Market comparison
US vs Ireland: agency markets compared
Budget is concentrating in social, video and commerce media, so agencies with genuine depth in those channels price accordingly. Search and social capability is deep and competitively priced, while senior brand strategy concentrates in a smaller number of groups.
Market size and coverage
Advertising figures come from the named industry body or statistics agency in each market. They are published on different bases and in different currencies, so treat them as scale, not a ratio.
United States
Budgets quoted in USD where sourced.
- Internet advertising revenue
- Nearly $300bn (2025)
Up 13.9% year over year; social media up 32.6% to $117.7bn and digital video up 25.4% to $74bn.
Source: IAB / PwC Internet Advertising Revenue Report, Full Year 2025
Listed agencies: 375 across 82 cities
Scored on our methodology: 62
Main cities: Chicago (18), Austin (17), New York (16), San Francisco (14), Los Angeles (13), Denver (11)
Deepest specialties: Branding (161), SEO (123), Digital Marketing (105), Web Design (96), Paid Media (86)
Ireland
Budgets quoted in EUR where sourced.
- Digital advertising spend
- €1.06bn (2024)
- Total advertising market
- €1.53bn forecast (2024)
Up 11% year on year; digital display grew 15% to €589m in 2023.
Digital is roughly 64% of overall advertising revenue.
Source: Core Outlook forecast, reported by Adworld, 8 February 2024
Listed agencies: 154 across 27 cities
Scored on our methodology: 10
Main cities: Dublin (44), Cork (21), Galway (16), Limerick (8), Sligo (8), Kildare (7)
Deepest specialties: Web Design (54), Digital Marketing (46), SEO (45), Branding (44), Web Development (26)
Rules that change the work
These differences usually matter more to a cross-border engagement than price does.
United States
- Federal Trade Commission enforcement of advertising claims and endorsement disclosure
- State attorneys general on consumer protection and subscription practices
- State privacy laws led by California's CCPA/CPRA, with a growing patchwork of state statutes
- CAN-SPAM for commercial email and the TCPA for calls and texts
Ireland
- Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland, administering the ASAI code
- GDPR, enforced by the Data Protection Commission
- ePrivacy Regulations 2011 (SI 336 of 2011) for email, SMS and telephone marketing consent
What we have published for each market
United States
- Top 10 Marketing and Branding Agencies in the United StatesLast researched September 9, 2026
- Hiring a Marketing or Branding Agency in the United States: A Buyer's GuideWhat the US agency market looks like in 2026, where capability clusters, how FTC endorsement rules, CAN-SPAM and state privacy laws affect campaigns, and how to build a shortlist you can defend.
Ireland
- Top 10 Marketing and Branding Agencies in IrelandLast researched September 10, 2026
- Ireland Marketing and Branding Agency Market: A Buyer GuideHow the Irish agency market works, what the advertising and data rules require, and how to shortlist a partner with real evidence.
Choosing between US and Ireland
- Pick the market where the work is being sold, not where it is cheapest. Local media buying, language and consumer regulation are the hardest things to outsource across a border.
- For a cross-border engagement, agree the contract currency, who carries exchange-rate risk, where the work is performed and how personal data moves between the two jurisdictions before you sign.
- Ask both shortlists the same question: show one comparable project, the brief, what changed afterwards, and where those numbers came from.
- Check who actually runs the account. In both markets, the senior people in the pitch are frequently not the people delivering the work.