Piaras Kelly PR - Public Relations in Ireland

Apparently RTE’s advertising revenues have taken a steep drop, with the State broadcaster set to finish the year well below budget. The Irish Independent reports that revenues could be down as much as €24 million. On a slightly more positive note though, the JNIR has revealed that RTE.ie is the most popular media [...]

So it was finally revealed that a lack of information was the primary reason why the Lisbon Treaty was voted down. Hardly insightful, given that even the dogs on the street could tell the electorate barely had a bog’s notion what they were voting for.
However this type of analysis undermines how good a job [...]

I was distracted by a picture of a HP Mini-Note while reading John Naughton’s blog recently.

While I wouldn’t exactly be drooling at the rather colourful design, it is a sign that competing on price isn’t enough to set you apart from the competition as it is a short term tactic that is replicable by the [...]

The Irish Association for Emergency Medicine (IAEM) has urged people to keep the name and telephone number of their next-of-kin on their mobile phone under the heading ICE (In Case of Emergency). The system, conceived in the UK, is now in use in a number of countries. The IAEM said all of its members have [...]

On a recent post when commenting on organisations’ efforts on creating content for YouTube, I said that brands that wanted to be funny should start with happiness as their business model. John from KRO//Software rightly asks how does one make happiness their business model, given that it comes across as fluffy PR talk in [...]

Silicon Republic reports that “Google is understood to be planning major changes in how it delivers advertising, including alterations to its AdWords system, and also developing mobile ads customised to location and preference.”
Despite reports that they are leaving in their droves, Fakt, Poland’s biggest selling newspaper, has launched a weekly edition for Polish immigrants living [...]

Kathy Foley had an interesting column in the Sunday Times the other weekend about the Electric Picnic and the efforts of the organisers to put on “one of the most impressive environmental showcases ever assembled in Ireland”. Foley points out that “not only does the Picnic boast recycling bins, eco-friendly loos, reusable beer cups [...]

Every September for the last two years I have read about a story which illustrates the dangers of search in terms of a research tool for journalists and how search results influence the public’s perceptions about an organisation. 2008 is no different. The Guardian recently reported about how “shares in a US airline [...]

Having failed to knock Hot Press off its perch, State magazine has changed its business model and will now be distributed for free. Una Mullally gives her two cents on the story. Personally I think it’s a smart move - there’s a gap in the market for a quality lifestyle magazine after Mongrel [...]

Interesting piece in the Guardian last week about the communications strategies employed by both camps in the US Presidential election. The race is a bit like the ‘top down’ versus ‘bottom up’ schools of thought at battle in the communications world, or as the Guardian describes it as the news cycle election versus the [...]

Congrats to Stephen Davies, who has just set up his own online communications consultancy - 3WPR.
Tom Murphy is the voice of reason in the PR industry. His latest commentary gives a tongue lashing to the emperor’s new clothes syndrome which is clearly evident in the PR (and wider marketing/advertising/social media) blogosphere.
Very impressed with Dell’s [...]

There have been a couple of changes at the Irish Times recently. Hugh Linehan has moved from features editor to online editor, Miriam Donohoe has become features editor and Kate Holmquist has taken over from her as travel editor.

Paul Collins of Today FM fame has been keeping me up to date on the services his company Ballywire Media is offering. Ballywire is now providing video clips for the likes of Ireland.com and Breakingnews.ie and is moving in the same vein as some other companies abroad by capturing video content for clients and [...]

Before the days of Mass Media where consumers could be reached through advertising in newspapers or television ads, people would have to be directly engaged with in a bid to persuade them to buy your goods or services - whether it was over the counter in a butcher’s shop or tradesmen calling door-to-door for work. [...]

Village magazine has ceased publication after its editor Vincent Browne blamed falling advertising revenue and the loss of other publishing contracts for its demise (via RTE.) The magazine has struggled for some time now, having changed format from a weekly to monthly publication and loss of key contributors such as Justine McCarthy.
Its [...]