MAY 2015
SURVEY
Who’s Who In
Public Relations
Detailed Listing of Ireland’s
Premier PR Consultancies and the
Views of Agency Principals
BP SURVEY
P U B L I C R E L AT I O N S
PR Stories
Public relations agencies are constantly evolving to cater for new business
opportunities. DOUG CASEY asked a selection of agency principals for their stories
O
’Sullivan Public Relations was one
of Cork’s pioneering PR firms,
having been established by former
journalist Robin O’Sullivan in
1981. He got into PR when ad agency
O’Kennedy Brindley needed someone
in Cork to represent Coca Cola, and it
grew from there. O’Sullivan PR did well
servicing the large cluster of chemicals
and pharma companies in Cork, with
daughter Ann-Marie O’Sullivan joining the
family firm in 1988.
In 2008, the O’Sullivans decided to
merge their business with H+A
Marketing. “At the time many of our
clients were looking for other services,
such as a website of a brand tweak,”
says Ann-Marie. “We both felt that
that’s the way that the industry was
going. But actually that wasn’t our
experience following the merger.”
Now that marriage has ended in an
amicable divorce, with Ann-Marie, her
dad and colleague Tina Quinn spinning
out of H+A back to independence with
AM O’Sullivan PR. “We were always
strong in issues management and
strategic PR, areas which stayed strong
through the recession,” says Ann-Marie.
“As a result, we found that we were
operating like a separate division within
H&A. There was a feeling on both sides
52 B U S I N E S S P L U S
M AY 2 0 1 5
Caroline Kennedy (right), has a new
business partner, Moira Murphy
that the integration that we envisaged
seven years ago hadn’t panned out. A
lot of that was due to the way that the
economy went over the last few years.”
For the moment, Ann-Marie’s startup
operates through a mobile number as
she goes through the process of starting
from scratch again. “We’ve known Brian
Healy in H+A for a long time, we work
well together and none of us wanted it
to end up here. But we are big enough
people to appreciate that if something
isn’t working then it just makes sense to
move on. So inasmuch as these things
can be painless, it was.”
A
fter 22 years of owning and
running her own business, Caroline
Kennedy has decided that the time
has come to bring a partner on
board. Her agency Kennedy PR has a
strong niche in beauty, lifestyle and
hospitality PR and is now adding a
BP SURVEY
brand development advisory side with
the addition of Moira Murphy.
Murphy was marketing director at
Brown Thomas until 2013 and was
previously with Unilever. Kennedy
worked with her in both roles so the
pair have known each other for over 20
years. “After Moira left BTs, we started
working together on some brand
consultancy projects. We worked very
well together and she brings a wealth
of brand and retail experience to the
table,” says Kennedy.
Murphy’s title in the agency is
managing director, though Kennedy
says she’s not taking a back seat. The
agency has been renamed Kennedy PR
+ Brand to emphasise the intention is
to develop the brand advisory to the
same level as the PR offering.
“I’m more than happy now to start
sharing the business with a younger
person in order to develop it further,”
says Kennedy. “Now we have another
string to our bow, under someone who
is highly respected in the industry. It’s
exciting to go into business with
P U B L I C R E L AT I O N S
somebody that you know, respect and
like so well. It just feels like a very
natural progression.”
T
he biggest merger in PR-land in
the past year was the coming
together of Pembroke
Communications with Slattery PR.
Neither agency was quite at the top tier
but now PSG Communications is, with
39 PR consultants under the one roof.
The merger, effected in October
2014, was led by Pembroke’s Mick
O’Keeffe, who is related by marriage to
Slattery’s owner Padraig Slattery. PSG
has styled itself into four units,
covering corporate, consumer,
sponsorship and social media. “The
merger wasn’t rushed so we had a lot
of time to plan,” says O’Keeffe. “We
started a new group of agencies from
scratch, and a huge amount of work
went into that. We were lucky too
insofar as there has been a general
turnaround in the economy.”
PSG mostly does what the two
separate agencies did before but
O’Keeffe believes the new structure has
a much sharper focus. “For instance
both agencies would have had one or
two people doing social media,” he
says. “Now in New/Slang there are
seven people working full-time on
social media. Our staff are now
specialising a lot more than before. I
think we have created something that
the market is looking for. That’s an
ability to specialise and scale up when
needed.”
M
urray Consultants was 40 years
old last year and celebrated by
changing its name. The
‘Consultants’ bit is gone and now
it’s just Murray. Still on the board is
founder Joe Murray who, with Jim
Milton, built up the agency as the
preeminent PR agency for Irish plcs.
Murray has more competition for
corporate clients these days but the
blue-chip halo persists.
So why the name change? “In
popular speech it had been abbreviated
continued on page 54
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to Murray and we thought it was a
contemporary take on a business that’s
been around for a long time,” says
managing director Pat Walsh.
Walsh notes that over four decades,
Murray was central to a lot of what was
happening in Irish business. The
agency is still up with events: Murray
was hired by Irish Water last year to
spin away some of the negativity. Below
the radar, Walsh and his colleagues
advise a number of property developers,
including some still going through the
Nama wringer. “We are encountering a
more receptive audience than might be
expected,” says Walsh. “People are now
recognising that Ireland needs a
thriving property sector, and for sure
we need more housing.”
A
family business where the next
generation has taken charge is
Cullen Communications, where
Owen Cullen has succeeded the
founder Frank Cullen. Frank had a
background in the motor business
before PR, and Ford and Continental
Tyres are longstanding agency clients.
P U B L I C R E L AT I O N S
‘Creativity really
is the name of the
game now’
In fact, the Cullens have two family
firms: they also have a farm in Wicklow
where they raise sheep and sports
horses. “I was always in the office as a
kid,” says Owen. “When the mail used
to be delivered in sacks, I was in the
boardroom sorting through envelopes.”
Public affairs has long been a
mainstay at Cullen, both for
commercial clients and organisations,
such as National Newspapers of
Ireland. More recently, the Continental
association has focused energies on
sports PR. “We took on someone here
to essentially set up a new department
and thankfully it’s going from strength
to strength.”
A feature of the Cullen client roster is
that they are very loyal. “I think that’s
due to the consistency of our service
and I credit my father for that. There’s
also the factor of instant access to the
top and being a trusted partner.”
W
eber Shandwick is a global PR
agency, massive in some
markets, less so in others. In
Dublin the agency has 13 staff,
but being part of something much
bigger has its benefits, says managing
director Siobhan Molloy. “We have access
to the proprietary tools and experts
who are completely focused on one
area,” she says.
Molloy instances a card system to
foster creative thinking. “Now there’s a
process to help us make our brainstorm
sessions really productive. The first idea
you reject because you can be sure that
somebody else has come up with that,
so you do delve deeper and deeper.”
In Molloy’s view, the ability of PR
agencies to come up with creative ideas
is increasingly important. “Creativity
really is the name of the game now
continued on page 56
Reputation is everything.
PROFI LE
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Consumer And Brand Experts
We build the profiles of some of the world’s biggest
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smart media relations.
Suzie O’Dea
Head of Consumer & Brands
[email protected]
The Reputations Agency
25 Merrion Square, Dublin 2
Tel: (01) 661 8915
Web: www.thereputationsagency.ie
Twitter: @RepAgencyIrl
Leaders In Corporate And
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As a trusted partner for leading Irish businesses, we
offer analysis, strategy, media relations and expert
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while also providing issues and crisis management
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Niall Quinn
Deputy Managing Director
& Head of Corporate
[email protected]
Sponsorship Specialists
As winners of the ‘Best Sponsorship Team’ title at
The Irish Sponsorship Awards 2014, our award-winning
team develops sponsorship strategy and creates
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Sarah Brewer
Associate Director,
Consumer & Brands
[email protected]
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P U B L I C R E L AT I O N S
because everything that’s in social
media has to be creative. You have to
have graphics, photographs and video,
but that can become wallpaper if there
isn’t a really creative idea in it.”
Molloy adds: “Clients want you to
challenge them to be brave creatively.
You can’t get cut-through if you don’t
have something that people want to
share and want to read and listen to.
And that’s really where the business is
going because everything is becoming
so visual.”
different hat each time, because you
have to adapt that client’s personality
when you are either tweeting or
making Facebook posts.”
L
P
ublic relations has always been an
equal opportunities employer for
women, and the majority of
boutique PR firms have female
owner-managers. Limelight
Communications, founded by Kathryn
Byrne in April 1998, employs six people.
“Both my parents were self-employed,”
says Byrne. “My dad had a shop in
town and my mother had a Montessori
school when we were growing up.
“The Irish market is so small you
need to be versatile, and I think a
boutique agency can fill that role.
Personal service and building
relationships and getting to know your
client and delivering results are very
important. You have to be proactive
and really know your client’s business
to be able to deliver those results.”
Limelight has a strong niche in film
PR and the client roster is quite
diverse, with four or five clients in each
category, such as state, not-for-profit,
health, representative bodies,
education, corporate and technology.
An interesting niche built up over the
years is representing a number of small
56 B U S I N E S S P L U S
M AY 2 0 1 5
Kathryn Byrne, Limelight
Communications
companies on the AIM market in the
UK.
Events also loom large in the
Limelight schedule. The agency
handles publicity for the annual
Holiday World show in the RDS, as
well as the Irish Cycling Show and the
Bram Stoker Festival. As with all
agencies, social media smarts are now
hugely important, with Limelight
winning a ‘Sockie’ media award last
year for a campaign for Alone.
“Some clients are able to handle
social media themselves and others rely
on us totally. We need to put on a
ike Kathryn Byrne, Sharon Plunkett
established her consultancy 15
years ago after learning her craft in
various agencies. “It was tough
riding out the recession, to put it
mildly,” says the Plunkett PR principal.
“We went from quite a substantial
turnover to less than half of that. A lot
of UK clients took their PR and
marketing in-house.”
One of the finer PR arts is media
relations. However, securing media
coverage depends on the client. “If you
have a good client, somebody will want
to talk to them,” says Plunkett. “Some
clients are really good when it comes to
media. They are not afraid to say it the
way it is and so on. It really works both
ways in PR. You have to have a client
who is willing to work with you. They
have to give you material that they are
willing to talk about. That’s half the
battle and then it’s up to us to see an
angle that we hope will appeal to
whoever we are targeting.”
In Plunkett’s view, the universe of
influencers is expanding all the time.
“You have to keep a handle on the
influential bloggers. It takes a lot of
different strands to create a reputation
or impression for a client, be that in
traditional media or in online media.
And you also have to have an interest
in subject matters that you are dealing
with. You have to be interested in your
client and their business.”
Survey continued on page 58
WE COULDN’T HAVE DONE IT
WITHOUT YOU!
CELEBRATING
25 YEARS
OF CREATIVITY
‘In celebrating 25 years in
business this year, we at Hopkins
Communications are naturally drawn
to those who have underpinned
our survival, and our success. They
are our loyal clients, our talented
people, and our diverse suppliers.
Too numerous to mention, let’s just
say that their input has contributed
to our longevity and affirms that our
partnership approach works as we
deliver creative, effective marketing
and communications strategies
for them.
Key personnel at Hopkins Communications: Managing Director Mark Hopkins
(second left) pictured with Directors (from left) Judy Hopkins, Niamh Murphy
(Sullivan) and Donogh O’Herlihy.
Through boom and bust we have
remained steadfast in our support
of our valued clients and our people and vice versa.
We have made clients our priority, adapted to the
marketplace together, and come through with
confidence, delivering excellent results time and again.
As we now rock up to a new phase in our
development, embracing smart, forward thinking with
flair and creativity, we will do this with many of those
clients, while growing our base throughout Ireland with
professionals who have been with us for several years
now’ said Mark Hopkins of Hopkins Communications.
WHO WE ARE:
Hopkins Communications was founded in 1990 by
Mary Hopkins, who is now Chairman of the agency.
With Mark Hopkins as MD, and Donogh O’Herlihy,
Judy Hopkins and Niamh Murphy as Directors, the
firm’s team of 17 professionals also includes Bobby
Power (former Advertising Manager with The Limerick
Leader) who heads up Corporate Sales in the midWest region.
Providing an integrated marketing and
communications offering in consumer, lifestyle,
and corporate relations, our agency’s services also
include media-buying, print and design and event
management for large and small entities.
AFFILIATIONS:
International: Our affiliate in New York and Boston is
the renowned PGR Media, and our requirements in the
European marketplace are handled by London’s Farrar
Media.
Crisis Management: We partner with Walter Young
of Young Communications (Dublin), an experienced
and reputable practitioner in the crisis and issues
management field.
CONSISTENTLY EXCEEDING CLIENT
EXPECTATIONS - IT’S WHAT WE DO!
Media House, Crawford Business Park,
Crosses Green, Cork City, Ireland.
t. +353 (21) 500 59 94
e. [email protected]
w. www.hopkinscommunications.ie
Find us on
CLFw
CELEBRATING
25
YEARS
IN BUSINESS
1990-2015
ADVERTISING • PUBLIC RELATIONS • DESIGN • PRINT • MARKETING • PROMOTIONS • EVENTS • WEB DEVELOPMENT • DIGITAL MEDIA
BP SURVEY
P U B L I C R E L AT I O N S
The Outlook Is Bright
Leading PR practitioners tell Doug Casey about business trends, where the
action is with social media and their agencies’ USPs
ANNE-MARIE CURRAN
Drury Porter Novelli
Managing Director Anne-Marie
Curran takes an active role in special
project work and has worked on several
large crisis projects, in particular those
involving litigation, and major
transactions in the infrastructure,
financial services, logistics, and food
and beverage sectors.
ACTIVITY The outlook is bright, business
has been good and we have grown as an
agency since last year. In particular, our
project communications practice has grown
considerably.
SOCIAL MEDIA Our clients favour Twitter,
Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest, in that
order.
STATE TENDERS My biggest concern is
that, in the communications business, where
understanding the clients’ interests and
personal chemistries are critical, assigning a
high percentage to price in the assessment
criteria can be counterproductive. The other
concern I have is where public sector clients
seek to hire communications advisers on a
‘Operating on a fixed price
can inhibit creativity’
fixed price without being clear on the
specifics of the job to be done.
Communications tend to be very fluid and
operating on a fixed price can inhibit
creativity and innovation.
LOBBYING After an initial media flurry, it
PATRICK FRISON-ROCHE
Hopscotch Europe
Patrick Frison Roche co-founded
Hopscotch Europe in February 2005
as a joint venture with Hopscotch
Groupe, one of France’s top
communications groups. He leads a
multicultural PR team in Dublin
delivering multinational PR and
social media campaigns across the
EMEA and beyond.
ACTIVITY 2014 was a transition year,
where PR activity recorded a relative
slowing down, but this was more than
compensated by a rapid progression of our
social media activity. PR activity
concentrated on fewer tier-one European
markets, with an increase in ad-hoc
requirement on tier-two markets. We saw
increasing demand from large brands and
multinational businesses seeking support to
58 B U S I N E S S P L U S
M AY 2 0 1 5
will become clear that the overwhelming
amount of lobbying undertaken is quite
mundane and technical.
USP We’re 25 years in business, so our
broad depth of experience is what our clients
buy.
‘With our model we
can easily scale
the service levels’
rationalise their social media activity across
the region and increase its effectiveness.
WHY PR? Only PR is able to strike the
right balance between earned, owned and
bought media, and therefore offers the most
effective way to design and build a
reputation.
USP From upstream strategy to on-theground execution, we deliver full PR and
social media services, as any network would.
However, we do it much faster and our
teams spend more time researching,
targeting, creating and engaging with key
audiences. With our model, we can easily
scale the service levels and the geographies
to our clients’ business needs.
BP SURVEY
SIOBHAN MOLLOY
Weber Shandwick
Managing Director Siobhan Molloy
has over 20 years’ experience in the PR
sector. She is a senior consultant at the
firm, providing strategic counsel and
tactical advice in corporate, B2B,
financial, public affairs, issues
management and media relations.
ACTIVITY There was a significant step-up in
business demand. In the main it has been
corporate, consumer and issue management
that have attracted most new business,
combined with existing clients increasing their
budgets.
SOCIAL MEDIA Twitter has become one of
the key platforms for clients. Twitter is for the
curious, the news hungry and the opinionated,
and is an important engagement vehicle to
reach and create conversations. LinkedIn has
enhanced its offering in the past year and is
becoming an essential advocacy and B2B
platform for some clients. Instagram is one to
watch. It has become the most popular
network for sharing images and videos and
generates much more user engagement than
Facebook or Twitter.
P U B L I C R E L AT I O N S
‘Twitter has become one
of the key platforms
for clients’
STATE TENDERS Experience and relevance
are not always given the fair weighting they
deserve.
PR PEOPLE Public relations is about
dialogue, engagement and creatively telling a
story. Consequently, listening and emotional
intelligence are important qualities in PR
people. A natural curiosity about how society
and the world around us operates, how it is
changing and who is changing is a given. An
appetite for news, current affairs and a deep
interest in people is fundamental. Attention to
detail is an absolute must.
USP As part of the largest public relations
company in the world, we have access to the
latest thought leadership on trends and
developments for our sector. This, combined
with specific propriety tools such as our
‘science of engagement’ process and content
fusion model, makes us unique in the market,
offering best-in-class PR cut-through.
continued on page 60
We bring creative
intelligence and
professionalism to
communications.
Contact Drury|Porter Novelli
on +353 1 260 5000 or
www.drurypn.ie
BUSINESS PLUS
M AY 2 0 1 5 59
BP SURVEY
RÓISÍN O’HEA
O’Hea Public Relations
Former journalist Róisín O’Hea entered
the world of PR in 1996. O’Hea PR was
established in 2004 with a focus on
strategy and creative campaigns for
consumer and lifestyle sector clients.
ACTIVITY Business has been really positive
over the past year and we are seeing an
increase in the number of current and new
client media launches. Enquiries and pitches
are up, which is a good sign. The number of
vacancies for PR positions is another indicator
that business is picking up. We recently
worked with Ethiopian Airlines in launching
their new direct services from Dublin to Addis
Ababa and Dublin to LA. Motor has been busy
too with the upcoming launch of the new
Renault Kadjar and PR has played a big part in
the success of the new Dacia brand in Ireland.
ANN-MARIE O’SULLIVAN
O’Sullivan PR
A communications professional since
1988, Ann-Marie O’Sullivan provides
strategic communications counsel to
large and small organisations across
the country. The consultancy works
with some of the largest pharmaceutical,
medical device manufacturing facilities
and energy companies in Ireland.
ACTIVITY There has been a definite
increase in the number of organisations
looking to avail of strategic communications
services, specifically in the areas of brand
building, stakeholder engagement and public
consultation, event management, internal
communications, crisis management, change
management, and media and communications
skills training.
60 B U S I N E S S P L U S
M AY 2 0 1 5
P U B L I C R E L AT I O N S
‘We don’t turn our
phones off at 5.30pm’
SOCIAL MEDIA Twitter is important not
only as a tool to inform but as the first place
to break news. People are starting to use
Twitter as a search tool for reviews so clients
are more aware that they need to be watching
and responding to any negative interactions
with a brand. Instagram doesn’t play a huge
role as of yet and Facebook is still important.
PR PEOPLE Good cop on, common sense, a
good sense of news and what makes the news
are important for PR professionals. Good
contacts, creative thinking and writing skills
are also essential.
USP Our excellent media relations across
many key sectors is one of our main USPs —
we are able to turn stories into real coverage,
often at very short notice. We don’t turn our
‘PR is wide-ranging
and requires differing
skill sets’
phones off at 5.30pm and clients like to know
that if they need us we’re there.
PR PEOPLE The field of public relations
is a wide-ranging one and within it
differing skill sets are required. However,
whether you specialise in consumer PR or
crisis management, a successful and
effective PR practitioner should have a
good mix of curiosity, integrity, empathy,
creativity and the ability to communicate
effectively.
USP We have a national reputation in
the areas of crisis management and
business continuity planning. Our USP is
definitely our reputation. The senior
members of the consultancy — Ann-Marie
O’Sullivan and Tina Quinn — have been
working in the PR industry for almost 30
years, while consultant Robin O’Sullivan has
worked in the media and communications
industry for over 50 years.
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P U B L I C R E L AT I O N S
‘With a new client, we take a step
back to move forward’
CAROLINE KENNEDY
Kennedy PR + Brand
Caroline Kennedy is
founding director and CEO
of Kennedy PR + Brand.
The agency was established
in 1992 and has a focus on
consumer PR.
ACTIVITY In addition to our
core expertise and since the
appointment of Moira Murphy as
Managing Director, we have
increased our service offering to
include a brand consultancy
division. Overall, there continues
to be a noticeable level of
improved business confidence,
along with consumer confidence.
This is fuelling increased activity
within the agency across existing
clients and new clients coming on
board. The outlook is good for
2015.
SOCIAL MEDIA Clients have a
good understanding of the role PR
and digital play and, more
importantly, the different
contributions each can make to
business growth. Most of our
clients are now active across key
platforms – they have to be in
order to maintain
competitiveness. It’s not a case of
using social media tools for the
sake of using them; it’s about
using the right tool for the brand
and measuring the return and
effectiveness constantly.
Facebook, Twitter and
Instagram are the most frequently
used tools. Instagram is assuming
more importance as its visual
nature is crucial for a number of
our clients. It’s the fastest
growing social network in Ireland
and second only to Facebook
when it comes to user
engagement.
WHY PR? When we begin
working with a new a client, we
take a step back to move forward,
thereby ensuring we are all on the
same page. We need to fully
understand the client’s business
and we also need to know what
they want from us. We then
explain in detail the role we will
play, underscoring the rigour and
detail that will need to be applied.
USP We serve a broad range of
clients across food and drink,
fashion, beauty, and lifestyle and
entertainment. Our expertise lies
in our ability to leverage our
relationships and generate
awareness through media and
brand strategy across all
platforms.
continued on page 62
BUSINESS PLUS
M AY 2 0 1 5 61
BP SURVEY
P U B L I C R E L AT I O N S
‘Brands are focusing
on content quality
over quantity’
MICK O’KEEFFE
PSG Communications
CEO Mick O’Keeffe works primarily
across the corporate and sponsorship
agencies within the company.
ACTIVITY Activity has increased across all
our agencies. Our corporate team, PSG Plus,
has grown significantly, as has our consumer
agency, Notorious PSG. We have seen increased
demand for our specialist sponsorship strategy
and activation services, and for our social
media and digital marketing offering through
New/Slang. Instead of a race to the bottom on
fees, clients are increasingly focused on value
for money. That translates into a willingness to
pay a little more for innovative campaigns that
deliver better results.
SOCIAL MEDIA With the rise of native video,
we’re seeing brands shift their focus away from
YouTube, with a priority being placed on
Facebook and Twitter. Clients are now understanding that ad-spend budgets need to factor
in social for content to be seen by fans. We are
seeing a movement to a fewer, bigger, better
approach, where brands are focusing on content
quality over quantity. This is upping everyone’s
game to create top-notch reactive and topical
content. We’ve also seen a lot of clients look
towards Instagram, LinkedIn and Snapchat to try
and reach the varying demographics.
PR PEOPLE Successful PR practitioners
require an absolute focus on results and
professional development. An ability to work
hard, communicate effectively and balance the
needs of multiple stakeholders at once is
‘Clients are hungry for creativity
and innovation’
NIAMH BOYLE
The Reputations Agency
Managing Director Niamh Boyle has
over 20 years’ experience in strategic
marketing and reputation building
and acts as a strategic marketing and
public relations adviser to heads of
both government bodies and private
firms.
ACTIVITY On the corporate side, the main
change is that planning horizons have
lengthened, with more clients moving to
retainers rather than a series of standalone,
short-term projects. With a tightening labour
market, clients are finding it more difficult to
attract and retain talent, and are investing
more in communications initiatives targeted
at the workplace.
In the consumer arena, clients generally
work on a more intensive project basis, in
line with seasonal activation of brand
campaigns. Creating all types of content has
increased steadily over the last number of
years. We’ve still got to be top-class writers
but we’ve now got to be able to do it in 140
62 B U S I N E S S P L U S
M AY 2 0 1 5
essential. In PSG, you must also live our values
of ‘insight, integrity and innovation’.
STATE TENDERS There can be an overreliance on price and not value. The tenders
can also be quite onerous to complete and not
designed for PR firms.
USP Our USP is flexibility, the combination of
our results-driven culture and our strategy of
specialisation. We can offer specialist expertise
in specific areas along with a group-wide
solution for clients who require several
services under one roof.
characters or less. Clients are hungry for
creativity and innovation. They want an
agency partner who will challenge them and
excite them and really deliver. A great idea is
nothing unless executed brilliantly.
SOCIAL MEDIA Youth brands are trying to
keep pace with new channels with varying
degrees of success and it’s very simply about
finding the right medium for your message.
Snapchat has to be taken seriously, with over
500,000 Irish users. It took some time for
brands to see the opportunities on Snapchat,
where they can add a bit of humour or
irreverence without affecting other brand
activity.
Twitter is where we see the most relevance
for corporate and reputation clients, along
with consumer. It’s the one channel where
brand success without spend can be delivered
in one killer tweet. It’s also where the most
damage limitation is required. Managing our
brands’ reputations and crafting the right
responses to complex situations in super
quick time is what we do best.
USP No other agency truly provides a
completely integrated solution encompassing
corporate, consumer and brand, combined
with the number one provider of reputation
management services.
continued on page 64
BP SURVEY
‘Our USP is design’
EMMA KELLY
Elevate PR
Elevate PR,
founded by
Emma Kelly in
2001, is a
leading
consumer and
lifestyle PR and
social media agency.
ACTIVITY We have seen growth in
design, retail, hospitality and consumer
tech. Social media continues to grow and
we are community managers for many
clients. Overall, business has been good
and our new business pipeline is strong.
SOCIAL MEDIA Facebook, Instagram,
YouTube and Twitter are the main ones.
Some brands are working with Snapchat
and Pinterest but we are not seeing much
demand there yet. LinkedIn is important for
our B2B clients, while YouTube is now the
second biggest search engine.
STATE TENDERS The tendering process
can be very cumbersome so the best thing
to do is to only go for the ones that are the
right fit.
PR PEOPLE People working in the sector
need to be organised, interested in the
media (traditional and new), solutionsfocused, humble, engaged, committed and
nimble.
USP Our USP is design. We have a key
understanding of how to best represent it
to media and consumers, and explain its
importance within the whole lifestyle
space.
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P U B L I C R E L AT I O N S
‘PR is about the telling
while advertising is about the selling’
MARI O’LEARY
O’Leary PR & Marketing
Mari O’Leary established O’Leary PR
21 years ago. She and her team have
extensive experience in the corporate
and consumer sectors, working with
companies ranging from innovative
startups to multinational companies.
ACTIVITY We have seen a significant
increase in the level of videography and
consumer engagement promotional activities.
Significantly more Irish companies are now
engaging in PR to promote their businesses,
products and services, and I believe that this
is set to continue. Companies are now
recognising how effective PR is as a
communication platform to reach their target
audiences cost-effectively.
SOCIAL MEDIA Facebook remains the
most popular platform for businesses or
brands to showcase their products and
services, and to engage and interact with
their customers. Instagram is fast growing in
popularity and is proving very effective for
lifestyle, fashion and beauty brands to visually
promote their services and ranges. Snapchat
is also becoming popular, particularly as a
channel to reach the younger audiences.
Twitter is the platform that is least favoured
by our clients due to the high level of
resourcing it requires.
WHY PR? PR is about the telling, while
advertising is about the selling. PR operates
below the line, working harder with lower
budgets to communicate the more detailed
story. While coverage is not always
guaranteed, the exposure that is generated
far outweighs the cost.
PR is a vital part of the marketing mix and
ideally should be implemented ahead of
advertising, as it creates a receptive market
through informing.
USP O’Leary PR always works in
partnership with the client and is positioned
as an extension of the company or its
marketing department. As a medium-sized
independent company, we are flexible and
always create a bespoke communications plan
tailored to each client’s specific requirements
to achieve their PR goals.
BP SURVEY
RHONA BLAKE
FleishmanHillard
P U B L I C R E L AT I O N S
‘Your talent plan is your growth plan’
Managing Director Rhona Blake is in
charge of 40 PR professionals with
expertise and experience across a wide
range of business sectors. The company is
celebrating 25 years in Ireland this year.
ACTIVITY We have enjoyed growth across
all sectors of our business over the past
year and will deliver double digit revenue
and profit increases in 2015. Corporate
communications and brand marketing
continue to be cornerstones of our business.
Our FH Boutique offering makes our
services available to SMEs on a project-byproject basis.
SOCIAL MEDIA Our main growth drivers are
healthcare, issues management and digital.
FleishmanHillard globally is firmly focused
on content marketing and our expansion into
this area has led to new digital director and
creative director roles in the agency. Digital is
embedded into everything we do. Creativity is
key — it’s all about the big idea.
PR PEOPLE We are building for continued
growth and I’ve always believed that ‘your
talent plan is your growth plan’. Because over
30% of our business is international, we will
continue to attract, develop and retain top
talent. Training and learning is one of the
benefits of belonging to an international
network. This ongoing training involves areas
such as negotiation skills and crisis
communications.
USP Our proprietary tools and systems are
very important. For example, when we are
devising campaigns, it’s not just a case of
sitting down and everyone throws in their best
ideas. We have a system of how you structure
the brainstorm, where you are and where you
what engages you?
As one of the world’s leading PR firms, we are in the business
of “engaging, always.”
So the people who work here are a highly engaged group.
There are photographers, bass guitar players, PhDs, lawyers,
stand-up comics, synchronised swimmers (yes, we have one).
And every day they bring their unique perspective and skills to
engaging people with the brands and issues that matter to them.
To learn more, go to webershandwick.ie
want to get to, and how you are going to get
people to feel, think and understand whatever
you are trying to communicate.
We have an exclusive partnership with
MCCP, the planning and research agency. This
gives us monthly consumer insights that we
draw on and it has certainly driven our results
in terms of successful campaigns. If it’s all
evidence-based because of analytics and
research on your target market, you are going
to get a much better result.
continued on page 66
BP SURVEY
NIGEL HENEGHAN
Heneghan PR
Managing Director Nigel Heneghan
has been with the agency since 1990
and is recognised within the industry
and in media and business circles as
one of the country’s foremost corporate
communications advisers.
ACTIVITY There has been an increase in
activity across all areas. Clients seem more
optimistic and confidence levels are growing,
with more companies engaging in PR. In
general, business confidence has also
improved.
SOCIAL MEDIA We ensure that our clients’
messages are communicated across all areas
of the media, both online and offline. There is
a strong focus on LinkedIn for corporate and
B2B clients, while Facebook remains strong
CONOR HORGAN
Horgan PR & Marketing
Conor Horgan founded the agency in
2013. He previously was a director at
Cullen Communications, heading up
accounts, such as Ford, Continental,
Thomas Cook and FedEx. He also
mentors startup companies at the
agency’s base in the Guinness
Enterprise Centre.
ACTIVITY Business is more buoyant and
B2B clients in particular are anxious to
capitalise on a positive sentiment among
businesses, which appears to be stronger
than that among consumers. That said, we
have also benefited from the bounce-back in
automotive retailing.
SOCIAL MEDIA Most clients embrace
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P U B L I C R E L AT I O N S
‘More companies are
engaging in PR
with consumer clients. Twitter is where the
main degree of activity is at this time.
PR PEOPLE The ability to communicate and
understand clients’ needs is very important.
The top qualities to become a successful PR
practitioner include versatility,
persuasiveness, creative flair, relationship
management, organisational skills and, of
course, interpersonal skills.
STATE TENDERS There is still a lot of work
to do to achieve a transparent, balanced and
efficient system in public sector procurement
for public relations.
USP Our offering is based on strategic
consultancy, creativity, quality of service and
achieving consistently excellent results.
‘A creative bent is fundamental
to how we add value’
Facebook in some manner and are becoming
more willing to pay to reach an audience.
Many clients also aspire to embrace Twitter
but (rightly) balk at the investment in time
and money involved.
PR PEOPLE The technologies and
channels continue to change but the core
skills needed to exploit them don’t. A
creative bent, underpinned by robust
strategic acumen, and married to an ability
to write, has long been fundamental to how
we add value, and it will remain so.
In today’s multi-platform environment,
adapting content and tone of voice to suit a
particular channel is becoming more
important. Data-driven communications is
here to stay. That means having analytical
and numerical skills that many PR people
might have run from in the past.
USP We provide a single-partner solution
across the entire communications spectrum.
Mid-sized clients in particular appreciate
this.
BP SURVEY
P U B L I C R E L AT I O N S
‘Effective PR is about
delivering change’
Don’t just share your story.
Shout it.
PR & MARKETING
DONAL CRONIN
Carr Communications
Director and shareholder
Donal Cronin has been with
the agency for over 25 years.
He provides strategic counsel
and public relations advice
to individuals and
organisations in the public
and private sectors. In
addition, he designs and
delivers a number of Carr
Communications’ training
programmes.
ACTIVITY We saw increases in
all PR activities in 2014 as the
business once again exceeded our
targets. In particular, the private
sector marketplace continues to
grow, as firms begin to reinvest in
their businesses. We are
optimistic for 2015 and believe
that social media and its role in
stakeholder engagement will
continue to grow.
PR PEOPLE We recruit for
attitude and we train for skills. We
want people who are passionate
about the sorts of issues our
clients address and are dedicated
to helping them achieve their
communications goals. From a
skills perspective, you need to be
able to listen, question, and probe
to ensure you understand
precisely what your client is
trying to achieve. You then need
to be able to draft a creative plan
– and you need to follow through.
The excellent PR practitioners are
relentless in their follow-through.
STATE TENDERS Effective
tender processes are needed to
ensure fairness and consistency in
the awarding of public contracts.
We would encourage the use of a
two-stage process whenever
possible. This would involve an
initial screening of capability and
track record using a
questionnaire, followed up by a
more detailed in-depth stage with
shortlisted candidates. That way,
if the agency is picked for round
two, they know that investing
serious amounts of time into the
more detailed part of the process
is a potentially worthwhile
investment.
USP Our USP is our
commitment to bringing about
change. We understand that
effective public relations is about
delivering change – changing
perceptions, changing attitudes,
and ultimately, changing people’s
behaviour. It is one thing to know
this – quite another to be able to
deliver on it. Another USP is our
expertise in delivering highly
impactful behavioural training
programmes. Our clients regularly
tell us that our training
programmes have a dramatic
impact on the performance of
their people and their teams.
continued on page 68
Phone: +353 1 5383633 Email: [email protected]
Guinness Enterprise Centre, Dublin 8. www.horganpr.ie
GOLD WINNER
An Post Smart Marketing
Awards 2014
BUSINESS PLUS
M AY 2 0 1 5 67
BP SURVEY
P U B L I C R E L AT I O N S
‘Our recent focus has
been on experiential
marketing’
LYNN HUNTER
Hunter Communications
Managing Director Lynn Hunter has
a background in marketing and
entered PR in 2004 before
establishing her own agency in 2009.
The agency’s focus is on modern,
inventive PR, and guerrilla and
digital marketing.
ACTIVITY In the last year, our agency has
focused on experiential marketing to support
brand launches and campaign activations. A
key example of this style of activity is Tayto’s
extremely successful Tayto pop-up shop. We
developed the creative and design treatment
right through to activating the online and
offline PR campaign. Brand budgets are
growing again and they are open to new
avenues, stepping away from traditional solid
PR campaigns.
AIDEEN MCGRATH
H+A Marketing + PR
Director Aideen McGrath has over 15
years’ experience in consumer and
corporate PR. She has worked with
some of the world’s biggest brands,
including Coca-Cola, Nokia and eBay.
ACTIVITY Business is brisk, which is a
welcome change of tempo from recent years.
As a result, we recently opened a Dublin
office to support our existing teams located
in Cork, Limerick and Galway.
SOCIAL MEDIA For us it’s less about
platforms and more about the idea and the
content. Anyone can set up a Twitter feed or
Facebook page, but it’s the talent, passion
and creativity to come up with a brilliant idea
68 B U S I N E S S P L U S
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SOCIAL MEDIA We help develop an overall
social media strategy for clients. All
platforms feature heavily in our campaigns,
with some clients being more suited to
certain platforms more than others. We have
seen substantial growth in the use of
Snapchat and Instagram.
USP We are a full-service communications
agency that specialises in unforgettable
communications campaigns. Over the past
five years, Hunter Communications has been
joining the dots between brands, media,
audiences and talent. We tell our clients’
stories through words, pictures, events and,
above all, experiences. Our ethos is to help
our clients to shine.
‘Marketing integration
holds real value
for clients’
that can work seamlessly across channels to
engage the target audience which is the holy
grail we offer.
STATE TENDERS With public sector
tenders, at times it seems more like a ‘tick
the box’ exercise than a genuine search for
new blood and new ideas. We’d welcome
more transparency around the evaluation
process.
USP We’re a full-service, integrated
marketing agency so we can do it all under
the one roof. For some clients we just handle
PR, for many others they love that we can
cover PR, social media, advertising and
digital marketing for them too. One team, one
brief, one account director overseeing
everything – this integration holds real value
for many of our clients.
BP SURVEY
P U B L I C R E L AT I O N S
DAN PENDER
‘We’re straight. We tell
clients what they need
to hear’
PR360
Founder Dan Pender began working in
PR over 15 years ago. He went on to
work in politics and with the Irish Tax
Institute, before establishing PR360 in
2011.
ACTIVITY I started out some 15 years in a
firm that achieved real success. The founders
were prepared to back me and our
entrepreneurial spirits synced. From there, I
went to politics, working on the 2002 General
Election, and then as a government adviser
for four years. I was 26-years-old at the time,
and it gave me invaluable insights into how
government and media works, the people who
matter, and how that intersection of business
and government connects were extensive.
After working as Director of
Communications at the Irish Tax Institute, the
time was then right to take the plunge myself.
Thankfully, it worked and this year will be our
best yet. Corporate and public affairs are
really strong. Our new consumer division has
brought an added dimension to our overall
offering and we’re also working
internationally, which is really interesting.
There is a direct correlation between
developing a talented team and growing the
business. That virtuous circle of attracting the
best talent, attracting the best clients, and
delivering results gives me the most
satisfaction.
SOCIAL MEDIA On the consumer side,
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Corporate
can leverage these platforms too, but also
LinkedIn, which can be really effective in
growing your influence.
WHY PR? PR is at the apex of success or
failure. Those organisations that embrace
strategic PR invariably achieve better, quicker,
more effective results. The services that
PR360 offer are helping our clients to
resonate meaningfully with those that matter
to the bottom line.
USP We’re straight. We tell clients what
they need to hear. For us, it’s personal too.
We’re restless until our clients achieve their
objectives, and I love that. It’s not always best
for your peace of mind, but if you don’t have
that restlessness, that desire to see the fruits
of your labour on the evening’s news, then you
are in the wrong business..
continued on page 70
‘Business has been
good but the
margins are tight’
SHARON PLUNKETT
Plunkett PR
Founder Sharon
Plunkett has been
a PR consultant
for over 25 years
and gained
experience in a
number of large
agencies before
establishing her
own consultancy in 2000.
ACTIVITY We are seeing a definite lift in
technology-related projects, with launches
and announcements being the core focus.
There’s also been an increase in our travel
PR accounts, as well as our corporate
strategy roles for client media relations.
Business has been good but the margins are
tight and are not rising with the apparent
lift in the economy.
STATE TENDERS There are limitations
and barriers to entry with regards to the
size of a company, turnover and relevant
experience with a similar organisation,
which can exclude the smaller agencies.
About one-third of government tenders are
frameworks and this is only likely to
increase, but being on a framework does
not guarantee any work at the end of it.
USP We are a boutique agency
specialising in media relations and strategic
PR campaigns for the corporate and
consumer arenas.
70 B U S I N E S S P L U S
M AY 2 0 1 5
‘Good PRs are better listeners than talkers’
SHARON BANNERTON
shot in the dark.
WHY PR? PR is about reputation and
profile, which are essential to differentiate
Managing Director Sharon Bannerton your brand or business from the thousands of
established the agency in 2010. With
competitors. PR generates editorial coverage
five staff and contracted specialist
that has the credibility and independent
services, Bannerton complements its PR endorsement value that makes the difference
services with event management and
when it comes to influencing potential
sponsorship planning and
customers.
implementation.
PR PEOPLE The ability to build and
ACTIVITY Investment in brand development maintain a network of contacts is important,
and brand awareness is booming. There is
and with media this is generally down to your
renewed demand for product launches and
level of professionalism and ability to ‘deliver
media events, including client hospitality.
the goods’, in terms of good news and feature
SOCIAL MEDIA Facebook is a given these
content. Most good PRs are outgoing and
days, Twitter can be useful for the immediate
tenacious, and are actually better listeners
‘call to action’ and the various photo sites are than talkers.
useful for visual brand messaging. It is the
USP You meet the Bannerton MD on day
background work around building the followers one when you come to talk PR, and you never
and getting the right connections and social
ever lose sight of her. I personally
media players involved that adds the
direct every client’s PR schedule and oversee
credibility and desirability to a brand. Without all media, events, and sponsorship
this, social media posts can simply become a
management.
Bannerton
BP SURVEY
P U B L I C R E L AT I O N S
‘Our skillset has evolved as
communication channels
have changed’
CAROLINE HEYWOOD
Walsh PR
Managing Director Caroline
Heywood has over 25 years
of communications
consulting experience across
all areas of PR. She has
worked with a broad
spectrum of clients in the
areas of strategic
counselling, media relations,
consumer marketing, issue
management, event and
sponsorship management.
ACTIVITY We have seen a
general uplift across most of the
sectors our clients are involved
in, most noticeably in food, health
and travel and tourism. However,
some areas of Irish business are
still struggling, notably ruralbased retail. Investment in
traditional media relations has
grown while content development
and social media management
continues on its upward
trajectory.
SOCIAL MEDIA Facebook and
Twitter remain the dominant
platforms with consumer-focused
business, although Instagram is
gaining some interest. From a
corporate perspective, LinkedIn is
key.
WHY PR? PR influences the
way an organisation’s audiences
and stakeholders respond to its
products or services, and how
they view its culture and ethos. In
its true sense, PR helps shape an
organisation’s relationships with
the public through planned
communication while preserving
the integrity of the organisation’s
reputation. Effective PR is
fundamental to good business, so
non-investment is not an option.
PR PEOPLE An effective PR
practitioner has an ‘always on’
attitude, an abundance of energy,
enthusiasm and interest, with a
skillset that includes adaptable
and effective writing. An
understanding of business and
attention to detail are also
important. A calm disposition also
helps.
STATE TENDERS Government
and state agency tenders are
typically written for purchasing
goods, not professional services,
and appear to have an overemphasis on cost as opposed to
value for money. Very few tenders
seem to have any understanding
of the PR business, and much of
the material required is irrelevant
for an SME.
USP We build long-term
personal relationships with and
for our clients, and our skillset
has evolved as communication
channels have changed. The team
today is a good mix of creative
and experienced professionals
with an attitude that drives
innovative communications and
delivers results.
continued on page 72
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Tel: 01 280 7873 www.plunkettpr.com
BUSINESS PLUS
M AY 2 0 1 5 71
BP SURVEY
PAT WALSH
‘The outlook is the best we’ve seen in years’
Murray
Managing Director Pat Walsh offers
strategic client service support across
corporate and investor relations, as well
as issues management and corporate
restructuring.
ACTIVITY There has been a step change in
business volumes since the latter part of
2014. New business enquiries remain very
strong and the outlook is the best we’ve seen
in some years. The standout change is that
property is back with a bang — we’ve seen
loan and asset deals, REITS, IPOs, refinancing
and developer activity. For plc clients, there’s
been much more deal flow and M&A, much of
this overseas.
Consumer and brand is also on the up,
although retail remains challenged. We’ve
also seen an explosion in content marketing.
It’s an obvious growth area for PR as media
channels seek to extend their reach and
clients invest in versatile digital content.
PR PEOPLE Trustworthiness, curiosity,
conviction, professional pride and a healthy
dose of scepticism are required
characteristics for PR people, as is the ability
to see others’ viewpoints.
STATE TENDERS Generally, government
and state-agency tendering is very fair and
open. The most unfair aspect involves
tenders that have no prequalification
element and require multiple agencies to
invest in detailed proposals that oftentimes
can cost more to develop than the available
budget. I consider these not just unfair, but a
thoughtless and costly waste of money.
LOBBYING Lobbying is an essential part of
JONATHAN NEILAN
FTI Consulting
ACTIVITY We work with a number of
recently listed public companies (6 IPOs in
the past 18 months). From a PR perspective,
a key objective has been to build media
relationships to ensure a better
understanding of their business model and
establish expectations of future
performance. Our objective is not to drive
media coverage for the sake of it. From a
client standpoint, media coverage should
have a commercial purpose — to protect or
enhance value. Otherwise it’s just vanity.
We don’t engage in vanity coverage; it’s just
not our focus.
Corporate governance is an active and
rapidly growing part of our business. We
advise public companies how to navigate
an increasingly complex regulatory
72 B U S I N E S S P L U S
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the political process. It is one of the ways
the government gets to hear from business,
trade unions, NGOs and myriad stakeholders.
We welcome legislation that should ensure
greater transparency in relation to
interaction with the government, and should
restore public confidence in the idea that
lobbying is a legitimate and meaningful
activity. Of course, there will be some red
tape in terms of requirement to register and
so on. But we understand this will not be too
onerous, and it seems a small price to pay
for the restoration of public confidence in the
democratic process.
USP I think we’re seen as a go-to agency
for corporate communications, particularly
issues management and big-ticket items,
where the client can’t afford to get it wrong.
‘Social media can provide the illusion
of being in control’
framework, and to ensure that their corporate
governance practice is understood and
communicated to stakeholders.
SOCIAL MEDIA For public companies,
communication using social media is relatively
nascent in Ireland. Twitter and LinkedIn are the
relevant social media platforms for corporates,
but it’s important to consider that while social
media is a powerful tool for product promotion
or generating issue awareness, it presents
great risks for corporate communication and
crisis management. Social media can provide
the illusion of being in control when the reality
is different.
WHY PR? Our role was once described
by a client as ‘the net present value of
future problems’. Investing in a relationship
with FTI is about having an adviser who
knows and understands the business, and is
there to guide on how to deliver the
message (and what that message should be)
in good times and bad. Calling in an adviser
in a crisis and expecting miracles is
generally not good practice.
USP Our business has always been
focused on protecting and enhancing value
through effective communication with
capital markets; measured, commercially
oriented media engagement; and advising on
the market practice of corporate
governance. We are the only adviser in this
market who covers all of these disciplines
and our experience is what makes us unique
in this market.
BP SURVEY
MARK HOPKINS
Hopkins Communications
Mark Hopkins runs this Cork agency,
which is celebrating its 25th year in
the communications business. With a
17-strong team, he oversees integrated
communications programmes for
clients in several disciplines,
including consumer, healthcare,
tourism, and sports.
ACTIVITY Last year saw strong growth
and a distinct upsurge in client numbers,
although budgets per client remain pretty
static. Business confidence is returning,
along with consumer confidence, and we
feel this augurs well for the PR and
advertising division. We have seen an
increase in public relations activities in
Munster in local government agencies,
the IT sector, healthcare, tourism projects
and retail.
SOCIAL MEDIA Facebook and Twitter are
undoubtedly the favoured platforms for most
clients, with LinkedIn the choice for
corporate and B2B clients.
WHY PR? Interesting, consistent and
timely communication will build relationships
with your target audience and drive business
to your door. People still want to read
content, whether through traditional or new
media, and good PR facilitates that. It’s
important to take a holistic approach to PR,
advertising and marketing. Delivering
consistency of message is key across all
communications disciplines.
STATE TENDERS The government’s
tendering process is reasonable, but
P U B L I C R E L AT I O N S
‘Delivering consistency of message is the key
across all communications disciplines’
people’s assessment and markings can
often be off tangent. However, you have to
keep trying.
USP We are results-driven and, to our own
detriment, often over-service accounts. You
can expect the same team to handle your
integrated campaigns as was in place years
ago — we have a proud record of experience
and staff retention.
continued on page 74
BP SURVEY
DAWN O’SHEA
P U B L I C R E L AT I O N S
‘In media relations, one
size does not fit all’
Lotus PR
Dawn O’Shea is a partner at Lotus PR and
has more than 15 years’ experience in
journalism, with a special interest in
health and science issues. She has provided
clinical writing and media relations
services to a host of pharmaceutical
companies, as well as consultancy services
to the RCSI and Irish College of General
Practitioners.
ACTIVITY The last six months have been
extremely busy as our key market is healthcare,
where there are a lot of changes happening. We
have also noticed a significant re-focus on
media relations over other PR platforms.
SOCIAL MEDIA Twitter would be our
clients’ first priority. Facebook and LinkedIn are
less of a concern, and in some cases of no
benefit at all.
ROSEMARY SIMMONS
Prior Communications
Rosemary Simmons heads up the team
at Prior Communications, having
worked in the industry since the mid
’80s. She was a founder of Direction
Marketing, a successful business that was
subsequently acquired by DDFH&B.
ACTIVITY We have continued to build our
business across a nice balance of consumer
and corporate PR, and the business is
growing at a rapid rate. The outlook is very
positive, with more and more clients wishing
to engage in proactive dialogue.
SOCIAL MEDIA Preferences depend very
much on the client, the brand and the
74 B U S I N E S S P L U S
M AY 2 0 1 5
WHY PR? While marketing and advertising
have their benefits, if done correctly, PR gives
an organisation’s message credibility because
it is delivered through an independent,
unbiased source. That is an endorsement that
no marketing budget can buy.
USP Our key USP is media relations. We
have extensive knowledge of how the media
works, and how to identify and structure
content that meets the needs of different
media outlets. In media relations, one size
definitely does not fit all. Too many press
releases end up in a journalist’s junk folder.
When a journalist receives a press release
from Lotus PR, they know it is something they
need to read.
My business partner and I take a hands-on
approach with every one of our clients. We
essentially offer a 24/7 service 365 days of
the year. We both have real passion for what
we do – it is never just another job.
‘PR brings credible life to your brand’
audience they are seeking to engage with.
We would only recommend that clients use
‘relevancy’ in their approach.
STATE TENDERS We have not had a
huge reliance on government or state
agency tenders as the bulk of our business
is based on long-term commitments. We are
more likely to be approached than go
hunting for business.
WHY PR? PR brings credible life to your
brand or organisation, and through creating
powerful story-based concepts we can give
clients a dynamic return on their investment.
USP Belief. Bravery. Brilliance.
BP SURVEY
ELLEN RYAN
P U B L I C R E L AT I O N S
‘We only promote brands that we really believe in’
Yellow Machine
Managing Director Ellen Ryan’s
background is in consumer, corporate and
technology PR, with a focus on brands that
market to 25 to 35-year-olds. She has
worked with a variety of businesses,
including some of the biggest
multinational brands and innovative
Irish startups.
ACTIVITY Yellow Machine has enjoyed
strong growth over the past year. We have
won innovative international and indigenous
brands that we feel passionately about while
growing more exciting business with existing
clients. We believe we’re on track for more of
the same in 2015.
SOCIAL MEDIA When it comes to ‘owned’
social media platforms, Facebook is still the
priority for our clients to connect directly
with their audience. However, for third-party
endorsement through social media, Twitter
and Instagram are where it’s at. We focus as
much on securing positive promotion from
influencers through social media as we do on
generating media coverage.
We encourage collaborative storytelling
between a client’s brand and target audience.
This is achieved when a brand incorporates
interesting content, such as hashtags, call-toaction videos and compelling imagery into
their campaign, encouraging audiences to
share the story and bring it to life with their
own insights. We see this collaboration
between brands and their audience as the
future of storytelling in PR.
USP Nobody in our company is over the age
of 30. We don’t just talk about understanding
youth marketing — we are the youth market.
Our social lives and work lives are one and the
same. We put our money where our mouth is.
Any client we represent has to fit with the
Yellow Machine ethos. We only promote select
brands that we really believe in, giving them
more attention and dedication as a result. Our
brands are not simply another client on the
books for us. They are our passion.
Survey continued on page 76
BUSINESS PLUS
M AY 2 0 1 5 75
BP SURVEY
CATHY RIORDAN
PR Wise
P U B L I C R E L AT I O N S
‘We are working with more overseas PR
and marketing teams’
Cathy Riordan set up PR Wise in 2009.
A UCD master’s alumnus, she worked with
two premier Dublin agencies before
establishing her own consultancy.
Her experience spans working with
multinational and indigenous clients.
ACTIVITY There has been increased
social media teams.
PR PEOPLE The qualities that make PR
professionals effective include diverse
interests and knowledge; being personable
and a team player; smart and quick thinking
but also reflective; confidence and the ability
to listen; being focused on relationship
building, and taking the time to make the right
pitch.
USP We are a relatively small team of six,
with a strong skills mix delivering PR to big
brands. We are focused on providing a high
level service to a workable number of clients. I
believe that what makes us unique is how we
operate together as an agency team, working
as an extension of in-house communications.
engagement on strategic PR consultancy and
overall communications advice at a high level.
We are working more and more with UK and
Europe-based PR and marketing teams, with
the agency responsible for PR in Ireland.
Business is good and we are looking forward
to more opportunities in 2015.
SOCIAL MEDIA The main platforms are
Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Our input is
campaign-focused, working with in-house
JENNY CULLEN
Revolve Marketing and PR
Jenny Cullen has spent over ten years in
the PR business, collaborating with and
growing international and Irish brands.
ACTIVITY The main area of PR activity
that has grown is access to the media,
through social media activations generating
new themes and being more innovative on all
creative areas. This has resulted in faster
turnaround times, more compliance,
expertise and performance being demanded.
A lot more brands are allocating budget to
both marketing and PR spend.
SOCIAL MEDIA As the trending platforms
are constantly moving and changing, it’s our
job to deliver the best results no matter
where. We are very active on all social media
platforms and try to maintain this presence
76 B U S I N E S S P L U S
M AY 2 0 1 5
‘More brands are
allocating budget to
PR spend’
for our clients, so that they know we are
aware of these changing areas. Twitter,
Facebook and Instagram are the social media
sites that our clients are most interested in.
PR PEOPLE You need to love what you do
and do it brilliantly when working in PR.
Good communication and listening skills are
required, as is patience. PR people should be
approachable, outgoing and personable,
always showing kindness and understanding.
USP We are flexible, collaborative and
creative, and we deliver results. We are also
passionate about what we do. We are
hardworking and creative, as well as
confident, positive and reliable.
OWEN CULLEN
Cullen Communications
Managing Director Owen Cullen has
been with the family-owned agency for
eight years, and was appointed MD in
2013. He holds a Master’s (Hons) in
Strategic Management and Planning
from UCD Smurfit School of Business.
ACTIVITY This year Cullen Communications
celebrates 30 years in business and the
outlook is as good as it’s been in quite some
time. Conversations are taking place that
would have been virtually unthinkable as
recently as three or four years ago — new
projects, bigger budgets, green lights.
SOCIAL MEDIA For our consumer clients,
Twitter and Facebook are still the main
platforms. For corporate clients, LinkedIn is a
good way to network and build contacts. I
think every agency has to mix and match to
suit their clients’ needs. Whatever the
platform, engaging content is the key to
success, and that’s what PR can do better
than anyone.
PR PEOPLE Excellent writing and
communication skills are crucial for a career
in PR. Finding the right words to tell a story is
a huge part of this job, but the ability to spot
‘We call our approach PR plus’
a story in the first place is also very
important. A good knowledge of social media
is a must, as is the ability to think
strategically about how a PR idea or
campaign can align with a brand’s
communications and business objectives.
STATE TENDERS We invest huge time and
resources in this area, so a little more
transparency around the process, in
particular the evaluation/feedback stage,
would help to reduce some of the cynicism
that exists in relation to government tenders.
I also think the government could get more
out of the tendering process than is currently
the case.
USP Our main USP is an ability to deliver
value for money through a singular approach
to client service. We call our approach ‘PR
plus’ – we are more than just a PR agency. We
try and integrate with our clients and become
part of their team, an extension of the
business if you like.
Guided by a great mix of PR skills and
expertise, we take pride in providing a tailored
service at senior level to all our clients.
Trusted, Creative, Experienced, Proactive.
B2B, Tech, Consumer PR.
Strong on Issues Management.
PR Wise, 20 Harcourt Street, Dublin 2
Contact: Cathy Riordan, Managing Director
Mob: + 353 87 418 2422 Tel: + 353 1 400 7528
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @prwiseireland Web: www.prwise.ie
www.facebook.com/PRWiseIreland
BUSINESS PLUS
M AY 2 0 1 5 77
B P S UR V EY
PUBLIC REL AT IONS
Who’s Who In
Public Relations
LISTING DATA
The listing is alphabetical.
Listing detail is sourced from
advertisers in this Survey and
their websites.
has a strong capability in the area
of digital and social media. Says
the firm: “We have a standout
reputation for handling media
crises and preparing clients for
media. We love what we do and
are passionate about always
delivering for our clients.”
AM O’SULLIVAN PR
086 818 8163
Contact: Ann-Marie O’Sullivan
Twitter: @amosullivanpr
AM O’Sullivan PR specialises in
strategic communications, with a
particular expertise in crisis and
issue management. The senior
members of the consultancy are
Ann-Marie O’Sullivan, Tina Quinn
and Robin O’Sullivan. Core focus
sectors are pharmaceuticals,
healthcare, medical devices,
energy/utilities, BPO and
education. Clients include the
national oil refinery, the Kinsale
gas fields, Voxpro and five of the
top ten pharmaceutical companies
in the world.
CULLEN
COMMUNICATIONS
(01) 668 9099
Contact: Owen Cullen
Twitter: @CullenComms
Celebrating 30 years in business,
the agency offers the full range of
PR services and is Ireland’s sole
member of Public Relations Global
Network (PRGN), the invitationonly alliance of the world’s leading
independent PR agencies. “Three of
our largest clients have been with
us for more than twenty years,”
notes MD Owen Cullen.
DRURY PORTER NOVELLI
(01) 531 1000
Contact: Sharon Bannerton
Twitter: @Bannerton_PR
The firm says it prides itself on
original, results-focused
communication. “Bannerton
manages cost-effective consumer,
financial, technology and
corporate campaigns, tailored
precisely to the client’s market
and communications brief,” says
founder Sharon Bannerton.
(01) 260 5000
Contact: Anne-Marie Curran
Twitter: @DruryPN
Drury is 25 years old this year and
is one of Ireland’s largest fullservice PR agencies. In 2014, the
consultancy partnered with Porter
Novelli to form Drury Porter
Novelli. With 90 offices in 60
locations across the globe, Porter
Novelli says it offers clients worldclass innovation and thinking in
all of its services in brand,
corporate, public affairs and
healthcare communications.
CARR COMMUNICATIONS
ELEVATE PR
(01) 772 8900
Contact: Donal Cronin
Twitter: @CarrCommsLtd
The agency’s expertise spans
strategic communications, public
affairs and public awareness
campaigns. Carr Communications
(01) 662 5652
Contact: Emma Kelly
Twitter: @ElevatePR
Elevate is a medium-sized agency
with a client portfolio of leading
brands, organisations and owner
entrepreneurs. Services span
BANNERTON
78 BUSINESS PLUS
MAY 2 0 1 5
corporate and consumer press
office, sponsorship and stakeholder
communications, to online
campaigns, social media, event
management and guerrilla activity.
FLEISHMANHILLARD
(01) 618 8444
Contact: Rhona Blake
Twitter: @Fleishman
FleishmanHillard is part of a
global network and provides a
range of professional services in
the areas of brand marketing,
social and digital communications,
corporate communications, public
affairs, technology and healthcare.
The agency has a number of
dedicated specialty areas,
including FH Issues Management,
FH Sport, FH Technology, FH
Content Works and the FH
Boutique. Clients include Ulster
Bank, Boots, Expedia, Grant
Thornton, William Fry, Sage, Aviva,
Skoda, Novartis, Newstalk, Centra
and St. Patrick’s Festival.
FTI CONSULTING
(01) 663 3686
Contacts: Mark Kenny,
Jonathan Neilan
Twitter: @FTI_SC
FTI Consulting is a global business
advisory firm dedicated to helping
organisations protect and enhance
enterprise value, and has 3,800
employees in 24 countries. The
firm advises companies in Ireland
and internationally on capital
market and financial
communications, and the market
practice of corporate governance.
H+A MARKETING + PR
(021) 466 6200 / (091) 387 800
Twitter: @HAmarketingPR
H+A Marketing + PR specialises in
full-service marketing solutions,
delivering campaigns across
advertising, social media, brand
and corporate PR, internal
communications, graphic design
and digital marketing, for a
diverse mix of local and national
brands. “Our vision is to become
the marketing agency that
everyone wants to work with, and
we’re well on our way, with a
fantastic team of 38 people
currently on our team,” says the
agency. H+A has strengthened its
public affairs offering through a
strategic alliance with Sherry
Communications, which is part of
global communications network
Grayling.
HENEGHAN PR
(01) 660 7395
Contact: Nigel Heneghan
Twitter: @HeneghanPR
Irish owned and managed, this
full-service agency provides
strategic communications counsel,
social media, corporate and
consumer public relations, public
affairs, crisis communications and
other services for national and
international organisations.
The agency signalled its growth
ambitions recently with the
appointment of John Mullins as
non-executive chairman and the
recruitment of Victoria Keogh,
Gareth O’Connor and Larry
Donald. Clients include Henkel,
Independent News & Media, Irish
Distillers Pernod Ricard, NTR plc,
Uber, Saongroup, St Michael’s
House and Fleetmatics.
HOPKINS
COMMUNICATIONS
(021) 427 2200
Contact: Judy Hopkins
Twitter: @judyhops
Established in 1990 by chairperson
Mary Hopkins, the firm says it
specialises in creating innovative
B P S UR V EY
and cost-effective PR campaigns,
providing customers with and
implementing premium value
media-buying plans, event
management, graphic design and
forward-thinking online marketing.
The company is based in Cork and
has increased its presence in the
midwest of Ireland, also joining
affiliates in New York, Boston and
London in 2015. New client wins
include Greenstar, the Mater
Private Cork and Harcourt
Developments, while existing
clients include Munster Rugby,
Right Price Tiles, Barry &
Fitzwilliam, Kilkenny Group, Tyndall
Institute and Musgrave Group.
HOPSCOTCH EUROPE
(01) 647 3501
Contact: Erin Mullally
Twitter: @hopscotcheurope
Hopscotch Europe is the
European hub of the Global Top
25 communication consultancy
Hopscotch Groupe. The agency
says its teams of multicultural
consultants design and
implement ‘faster, simpler and
smarter’ media, digital and social
PR campaigns across Europe. The
client portfolio includes global
consumer brands (Sofitel, ESPN,
Evian and Renault), industry
leaders (GE Energy, Alcan, Vinci,
Mondi and BRF), professional
service providers, and consumer
internet and technology lifestyle
players (SOL Republic, Yelp, Secret
and TakeEatEasy).
PUBLIC REL AT IONS
HORGAN PR &
MARKETING
(01) 538 3633
Contact: Conor Horgan
Founded by Conor Horgan in
2013, the agency provides a full
range of public relations and
marketing communications
services, both consumer and B2B.
The agency is based in the
Guinness Enterprise Centre,
where Horgan has assisted in
mentoring startup companies for
a number of years.
HUNTER
COMMUNICATIONS
(01) 905 6350
Contact:
[email protected]
Twitter: @hunterprdublin
The agency says its areas of
expertise include ‘public and
press relations, brand publicity,
talent management, bespoke
events, digital, clever
sponsorships and super-creative
campaigns’. Recent client wins
include Largo Foods and Aryzta.
KENNEDY PR + BRAND
(01) 476 2000
Contact: Caroline Kennedy
Twitter: @CKennedyPR
Kennedy PR + Brand was
established in 1993 by CEO
Caroline Kennedy and is a fullservice consumer communications
agency, spanning media relations,
reputation management, event
services, influencer engagement
and digital strategy.
In 2015, Moira Murphy joined as
Managing Director. She was
formerly in charge of marketing
and communications at Brown
Thomas Group and has launched
some of the biggest brands in the
Irish luxury retail space. Agency
clients include Brown Thomas,
Tiffany & Co., Waterford Crystal
and Herm’s.
LIMELIGHT
COMMUNICATIONS
(01) 668 0600
Contact: Kathryn Byrne
Twitter: @Lime_Light_Comm
Established in 1998, the agency
works with a broad base of clients,
including corporate, local
government, consumer, travel and
tourism, not-for-profit, as well as
providing specialist
communications strategies to the
film, culture and entertainment
sectors. Says the firm: “Limelight
offers more than PR, we offer
professional management advice.
We have established a reputation
for ‘living our clients’ businesses’.”
than 30 years of experience in
news media and public relations’.
Its specialty areas are health and
social development and clients
include the National Association
of General Practitioners, Age
Friendly Ireland and the mental
health organisation GROW.
MURRAY
(01) 498 0300
Contact: Pat Walsh
(Dublin)/Andrew Sharkey
(London)
Twitter: @MCsquaredIRL
Established in 1974, Murray
rebranded in 2014 from its former
name of Murray Consultants. The
agency’s core services include
media relations, corporate and
financial communications,
investor relations, crisis and
change management, public and
regulatory affairs, public
information programmes,
community relations and internal
communications. The agency’s
consumer and digital division
operates as MCsquared.
O’HEA PR
LOTUS PR
087 2911028
Contact: Andrew Mernagh
Twitter: @LotusPR_ie
Lotus PR is a full-service PR
agency, with special expertise in
media relations. The firm says its
PR solutions ‘are built on a
foundation of knowledge, skill
and passion, combined with more
(01) 6608 524/540
Contact: Roisin O’Hea
Twitter: @oheapr
O’Hea PR is a consumer and
lifestyle PR specialist, working
with clients across the motor,
travel and tourism, airline,
hospitality, technology, not-forprofit and sports sectors.
continued on page 80
BUSIN ESS PL US
MAY 2015 79
B P S UR V EY
PUBLIC REL AT IONS
O’LEARY PUBLIC
RELATIONS
(01) 678 9888
Contact: Mari O’Leary
Twitter: @OLPR
O’Leary PR specialises in the
consumer sector while also
managing the corporate
requirements of clients who
operate in the lifestyle, motor,
drinks, food, beauty, fashion and
entertainment arenas. Clients
include Electronic Arts, Opel, HMV
Xtravision, Sally Hansen, essence
cosmetics, Whiskey Live, Fitzers
Catering, V8 and Mattel.
PAUL ALLEN &
ASSOCIATES
(01) 676 9575
Contact: Paul Allen
The agency was established in
1992 and Managing Director Paul
Allen has 30 years of experience
in all aspects of public relations
and marketing communications.
The agency is renowned for its
public affairs expertise and
political connection in Ireland, the
UK and US.
PR360
(01) 637 1777
Contact: [email protected]
Twitter: @wearePR360
PR360 is a full-service
communications agency, providing
corporate and consumer public
relations, public affairs, social and
digital communications, crisis and
issues management, CSR and
sponsorship activation, and media
training. The firm services a bluechip client list of leading Irish and
international companies from a
variety of industries and sectors.
PSG COMMUNICATIONS
(01) 661 4055
Contact: Mick O’Keeffe
Twitter: @PSG_Plus
PSG Communications was
established in 2014, following the
merger of Pembroke
Communications and Slattery
Communications. The firm
comprises OSG Plus, for corporate
reputation, issues management
and B2B; PSG Sponsorship, for
sponsorship strategy and
activation; New\Slang for social
media, design and digital
services; and Notorious PSG for
creative brand communications.
In 2015, the agency established a
Guided by Experience,
Driven by Passion
Talk To Us
Andrew Mernagh Dawn O’Shea
Telephone: 087 291 1028
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.lotuspr.ie
@LotusPR_ie
Specialists in Media Relations
80 BUSINESS PLUS
MAY 2 0 1 5
The Revolve team of (from
left) Caitriona Brennan,
Jenny Cullen, Sarah Doyle
and Linda McEvitt
new public affairs offering
headed by Cathy Madden and
PSG Heath, led by Nalini Nathan.
PLUNKETT PR
(01) 280 7873
Contact: Sharon Plunkett
Twitter: @PRPlunkett
Plunkett Public Relations is a
corporate and consumer public
relations agency that specialises
in issue management, travel,
corporate and one-off projects.
PRIOR
COMMUNICATIONS
(01) 662 7111
Contact: Rosemary Simmons
This long-established agency
delivers PR services for
multinational and indigenous
clients across a blend of consumer
and corporate executions. Prior is
currently developing the roll-out of
the Eircode brand, while also
involved in ongoing activity for
brands that include Keelings and
Maxol. “We put great emphasis
on planning and execution,” says
the firm.
B P S UR V EY
PR WISE
(01) 400 7528
Contact: Cathy Riordan
Twitter: @prwiseireland
The agency is based in Dublin
and Cork, specialising in B2B,
tech and consumer PR. A fullservice communications agency,
PR Wise says it is proactive,
creative and results driven. “We
work as an extension of our client
PR and marketing teams. This
approach has proven very
successful, as evident in longterm client relationships and
media contacts,” says the firm,
which recently refreshed its
website. The company’s clients
include firms such as Nest,
Panasonic, Typetec, Motorola,
IrishJobs.ie, MS Ireland and
Hasbro.
THE REPUTATIONS
AGENCY
(01) 661 8915
Contacts: Niamh Boyle/Niall
Quinn/Suzie O’Dea/Trish
Morrissey/Sarah Brewer
Twitter: @RepAgencyIrl
Part of the DDFH&B Group, the
agency’s client offering includes
reputation audits and
management; corporate and
financial PR; consumer and brand
PR; social media strategy and
campaign activation; sponsorship
management and activation;
media training and issues and
crisis management. The agency
won Sponsorship Team of the
Year Award at the Irish
Sponsorship Awards 2014.
Clients include Failte Ireland,
eircom Wholesale, Kerry Foods,
Investec, Mazda, Bacardi, UCD
Smurfit School, Bord na Mona
and Powerscourt Hotel.
PUBLIC REL AT IONS
effective campaign development
and its relationships with the
media strongly positions its
clients in the Irish market. Current
and past clients include Cross
Pens, Weir and Sons, Tiger Stores,
Remington and The Body Shop.
OTHER PR AGENCIES WITH
BUSINESS & CONSUMER FOCUS
WALSH PR
(01) 661 3515
Contact: Caroline Heywood
Twitter: @WalshPRireland
The agency’s team provides a
mix of online, integrated
marketing and traditional PR
services to clients in consumer
food and nutrition, pharma and
healthcare, consumer lifestyle,
professional services and the
charity and NGO sectors. Says
the firm: “We’re passionate
about delivering the very best
results for our clients, whether
they require continuous fullservice public relations support,
or one-off communications
projects.” Walsh PR is Ireland
partner of IPREX, the global
network of independent
communications agencies.
WEBER SHANDWICK
(01) 679 8600
Contact: Siobhan Molloy
Twitter: @WS_Dublin
Global PR network Weber
Shandwick has been operating in
Ireland for 25 years and the firm
has offices in Dublin and Belfast.
The all-island PR practice areas
include consumer, healthcare,
technology, public affairs,
financial services, corporate and
crisis management. The
company’s services include media
relations, reputation
management, public information
programmes, CSR, social and
digital media.
REVOLVE MARKETING
& PR
YELLOW MACHINE
(01) 284 1944
Contact: Jenny Cullen
Twitter: @revolvepr
The agency caters for
international brands within the
fashion, beauty, healthcare,
interiors, food, arts and
entertainment industries. The firm
says that its innovative approach
to brand building, execution of
(01) 547 1778
Contact:
[email protected]
Twitter: @YellowMachinePR
Yellow Machine is a young and
ambitious communications
agency that specialises in helping
international and indigenous
brands reach people in the 18- to
35-year-old demographic.
Jane McDaid, Thinkhouse
Blue Monkey PR
Keating & Associates
Burrell Marketing &
Publicity
Lee Communications
MKC Public Relations
Business Management
Communications
O’Brien PR
Business Talk
PB Media
Bvisible
Pivotal Communications
Cameo Communications
Presence Communications
Conway Communications
Q4 Public Relations
Edelman
Rachel Dalton
Communications
Engage Ireland
Fuzion Communications
Gibney Communications
Ronnie Simpson Consulting
Springboard PR
Gordon MRM
The Keogh
Partnership
Host PR
The Publicity Loft
Hume Brophy
Thinkhouse
Insight Consultants
Think PR
Invoke PR
Unicorn PR
Kate Bowe PR
Wilson Hartnell
BUSIN ESS PL US
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