Drone enthusiasts in Ireland embrace safety measures, revealing appetite for responsible ownership

As the single civil aviation regulator for Ireland, the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) is responsible for the regulation of safety, security, and consumer interests. The IAA also has the responsibility of registering drone operators to develop and maintain high safety standards, reducing the risk of potential accidents.

Ireland was the first country in the world to introduce mandatory drone registration in December 2015. Since then, European Regulation is in place and requires the registration of operators for drones over 250g and/or containing a camera. This is a legal requirement in Ireland.

In December 2023, the team at Irish digital marketing agency VROOM Digital partnered with the IAA to create an online campaign spreading awareness of drone safety and the importance of drone registration. With a strategic approach to leverage Paid Social and PPC ads as effective channels for brand awareness, a campaign was designed which would garner substantial video views and drive traffic to the IAA website.

The key focus of the campaign was to create mass brand awareness throughout Ireland, emphasising the message ‘Drone safety is your responsibility’ and stressing the importance of registration for drone owners. Central to this campaign was an educational video providing viewers with important rules of drone ownership and directing them to the drone registration page on the IAA website.

The collaborative effort enabled mass brand awareness for the IAA, fostering significant year-on-year growth in views and site traffic. With over 600,000 views on YouTube and over 100,000 visits to the IAA website, it’s clear that drone operators in Ireland are keen to ensure they are registered and knowledgeable about the most recent rules and regulations enabling them to fly their drones safely.

Since 2021, over 17,500 drone pilots have been trained by the IAA, and in 2023, there was a 25% increase in the number of pilots trained.

Shane Curtin, Founder and CEO, VROOM Digital, said, “We are thrilled with the overwhelming response to our campaign in partnership with the Irish Aviation Authority. The high engagement levels demonstrate the eagerness of drone operators in Ireland to prioritise safety and responsible ownership. By harnessing the power of digital marketing, the IAA were able to achieve widespread awareness of this campaign throughout Ireland.”

Alec Elliott, Corporate Affairs and PR Manager, Irish Aviation Authority, said, “We are delighted with the results of the campaign, which is driving significant ROI already, and even more importantly, significant awareness about the risks of flying drones in public. From an engagement perspective, the campaign has also been very beneficial for both us and the consumer, with comments and enquiries up significantly on previous years.”

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