Due to continued growth, Insight Consultants is seeking a talented Client Executive to join our award winning team. The position offers an excellent career opportunity to contribute to a dynamic team working across both corporate and consumer divisions.  
 
Company
Insight Consultants

Location
Suite 12, The Mall, Beacon Court, Sandyford, Dublin, D18 DX56

Apply by
7 July 2017

Position / Title
Public Relations Client Executive

Contract Type
Permanent Contract

How To Apply
 
Please email your CV and cover letter to: verity@insightconsultants.ie

 
Based in Sandyford, Dublin, our award-winning team of talented, experienced professionals work with valued clients across a range of sectors.


We are recruiting a dynamic, dedicated, ambitious, young professional to join our expanding team.
 
 
Responsibilities Include:

• Creatively contributing to public relations strategies for our clients.
• Delivering effective PR campaigns for corporate and consumer clients from concept to delivery.
• Organising and coordinating PR activities including media drops, press events and photo calls.
• Engaging and developing relationships with media across broadcast, print and online to maximise client exposure and campaign awareness.
• Designing, writing and/or producing presentations, press releases, articles, leaflets, ‘in-house' journals, reports, publicity brochures, information for web sites and promotional videos.
• Analyzing results of PR campaigns and create comprehensive reports.

 
 Requirements:

• One to two years proven experience in a public relations role.
• Experience contributing to PR campaigns including: creative input at concept stage; research; managing media relations to include pitching and placing stories with key media; creating campaign evaluation reports.
• Organising logistics for large events.
• Digital capability to include social media management.
• Excellent writing and verbal communication skills.
• Strong attention to detail, highly organised and ability to think creatively.
• Ability to build relationships with clients and media alike.
• A creative mind partnered with the ability to find the best practical solutions.

•      Degree or diploma in PR or related discipline
 
Salary dependent on relevant experience.
 
To apply, please email your CV with a covering letter quoting reference “Client Executive” clearly in the subject header to: verity@insightconsultants.ie
 
Closing date for application is 3pm on Friday 7th July 2017.

The Irish Tourist Industry Confederation (ITIC), the umbrella group for the tourism industry in Ireland, today (Monday, March 6th) publishes a report that warns of the sector’s vulnerability to Brexit and calls on the Government to support the sector with proactive policies. 
 
ITIC, along with representatives from Aer Lingus, the Irish Hotels Federation, the Guinness Storehouse - Ireland’s biggest visitor attraction - and Irish Ferries launched the Brexit & Irish Tourism – A Call For Action report today in Dublin. 
 
ITIC represents airlines, hotels, tour operators, ferry companies, visitor attractions and other tourism interests. 
 
The ITIC report, warns that failure by the Government to put policies in place to mitigate the adverse consequences of Ireland’s largest tourism market leaving the EU will damage jobs and regional growth.
 
The report warns that Brexit represents the biggest challenge to the sector since the global crash of 2008. Back then the value of the UK market to Irish tourism fell by 23% in the space of 12 months. 
 
Tourism is Ireland’s largest indigenous sector, employing over 220,000 people, providing vital exchequer returns and regional balance. In 2016, the Irish tourism industry was worth over 8 billion euro, according to ITIC.
 
The ITIC report identifies the immediate impact of Brexit as being the weakening of sterling, which damages Ireland’s competiveness and is having a negative impact on tourism and hospitality businesses.
 
It calls on the Government to provide a €12 million boost to tourism budgets to consolidate UK market share, diversify into new markets and provide a package of supports to tourism businesses. 
 
The report also states that in the medium to longer term that the terms of any new EU-UK deal must be mindful of the needs of Irish tourism. 
 
In particular, the report identifies four areas as requiring special attention in negotiations. These include the preservation of the Common Travel Area and a soft border; maintenance of liberalised aviation access between the EU and UK; continued support for an all-island approach to marketing; and harmonisation of regulatory regimes across the island. 
 
Paul Gallagher, Chairman of ITIC, stated: “The UK is Ireland’s largest visitor source market with an estimated 3.9 million arrivals in 2016 valued at over €1 billion to the national economy. Over 2 in every 5 visitors to Ireland come from the UK and Brexit poses a unique and unprecedented challenge. It is absolutely vital that everything is done to support the tourism sector and underpin jobs”.
 
Recent research in Britain conducted by RedC points to a 7% drop in outbound travel intentions. More significantly, it indicates that UK travellers will cut short their trips and that 37% of respondents intend to spend less by downgrading their choice of accommodation and limiting their holiday activities. 
 
ITIC pointed out that Brexit will have a particularly negative impact on Dublin and the border regions. 
 
Eoghan O’Mara Walsh, CEO of ITIC, said: “The tourism euro is as valuable as the euro earned by any other export sector and more valuable in the context that tourism is one of the few industries that can provides regional balance and sustainable local employment. 
 
“The Government must be proactive and help the sector consolidate its market share in Britain but crucially diversify into other markets. Diversification cannot happen on its own – the State agencies for tourism need to be given the resources to increase traffic and business from Europe and North America.”
 
Mr Gallagher added: “Tourism is defined by the free movement of people and the idea of a hard border on the island of Ireland, and corresponding travel disruption and cost would be a major backward step for Irish tourism. Tourism marketing budgets have been reduced by 45% in the last 6 years and these must be restored without delay.” 
 
Mr O’Mara Walsh stressed that the tourism sector was very exposed to Brexit and required a strategic support framework. ITIC is calling for a €12 million support package for Irish tourism to allow for market diversification and to support the industry and vulnerable tourism enterprises.
 
“Other export sectors from agri-food to manufacturing have received specific Government supports to Brexit-proof them – regrettably tourism has not received such supports. Tourism cannot be take for granted as too many jobs are at risk.”
 
Paul Gallagher, Chairman of ITIC, said: “The Irish tourism industry can be positive about its future but we must be mindful of threats and risks and Brexit is first among equals in that regard. As a sector if pro-tourism policies are adopted and appropriate investment strategies implemented we can add another 50,000 jobs by 2025 but Brexit poses a real risk to sustained growth unless the Government acts now”. ​

• January 2017 car sales (39,019), on January 2016 (39,722) -1.7%
• 2017 forecast of new car sales, 142,000
• New car sales total in 2016 (146,603) up 17.5% on 2015
• €1.5 Billion Exchequer contribution in 2016 from car sales
• Cost of Motoring: Average price of a new car -5.5% lower (Dec 2016 v Dec 2015), Petrol prices +1.9 %, (Dec 16 v Dec15) Diesel prices +3.2% (Dec 16 v Dec15), Insurance Costs up 61.5% since 2013.
• Average C02 Emissions declined 30.5% since 2008
• Value of Goods advertised in DoneDeal’s Motor Section €5.4 Billion 2016

​
The Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) today issued the official 171 car sales figures for January along with presenting their final SIMI/DoneDeal Quarterly Motor Industry Review of 2016. Alan Greene President of SIMI officially launched the report at the Clayton Hotel Dublin 4. 
Car sales figures for the month of January show that 171 registrations are -1.7% (39,019) compared to January 2016 (39,722). Light Commercials are currently -2.4% (6,394) compared to January last year (6,555), while HGV (Heavy Goods Vehicle) registrations are -6.3% (456) for January in comparison to the same time last year (487). 
The SIMI/DoneDeal Report highlights the strong economic performance of the Motor Industry last year, with growth in registration figures seen across all counties along with the upbeat nature of business confidence and investment reflected in commercial vehicles despite a softening of the market towards the latter half of 2016. 


Jim Power Economist and author of the Review said “Looking ahead to 2017, while the outlook for car sales is a bit more difficult to predict than last year, the projected growth in personal disposable incomes and the availability of credit provide solid support for car sales. However, the impact of Brexit and the increased volume in imported used cars are other issues that may impact on new car sales this year., Overall, though, numbers should be fairly close to last year with perhaps a slight decline of around 3% in new car sales in 2017, which would imply new car sales of around 142,000.” 
Last year the Industry continued to generate strong returns for the Exchequer with a total VRT and VAT take of €1.5 billion (26.8% ahead of 2015) from new and used car sales alone.
SIMI also issued New Vehicle Registration data for January 2017 which show that 171 new car registrations have had a steady start as anticipated, finishing just -1.7% lower than the total for January last year. 

Alan Greene SIMI President commented “The Motor Industry continues to be a strong contributor to employment with 40,800 people employed throughout Ireland. Last year our Industry contributed €1.5 Billion to the Exchequer in car sales alone. 2017 was always going to be a more cautious year for businesses, right across the economy, but we have seen a steady start in January and hopefully we are on track for another good year and continuation of a stable market during the rest of the year”. 
The SIMI/DoneDeal Review outlined that the cost of motoring in 2016 which has seen an increase in in petrol +1.9% and diesel prices +3.2% (Dec 2016 vs Dec 2015), along with the average price of a new car has declined by 5.5% (Dec 2016 vs Dec 2015). Motor insurance costs since 2013 have increased by +61.5%, although there was a slight decrease in the last quarter of 2016 by -5.5%, costs in December still remained at 8.9% higher than a year earlier.   
Figures from DoneDeal, Ireland’s most popular motoring site also highlight the sustained upturn in the motor industry in 2016 with the volume of ads published in their Motor section increasing by 9.3%, represents a €5.4 billion in the value of goods advertised in DoneDeal's Motor Section. 
​
Cathal Cremen, Commercial Manager of DoneDeal’s Motor Section, said; “2016 proved to be another exceptional year for DoneDeal in terms of traffic growth and adverts placed on the site.  Motoring again proved to be the most popular section of the site with 663,336 cars alone advertised on DoneDeal in 2016.
“A significant feature of DoneDeal’s success in 2016 was the 17% increase in the number of car dealerships now subscribing to DoneDeal.  This is very much a reflection of the commitment and investment that DoneDeal has been making to ensure we deliver a quality service for our clients.”
To view the full 2016 SIMI Motor Industry Review in association with DoneDeal visit www.SIMI.ie/quarterlyreview  

​Ends
​
Notes to Editor 
Report infographic click here 
Sound Byte from Economist Jim Power click here
SIMI/DoneDeal Motor Industry Review Q4 2016 click here
Video The Story of the Motor Industry in 2016 click here

January New Car Sales
 

• New car sales in January 2017 (39,019) v January 2016 (39,722) -1.7%
• 171 Car Sales by county for the month of January Click Here
• LCV sales in January 2017 (6,394) v 2016 (6,555) -2.4%
• HGV sales in January 2017 (456) v 2016 (487) -6.3%
• Top 5 selling car makes for January were Hyundai, Toyota, Ford, Volkswagen, Nissan
• Top 5 selling models for January were Hyundai Tucson, Ford Focus, Ford Fiesta, Nissan Qashqai, Volkswagen Golf.
• To view stats visit www.beepbeep.ie/stats

 
 (*CSO Employment Figure up to the Third Quarter of 2016) 
 
For further information:
 
Declan Lee, Insight Consultants, 087 695 7451 / Declan@insightconsultants.ie

​The Browne family confirms that it has agreed with the estate’s administrators on the sale of the historic house and estate to Hotel Westport. In February 2016, the family had reluctantly agreed to the sale of Westport House and Estate.
 
They impressed upon their advisers that the best way to secure the future of this jewel in the crown of Mayo tourism was to attract an investor who would purchase the historic property and fulfill the plans and ambitions of the late Lord Altamont Jeremy Browne, the 11th Marquess of Sligo, to develop the estate as an integrated tourist attraction.
 
Robert Ganly of Ganly Walters extensively marketed the estate at home and abroad and it attracted significant interest. A preferred bidder was chosen after an exhaustive process and an agreement was signed in recent days.
 
Ms Sheelyn Browne stated: “This is an emotional day for our family. On the one hand, we are handing over custody of our ancestral family home after hundreds of years but we are doing so in the knowledge that the new owners are committed to bringing to fruition the ambitions and dreams of our late and much loved father Jeremy Browne. We are indebted to the estate administrators Con Casey and Dermot Furey for their unrelenting efforts to secure the future of the estate.
 
“We also want to thank all those who supported our efforts from our local TDs to the community of Westport. In particular we would like to thank Minister Michael Ring, Peter Hynes, Chief Executive of Mayo County Council and his team and NAMA for working constructively and collaboratively with our advisers.
 
“There is one group that deserves special mention. That is our hard-working and dedicated small team at Westport House. We would not have been able to survive the last three difficult years without their unwavering support and loyalty. They know who they are and we as a family owe them a great debt of gratitude.
 
“We have been touched very deeply by the wonderful support of the people of Westport over the last few difficult years. We are confident that Westport House will continue to be the anchor of tourism in the region and we have agreed to collaborate with the new owners.
 
“Our fervent hope and wish was that someone would buy the house and estate, invest in it to secure its future and to keep it open to the public so that it can continue to be the cornerstone of the tourist offering in our beloved Westport. We are delighted that today these hopes have been realised. The entire family wishes the new owners, the Hughes family every success as the custodians of this wonderful and magical place. We are sure that everyone in Westport will wish them well with this new venture.”
 
Mr. Cathal Hughes, Chairman of the Hotel Westport said: “I want to acknowledge all the efforts of the Browne family over the years to maintain this beautiful house and estate and we look forward to continuing this great work which was very much the vision of the late Lord Altamont. We plan to invest up to €50m in new facilities which will lead to the creation of 200 new jobs over the next five years. On behalf of the Hughes family I want to wish the Browne family every success in the future and I look forward to liasing with them as we develop our plans over the next few years. I want to assure all the existing staff, suppliers and customers that we will continue to operate as normal under the new ownership.
 
“As a local business family, we are delighted to be able to make this investment in our home town. We realise the importance of Westport house as a tourist amenity to the whole of Mayo and we will work very closely with the planners in Mayo County Council to ensure that the integrity of Westport House and estate is maintained whilst at the same time creating a viable sustainable business model that is in everybody’s interest long-term.
 
“Finally, I want to acknowledge the role of both Minister Ring and the Mayo Chief Executive Mr. Peter Hynes and his team in making it possible to conclude this deal. Without their support this project could not go ahead. Our ambition is to make Westport House one of the finest tourist attractions in the whole of Ireland and one that the people of Westport can be justifiably proud of.”
 
Peter Hynes, Chief Executive, Mayo County Council, stated: “Mayo County Council has always been very keen to ensure the future of Westport House. A study commissioned by this council in 2015 found that in an on-site survey, 60.9% of respondents cited Westport House as their principal motivation for travelling to Mayo. In terms of economic value generated by Westport House, some €50 million was spent in Mayo and the wider region by visitors to the house throughout the year.
 
“We’re incredibly lucky to have this national treasure as part of our County. We wanted to secure future viability and expansion of Westport House as an integrated tourism resort and we are delighted to have been centrally involved in bringing this complex undertaking to a successful conclusion. Today marks the start of a new life for the estate and we look forward to working with the new owners to enhance Westport House as a tourist destination and to ensure its success.”
 
 
Minister of State for Regional Economic Development Michael Ring stated: “I am delighted with the announcement that the future of Westport House and Estate has been secured and that there is a purchaser who is going to invest further in what is the jewel of the tourism offering in the West of Ireland. I am particularly pleased that it is a local family that has the courage and the vision to invest €50m and thereby create 200 sustainable local jobs over the next five years. I would like to say “Well done and good luck” to the Hughes family.
 
“I want to thank all of those involved, particularly the estate administrators Con Casey and Dermot Furey, Peter Hynes Chief Executive and Mayo County Council and NAMA for the very constructive approach they took to resolving this matter.
 
“I am very pleased that, through the co-operation of all parties involved, we have arrived at this point. I want to wish the new owners every success and stress that I will assist them with their own ambitious plans for this treasure.
 
An Taoiseach Enda Kenny commented, “ I am delighted that this issue has been resolved. Westport House has been a very important amenity for generations of Mayo people and an important asset for tourism in the West of Ireland. I hope that the new arrangement will allow this to continue for generations to come.”
 
 
The property was successfully marketed nationally and internationally by Ganly Walters estate agents and managed by Mr. Robert Ganly, Managing Director.
 
 
Background on Westport House:
The 18th century house and 183.8ha (455 acre) estate was put on the market as a tourist concern. The house is set in a magnificent landscape with views of Clew Bay and Croagh Patrick. The Carrowbeg River flows through the extensive parklands of Westport House.
 
The estate is one of the oldest in Ireland and comprises a range of buildings and facilities. The façade of the present house dates to 1778 and has been in the ownership of the Browne family from before this time. The family traces its lineage back to the 16th Century Pirate Queen Grace O’Malley.
 
A report commissioned by Mayo Council by CHL Consulting in 2015 concluded that Westport House Estate directly creates 47 jobs and accounts for €50.7 million of indirect expenditure for the region. The Browne family has owned the house for almost 400 years. It has been open to the public since 1960. Westport House Estate has also shown significant growth in recent years with over 162,000 paying customers in 2014 – up 82% on the 89,000 visitors in 2009.
 

Leinster and Irish Rugby International, Sean Cronin, officially launched the inaugural Irish Minigolf Open today at Rainforest Adventure Golf in Dundrum. The Irish Minigolf Open is set to take place on Saturday February 18th and Sunday February 19th in Rainforest Adventure Golf.
 
Sean Cronin and both his Leinster and Irish teammates are regular visitors to Rainforest Adventure Golf, with Irish International Ian Madigan holding the best record on both the “Aztec” and “Mayan” courses in Rainforest Adventure Golf, followed closely by Leinster and Irish International Dominic Ryan.
 
Sean Cronin, ambassador for the Irish Minigolf Open, commented, “This is a fantastic opportunity for people to discover the sport of minigolf and to learn and compete with some of the best in the world. It’s shaping up to be a very exciting weekend and I’m delighted to be part of it. Rainforest Adventure Golf is a fantastic venue to host the very first Irish Minigolf Open, both my teammates and myself love to compete on both courses during our downtime!”
 
 
This will be Ireland’s first World Minigolf Federation event, with the competition set to attract players from across the U.K. and Europe. Rainforest Adventure Golf have also named Make-A-Wish Ireland as their charity partner for the event, which will see the charity receive a sizable donation from Rainforest following the Irish Open.
 
Rainforest Adventure Golf are currently calling for participants to sign up and take part in the competition, where they will then get the opportunity to compete against some of the best minigolfers in the world and be in with a chance of cashing in on the prize fund which is in excess of €3,500.
 
With two titles up for grabs; Irish Open Champion and Irish National Champion, Rainforest are encouraging players of all levels to compete. International players will compete in the Irish Open while Irish players will compete across both categories.
 
Darrin O’Toole, General Manager of Rainforest Adventure Golf and Chairman of Irish Minigolf Association, said, “We are delighted to host Ireland’s very first Minigolf Open here in Rainforest. This is something we are all very passionate about and we’ve been working on pulling this together for the past number of months.
We want to encourage as many people as possible to enter and take part in the tournament, which is why we decided to have two titles up for grabs, The Irish Open Champion and The Irish National Champion. The title of Irish National Champion is open to players of all levels who would like to compete. We want this competition to be fun and inclusive for everyone, no matter what level they play at.”
 
 
The competition format will be an eight round cumulative strokeplay competition on a single course in Rainforest. Five rounds will be played on Saturday February 18th with the remaining three rounds to be played on Sunday. Only the Top 18 players of the tournament will be eligible to play the final round. Rainforest have also waived practice fees with Free Open Practice available during the week leading into the competition.
 
Interested golfers are encouraged to register online via the Rainforest Adventure Golf Facebook page at www.facebook.com/RainforestAdventureGolf/. Participation for international players is €40 while Rainforest Adventure Golf are subsidising 50% off the fee for local players to encourage participation, bringing the entry fee down to €20. The competition is open to both males and females aged 16 years or older.
 
 
Gareth Crowe, Make-A-Wish Ireland, said, “Make-A-Wish Ireland is delighted to partner with Rainforest Adventure Golf as they host the Irish Mini Golf Open at their Dundrum headquarters. Make-A-Wish is proud to be associated with this unique sporting event and wish all of the golfers good luck during the competition. This support is vital to our work as we receive no government funding and we are extremely grateful to the golfers and team at Rainforest Adventure Golf as we work to grant more magical wishes to Ireland’s bravest children”
 
 
Pasi Aho, World Minigolf Federation Sport Director, said, “We are delighted to see our new member Irish Minigolf Association getting off to a flying start for their membership by organizing a highly attractive international competition in Dublin at Rainforest Adventure Golf. We hope this competition will encourage a lot of new Irish players to compete at WMF International Championships.”
 
 
Sean Homer, Chairman of the British Minigolf Association, and the Tournament Director of the Irish Open, commented, "I'm delighted to support the newly formed Irish Minigolf Association in their first International competition. The course is part of a brilliant venue and will provide an entertaining challenge for all players who take part over the weekend in February."
 
 
For more information, log onto www.rainforestadventuregolf.ie,
Facebook          - www.facebook.com/RainforestAdventureGolf
Twitter               - @RainforestGolf
 
Ends
 
Notes:
 

• So far there has been nine high-ranked players confirmed from the U.K. and four players confirmed from Czech Republic.
• This is an Irish Minigolf Association event, backed by The World Minigolf Federation.
• The Irish Minigolf Association hope this competition will encourage Irish players to form an Irish Minigolf Team to compete at the European Championships.

 
 
For further information:
Keith McConnon – Insight Consultants – 087 215 6098 / keith@insightconsultants.ie
 

​
​The 2016 year in sponsorship kicked off with a bang.  “I’m not angry with #Ladyball, I’m just disappointed”, said Newstalk’s Oisin Langan referring to one of the most divisive Irish sponsorships in recent years.  Following on from their brand activations in other regions, Lidl finally took their first step into Irish sponsorship in 2016 and it came with a tidal wave of controversy. 
 
A teaser video described the launch of a new Ladyball, especially for female use due to its soft touch and it’s pink aesthetic.  The twitter account played along, serving to enrage and entertain Ireland’s online audience.  Even to the uninitiated it was clear there was more to Ladyball, but it would have to be good, really good, to appease those who were baying for their marketeers blood.

​
When the reveal came it was in the form of a €1.5million investment by Lidl into the Ladies Gaelic Football Association and would backed by a substantial online, TV, outdoor and print advertising campaign to boost the profile of the sport across the country. 
 
An impressive commitment to ladies football with the tagline #SeriousSupport, although even after the reveal many still questioned using such negative tactics for a package of support so big it should have been well able to stand on its own, without the controversial teaser. 
 
Whatever about the strategy used, Lidl had raised the bar for sponsorship for 2016 and it was only a matter of time before their close rivals Aldi took the plunge into Irish sport.  Their target was rugby.  A four-year commitment by the German retailer focused on getting school children playing rugby was the hook and an ad campaign fronted by Paul O’Connell got their relationship off to an impactful start. 
 
It wasn’t the only significant sponsorship announcement around Irish Rugby in 2016.  Three Ireland had declared they would cease their sponsorship with the IRFU after the Six Nations and all eyes were on what logo would adorn the Irish jerseys on the summer tour in South Africa. 
 
Before a new sponsor was officially revealed, Three had the opportunity to leave their IRFU partnership with some style and they accomplished this by helping to tackle something much bigger than rugby. 
 
The mobile phone company teamed up with Focus Ireland to #TackleHomelessness, producing an impactful three minute promo video based loosely on “Ireland’s Call” calling on fans to stand Shoulder-To-Shoulder to tackle the crisis.  Three also gave up their advertising slots across all media to support the campaign that was awarded the Sponsorship of the Year at the Irish Sponsorship Awards in November.  

​In May it was announced Vodafone would make the move back into Irish sport as part of a €15million 4-year-deal.  Vodafone had cut their relationship with Irish sport when they ended their sponsorship of Dublin GAA in 2013 as the brand moved their sponsorship towards more popular culture such as comedy and music festivals.  However 3 years later and Vodafone could not resist the lure of widespread appeal and exposure opportunities that Irish rugby provides.
 
While Vodafone’s rivals Three are retaining their relationship with the Football Association of Ireland, they are simultaneously moving into the music sphere.  Their inheritance of the Point Depot naming rights following the O2 takeover has seen Three’s sponsorship strategy moving towards music events and festivals.  This is exactly where Vodafone were moving to three years ago, highlighting the cyclical nature of sponsorship as brands try everything to target the younger demographics.
 
The summer of 2016 saw a multitude of brands competing across some of the biggest events in world sport, not to mention the GAA Championships.  Euro 2016 and the Rio Olympics & Paralympics provided brands with the opportunity to engage Irish consumers through innovative activation with plenty of big names jumping on the Green Army bandwagon for the Summer. 
 
The Greatest Show on Earth took place in Rio in 2016 and following on from the huge success of London 2012, they had a hard act to follow.  Unfortunately the Games were overshadowed by a range of controversies both Irish and International, while disappointing results and a difficult time difference made it hard for Irish audiences to connect with the event in the same way they had four years previously.
 
Despite this some brands provided some excellent innovation in the run up to the games with Electric Ireland’s sponsorship of the Irish Olympic team again to the fore.  Their 360 Degree training video with Michael Conlon in the run into the games was one of the main highlights. 
 
The Euro 2016 Championships was a huge success for Ireland on a number of levels.  Success on the pitch thanks to the likes of Robbie Brady and Seamus Colemen, while success off the pitch saw the Irish fans capture the hearts of people across the world with their lullabies and ability to serenade even the sternest of French police officers. 
 
From a brand perspective, a strong advertising campaign from team sponsor Three around fan support was prominent throughout the tournament while Carlsberg were again busy activating at an Irish level ahead of the event.  Spar’s Team of “Gary Breens” campaign was probably one of the most unique activations in the lead in to the Euros and managed to drive footfall to Spar shops for those who always wanted a facemask of Ireland’s 2002 World Cup cult hero.
 
The GAA Championships saw the annual battle in football and hurling across the Association’s tiered sponsorship.  With three sponsors in each code, standing out from the crowd can be a huge challenge for brands.  In 2016 the football championship saw Supervalu, Eir and AIB all competing for the hearts of football fans across the country.
 
This was AIB’s first foray into the inter-county game having excelled in their sponsorship of the club championships in recent years, particularly under with #TheToughest campaign.  Their transition was seamless which made them the stand out brand in the football championship as they successfully merged both sponsorships with some innovative activations highlighting the key elements club teams play in preparing players to excel for their counties.
 
AIB managed to catch the eye of many with their Toughest Trade activation, which saw Aidan O’Shea swap Gaelic Football for American Football, while Brendan Maher traded the ash of a hurl for the willow of the cricket bat.  The activation was supplemented with documentary coverage on TV3 and RTE and helped to further embed the AIB brand in the minds of GAA fans across the country. 
 
While AIB made a big splash, Supervalu aligned their sponsorship to their healthy eating campaign whilst also directing communications around the sponsorship towards clubs at a grassroots level.  Eir, who had invested so heavily in their re-brand and takeover of Setanta, were the quietest of the three sponsors so no doubt they will be planning some eye catching activations for 2017.
 
The Hurling Championship was the more unloved when it came to sponsors activation in 2016.  Centra followed the path of their sister company Supervalu and activated through their “Live Well” healthy eating campaign, however the remaining sponsors Etihad and Liberty Insurance failed to properly push their sponsorships last year. 
 
Not surprising from Etihad’s perspective as they have traditionally under activated one of Ireland’s hottest sponsorship properties but Liberty had made a huge push the previous year, particularly linking the hurling and camogie championships around their Women in Sport initiative.  It became clear why they had been so quiet towards the end of the year as Liberty confirmed they would not be continuing the sponsorship in 2017. 
 
This opened the door for a new face in the Hurling Championship, and online retailer, Littlewoods Ireland, took its place with a glitzy launch at Croke Park featuring Anna Geary, Austin Gleeson and Jackie Tyrrell.  It was clear from the launch that Littlewoods Ireland had allocated a substantial budget to the announcement with a wealth of paid for content appearing online on launch day.  If Littlewoods can allocate that level of budget to guarantee launch publicity it will be intriguing to see what they have lined up for the 2017 Championship.
 
Some of the other big name sponsors were continuing to make their mark in 2016.  Guinness remain activating in sport as their Pro12 sponsorship keeps their foot in the door with rugby, while they continue to use clever activations around the GAA without the cost of a direct sponsorship. 
 
Aviva’s Lansdowne Road sponsorship continues to pay off for the insurer with great success internationally for the rugby and soccer sides in 2016.  However Aviva’s overall focus on grassroots sport continued in 2016 with their FAI Junior Cup sponsorship again a winner at the Irish Sponsorship Awards for the third time in four years. 
 
This looks set to continue into 2017 as they announced their sponsorship of the FAI’s Soccer Sisters programme in November to supplement their already burgeoning portfolio of grassroots partnerships.   
 
2017 promises to be another exciting year in the world of Irish sports sponsorship with VR, social and customer / fan facing activations to be prominent.
 

​
Declan Lee is a Client Director for Insight Consultants.  He is a multi award winning PR consultant who has handled sponsorships on behalf of some of the biggest international brands including AVIVA, Powerade, Three, William Hill, the FIA and Coca Cola.           

•  ​SILVER HILL ANNOUNCES OUTPUT HAS DOUBLED SINCE 2011
• 52 NEW JOBS ALREADY CREATED
• COMPANY FORECASTS GROWTH TO DOUBLE AGAIN OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS

 
 
A new Centre of Excellence was unveiled today by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed for Silver Hill Foods in Emyvale, Co. Monaghan. Honoured guest Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Heather Humphreys also attended today’s opening of the impressive 1,700 square metre facility, which represents a €3 million investment.
 
Founded in 1962 by Ronnie and Lyla Steele, Silver Hill Foods has achieved tremendous success in recent years, in both domestic and overseas markets. This increased growth is due, in large part, to the enlightened decision made by Stuart Steele to recruit a professional management team to assist them in growing the already hugely popular brand.  The Monaghan-based company is now reaping the rewards of this decision, more than doubling production in the last five years from 36,000 ducks per week to 82,500 per week.
 
Marked success has already been achieved amongst Asian customers due to the superior roasting qualities of the Silver Hill duck. The duck, which is processed by hand, had already become the pre-eminent product in London’s Chinatown. It now also commands a premium price in Singapore, where chefs have christened Silver Hill’s unique breed of duck ‘The Mother of All Duck’. Currently exporting 5,000 duck per week across more than 20 high-end restaurants in Singapore, Silver Hill aims to utilize its new state-of-the-art facilities to facilitate further expansion into the South East Asian market.
 
Speaking at the opening of Silver Hill Foods’ new Centre of Excellence, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed, TD said: “I am delighted to be here today at the opening of the Silver Hill Centre of Excellence. The development of this centre is another important milestone in the growth of the Irish food industry, which is Ireland’s largest indigenous manufacturing sector. The Government through my Department, Bord Bia and Enterprise Ireland, is delighted to have played an important role in supporting the growth and development of Silver Hill which is one of the stars of Ireland’s growing agri-food sector. The Poultry sector is one of a number of important sectors that will play a part in Ireland’s economic recovery and has set itself  ambitious targets in the national “Food Wise 2025” strategy. Innovative approaches such as we see here today from Silver Hill will be key to the realisation of these growth targets”.
 
Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Heather Humphreys TD added: “The agri-food sector is an important source of jobs and economic activity in Cavan and Monaghan and Silver Hill’s success is good for the region, as it is a significant local employer. The company’s plans to expand into new markets in Asia show that Silver Hill Foods is a company with growing global ambition. Indeed, the company’s growth over the last five years has been extremely impressive. I would like to pay tribute to the Steele family for their incredible vision for the company and to compliment the team under Micheál Briody for their outstanding performance, and I wish them every success with their expansion for the future”.
 
Silver Hill CEO, Micheál Briody explained: “We are the producer of the best duck in the world and this is based on the feedback from our customers. The success and reputation of our branded duck in Ireland, the UK and Singapore is stimulating further sales leads in new overseas markets across Asia.
 
“The new facility will allow us to meet further demand in Asian markets and expand into new markets such as Hong Kong, Vietnam and Indonesia. To ensure we meet demand, we have set ourselves the ambitious target of increasing the number duck processed per week from 82,500 – 150,000 in the next five years. This will be a further stepping stone to achieving the company’s overall mission to supply quality duck and duck products to outlets across the world.”
 
“Today’s opening marks an exciting new chapter for the company. We have achieved substantial growth in recent years and will now embark on a further expansion plan, aiming to double production once again.  I wish to take this opportunity to thank Minister Creed and Minister Humphreys for attending today’s event. I also wish to extend my thanks to Enterprise Ireland, The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and Bord Bia, all of whom have been very supportive of our growth strategy.”
 
Silver Hill, which manages all areas of production from hatching, processing, cooking and packaging, has reported significant progress through expansion into new overseas markets. The 70% export led company currently supplies 24 countries, including Holland, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, UAE and Singapore. This increase in performance has prompted the creation of 52 new jobs since 2013 and the addition of 21 contract growers across 8 countries, both north and south of the border. Whilst continued focus on the domestic retail market, which has quadrupled in Ireland in recent years, has cemented Silver Hill as the fastest growing product in the poultry category in Ireland and the UK.

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

Hundreds of Families Will be Made Homeless Before Christmas,  Charity Warns
 Phoenix Project Seeks Urgent Review of Mortgage-to-Rent Scheme
 
The head of a national charity has called on the Government to urgently re-assess the mortgage-to-rent scheme to prevent hundreds of families having their homes re-possesed and being made homeless ahead of Christmas.
 
John McGrath, chairman of the Phoenix Project, said that there were 2,000 cases relating to mortgage arrears being heard in the courts in December.
 
The Phoenix Project is an independent national charity that works on behalf of borrowers-in-arrears to save their homes from repossession. It provides free advice and help to borrowers with mortgage arrears and relies on private donations to provide its free service to clients.  It receives no State funding and is not connected to banks or financial institutions.
 
Mr McGrath said that of these 2,000 court cases, at least 10% would result in rulings that would see family homes being repossessed.
 
“These cases have already been adjourned on numerous occassions and the courts will not put them off any more,”  Mr McGrath said.
 
“There are another 2,300 such cases listed for the courts in January and there will be more over the coming months. The time has run out for the 40,000 mortgages that are two year or more in arrears,” he added.
 
Mr McGrath pointed out that a wave of house repossessions over the coming months coincided with increases in house prices across the country and that financial institutions would seek to take advantage of this trend.
 
“Prices nationally have rise by 7.9% over the past year and by 17% in the Midlands. This means that a lot of distressed borrowers are in positive equity and the banks view it as an opportunity to clean up their balance sheets,” Mr McGrath said.
 
To address this situation, the Phoenix Project has called on the Government to urgently re-assess the parameters of the mortgage-to-rent scheme.
 
Under this scheme, those in mortgage arrears can stay in their homes. However, the scheme is only eligible to those in arrears who earn less than the average industrial wage.
 
Mr McGrath said that the scheme should be extended to borrowers in arrears who earn 50,000 euro or less.
 
“We need an immediate expansion of the mortgage to rent scheme. The existing parameters need to be urgently extended. It doesn’t matter if it is a private or public schem.
 
“Over the next month, it looks likely that hundreds of families will have their homes taken from them. There is 97% occupancy hotels and there is no supply in the rental market. These families will have nowhere to go,  so the Government had to act fast,” Mr Grath warned.

Irish international and Aviva Rugby Ambassador, Robbie Henshaw, took time out of his training today to help launch the 2016 / 2017 season of Aviva Mini Rugby Festivals.  Henshaw was joined at the Aviva Stadium by fellow Irish international Sophie Spence as they passed on some of their tips to the next generation of Aviva Mini Rugby players on the day.
 
The Aviva Mini Rugby Festivals are taking place throughout the country during the month of October. Festivals are being held in each of the four provinces, giving Mini Rugby players the opportunity to play against each other.  As part of Aviva’s sponsorship, the Aviva National Mini Rugby Festival will take place at the Aviva Stadium in May 2017.
 
Robbie Henshaw, Aviva’s Rugby Ambassador & former Mini Rugby player, said; “Mini Rugby plays a crucial role in the development of rugby skills and is the perfect gateway for children to get involved in the sport.  Aviva’s Mini Rugby Festivals give players from clubs all over the country the chance to learn and play against each other with the ultimate prize of a chance to play at the Aviva Stadium next spring. My experience of playing Mini Rugby really helped develop my skills at a key age and helped me foster a real enjoyment in playing the game.”
 
Henshaw also filmed a series of three skills videos with fellow Irish International Jenny Murphy focusing on the three core skills of pass, tackling and evasion to help players and coaches grow their skills this season.  The videos can be viewed on www.facebook.com/avivaireland

Mark Russell, Sponsorship Manager, Aviva Ireland, said; “This will be an even better Mini Rugby season for Aviva with the IRFU.  We have launched online content for players and coaches with expert tips from Robbie Henshaw and Jenny Murphy.  We will also be giving one Mini Rugby team that opportunity of a lifetime: to host an IRFU Mini Rugby Coaching session.  And, of course the fact that every team participating in the Festivals will have the chance to play at the Aviva Stadium for the National Festival next May, means it will be the best Mini Rugby season to date.”
 
As part of this season’s Mini Rugby Festivals, sponsors Aviva will be running a nationwide competition, open to every club in the country with a Mini Rugby team.  The prize will be an Aviva / IRFU Mini Rugby Training Session at the winning teams ground along with €1,000 worth of training equipment for the team. ​