards Annual awards program established in 2009 recognizing excellence in Irish market research, honouring innovative and impactful research projects across categories including advertising research, strategic brand research, media research, and sustainability. Open to research agencies and client-side insights teams. Entry fees: €200 per entry, €400 for two entries, €575 for three entries, €150 per subsequent entry.
• Lepere Elevate Award Annual competition inviting final-year undergraduate and postgraduate marketing students from Irish third-level institutions to showcase talents through live or existing applied market research projects tackling real-world challenges, with a €1,000 cash prize for the winning student.
• STEPS Mentoring Programme Nine-month structured mentoring programme run in collaboration with IAPI Futureheads and the Marketing Society's Future Council, matching industry mentors with mentees to support emerging marketing talent and early-career professional development.
• Future Council Sub-committee within the Marketing Society of Ireland tailored for marketing professionals in the first five years of their career, offering networking events, professional development, and structured engagement with the wider society.
• Events and Networking Programme Recurring calendar of member events featuring industry thought leaders covering topics such as creativity, insight, experience, and culture, with networking opportunities. Ticketed and run through Eventbrite for registration management.
• Christmas Lunch & Research Excellence Awards Ceremony Annual flagship celebration combining the Christmas Lunch with the Research Excellence Awards ceremony, featuring the Grand Prix award presentation and bringing together the Irish marketing community at year-end.

Quantifiable outcome

• Research Excellence Awards run annually since 2009 - only dedicated market research awards in Ireland

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• RTEcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerRTE serves as a major sponsor of the Research Excellence Awards, particularly the Grand Prix category. The partnership provides RTE with visibility among Ireland's marketing and research community while supporting the society's flagship awards programme.
• DMG Media IrelandcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDMG Media Ireland sponsors the Advertising Research category of the Research Excellence Awards, supporting recognition of excellence in advertising effectiveness research.
• AIB (Allied Irish Banks)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerAIB sponsors the Sustainability category of the Research Excellence Awards, supporting recognition of research excellence in sustainability and ESG-related market research.
• GlobalcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGlobal sponsors the Strategic Brand Research category of the Research Excellence Awards, supporting excellence in brand strategy research recognition.
• MediahuiscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMediahuis sponsors the Media Research category of the Research Excellence Awards.
• NorstatcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNorstat sponsors the Analytic Impact category of the Research Excellence Awards.
• FUELcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFUEL sponsors the Public Policy & Social Research category of the Research Excellence Awards.
• The Outdoor Media Association (OMA)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerOMA sponsors the Brand or Product Development Research category of the Research Excellence Awards.
• Business PostcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBusiness Post sponsors the Business to Business Research category of the Research Excellence Awards.
• IAPI FutureheadscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the STEPS Mentoring Programme - a joint initiative with the Marketing Society's Future Council to support emerging marketing talent through structured mentorship. The programme runs for 9 months (September 2025 to May 2026) with industry experts serving as mentors.
• ESOMARminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch Excellence Awards require compliance with ESOMAR guidelines. Grand Prix winners receive a speaker slot at ESOMAR Congress, raising the profile of Irish marketing excellence internationally.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Advertising Association (UK): UK advertising industry body representing agencies, brands, and media. Comparable convening role for the advertising community but operates as a wider advocacy body rather than a membership-practitioner society.
• ESOMAR: Global market research association with which the society's awards are aligned. Operates in the same research-practitioner community but at international scale and with research-standards focus rather than marketing-practitioner focus.
• American Marketing Association (AMA): Largest US marketing professional body with publications, training, and a much broader portfolio. Comparable category leader but substantially larger scale and global scope.

Others

• The Drum: Global marketing media brand covering news, events, and awards for the marketing industry. Adjacent ecosystem participant — events and awards partially overlap, but it is a media business rather than a member society.

Direct peers

• Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM): Largest UK professional marketing body with membership tiers, qualifications, and events. Closest direct peer by mission, membership model, and event portfolio; differs by qualification/training emphasis.
• Data & Marketing Association (DMA): UK trade body covering data-driven marketing, with membership, awards (DMA Awards), and events. Closely comparable membership+awards model targeting overlapping marketing and CRM practitioners.
• Market Research Society (MRS): UK professional body for research practitioners offering membership, training, and awards. Comparable to the society's research-focused pillar; the Marketing Society of Ireland's Research Excellence Awards target a similar practitioner community.
• Marketing Society (UK): UK-based counterpart with a near-identical model — membership body for senior marketers running awards, events, and thought leadership. Directly comparable business model, customer profile, and product mix.
• Institute of Advertising Practitioners in Ireland (IAPI): Irish advertising industry body that runs awards (e.g., Irish Awards) and member programmes; current collaboration partner on the STEPS Mentoring Programme. Direct domestic peer with overlapping Irish agency and brand audience.

Regional players

• PRCA Ireland: Irish Public Relations Consultants Association; adjacent professional body serving the Irish communications community. Comparable governance and event model but focused on PR rather than marketing.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mktsociety
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/marketing-society-of-ireland

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Marketing Society of Ireland