Faces and Markets of PRGN is a new series of blog posts in 2024 that puts PRGN member agencies and their markets in the spotlight.
Each week, expect to read about a market from an economic, business and communications point of view, brought to you by the very people living and working on the ground in that country, state or region.
The blog pieces illustrate the vast amount of in-depth knowledge of business, media, communications and marketing PRGN brings together having presence in more than 40 countries and 70 cities on six continents through its member agencies globally.
In this week’s blog post, Owen Cullen, Managing Director of Cullen Communications in Dublin, describes the business and communications environment in Ireland and offers advice to businesses navigating his home market.
Business environment in Ireland
Ranked by Forbes among the 15 best countries in the world for doing business, Ireland is renowned as a high-performance knowledge economy with outstanding IT, infrastructure and human resource skills.
A combination of competitive corporate tax rates, strategic location and robust regulatory framework has made Ireland highly attractive for FDI over the past two decades, with some of the world’s biggest tech firms (Google, Meta, Amazon) having their European headquarters in Dublin. Other key industries include manufacturing, aerospace, medical devices, pharmaceuticals and renewable energy.
Dublin, Ireland | By Shutterstock
In addition to a business-friendly environment, Ireland also offers a vibrant quality of life and has become an attractive destination for workers from all around the world. Within this dynamic, fast-growing business environment, there are many organisations that have great stories to tell.
Communications, media and PR market in Ireland
On the media front Irish people are spending more time consuming information, but in increasingly fragmented ways. There are more opportunities to attract eyeballs than ever as people access content across multiple channels and devices, whenever and wherever it suits them.
The Irish media landscape is dominated by the state broadcaster, RTE, whose reach extends to TV, radio, online, mobile and social media. Television viewership is steady and national/local radio remains popular: on average, people watch more than three hours of TV and listen to more than three hours of radio every day.
Although print newspaper readership has declined, publishers’ online assets continue to grow strongly, with consumers accessing news media sites via mobile and social media. Social media use, meanwhile, continues to rocket, across a growing number of platforms. A relentless appetite for original, high-quality content also fuels growth, especially in the digital space.
For the PR industry, this all spells opportunity. PR continues to play a vital role in Ireland’s business ecosystem, where the changing face of media has shifted the emphasis towards digital and social platforms.
For PR practitioners, keeping pace with technology (e.g. the rapid rise of influencer marketing) is one of the main challenges today. This in turn has put the onus on PR agencies to evolve their skillsets and service offerings to support clients’ business objectives. Challenges abound but overall, Ireland’s PR industry is thriving. The sector is stable, with most agencies reporting business and employment growth in 2023, as well as increasing demand for PR services from the corporate world.
Key expertise of Cullen Communications
Founded in 1985, Cullen Communications is one of Ireland’s longest-established PR agencies. We are an award-winning creative agency with a track record of success helping national and international brands to grow awareness and build profile.
We work with clients across almost every sector, and have a strong track record in consumer/lifestyle and corporate PR.
Last year, Cullen Communications attained B-Corp certification, signifying that the agency meets the highest standards of ESG performance. As a B-Corp, we offer sustainability PR services and can assist companies that wish to achieve B-Corp status.
Key services include:
Media relations (building brand profile and awareness through media outreach)
Influencer marketing (helping brands identify and engage with content creators)
Digital solutions (end-to-end strategy, Google Ads, SEO, website design, advertising)
Social media (strategy, content creation, advertising, influencer engagement, analytics)
Media training (bespoke, one-on-one coaching for TV/radio interview, public speaking, crisis)
Top Advice for Foreign Companies Navigating Irish Media
1. Get to know the local media landscape: As a country of 5 million people, Ireland’s media sector is relatively small. To make sure you are talking to the ‘right’ media, it’s important to understand which channels, outlets and individual correspondents are best suited to your target audience.
2. Adapt your communications to an Irish audience: Irish consumers are sensitive to a ‘one-size-fits-all’ PR approach, especially from international brands. Make sure your messaging has a local voice and reflects the tone, culture and humour of an Irish audience.
3. Be authentic: Research shows that Irish consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable goods and services. Showing your purpose in a way that’s clear, transparent and sincere will resonate.
Most influential media for consumer communication in Ireland
RTÉ & Virgin Media Television – A diverse mix of programming across two great national stations.
Today FM – Music, Entertainment, News & Sport broadcast nationally.
Lovin/Lovin Dublin – An online snapshot of Irish culture highlighting the best events, restaurants and nightlife.
Independent.ie – Opinion pieces, lifestyle content, and multimedia features.
Hot Press – Leading Irish music and entertainment magazine.
Most influential media for corporate communications in Ireland
The Irish Times – One of Ireland’s leading newspapers with national and international news, opinion pieces, business and culture.
Business Post – Renowned for comprehensive corporate coverage, including business news, financial analysis, and industry insights.
Newstalk – A national talk radio station covering news, current affairs, and analysis.
Business Plus – Monthly print and online business news outlet.
Business & Finance Magazine – In-depth coverage of corporate news, executive interviews, and industry analysis.
The most popular social media channels in Ireland
YouTube: 4.02 million users in 2023
LinkedIn: 2.70 million “members” in 2023
Facebook: 2.50 million users in 2023
Instagram: 2.30 million users in 2023
TikTok: 2.13 million users aged 18 and above in 2023
The most important international events in Ireland
St Patrick’s Day Festival (March 15-18) – There really is no place like Dublin on St Patrick’s Day! While celebrations now spread across a whole weekend, the highlight remains the world-renowned St Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin on March 17th. Drawing over half a million spectators, the parade features more than 4,000 participants including vibrant marching bands from around the world.
Fleadh Cheoil (August 4-11) – Fleadh Cheoil (“Festival of Music” in Irish) is the world’s largest annual celebration of traditional Irish music, language, song and dance. Each year, a single town or city hosts the festival, welcoming half a million visitors and generating upwards of 60 million euros for the local economy.
Ireland is a sports mad country, where football (soccer), rugby, golf, boxing, horse racing and other sports enjoy a large and passionate following. The jewels in the crown, however, are gaelic football and hurling, our indigenous sports, which are played in every village across the country. The All Ireland Football Final in July is the highlight of the Irish sporting calendar.
The Rose of Tralee (August 16-20) – The Rose of Tralee International Festival is held in Co. Kerry, attracting some 200,000 visitors and airing live on national TV for five days. Contestants come from each county of Ireland, as well as Irish descendants from all over the world, to compete for the title of “Rose of Tralee”. What started as a simple beauty pageant has evolved into an international cultural event.
Ireland by the Numbers*
Population
5 million
Languages spoken
English (98%), Irish (39%)
Religions (% of population)
Catholicism (69.1%), Protestantism (4.2%), Orthodoxy (2.1%), Other Christians (0.7%), Islam (1.6%), Hinduism (0.7%), No Religion (14.8%), Unspecified (7.1%)
GDP per capita
$103,983.3 (2022)
(Real) GDP growth rate
9.4% (2022)
Inflation rate
5.2% (2023)
Unemployment rate
4.4% (Q2, 2023)
Key sectors and industries (% of GDP)
Agriculture (1.08%), Industry (41.05%), Services (52.3%) – (2022)
Mobile penetration (X per 100 people)
97.8 (2022)
Internet users (% of population)
95.2% (2021)
Corporate profit tax
12.5% on trading profits, 25% on passive income, 33% on capital gains
Owen has led family-owned Cullen Communications since 2013, having taken over from Frank Cullen (a past President of PRGN), who founded the agency in 1985. An experienced PR consultant specialising in corporate, sustainability and ESG communications, Owen provides high-level counsel to brands across business sectors.
A former Chair of the Public Relations Consultants Association of Ireland (PRCA), Owen serves or has served on a number of executive boards including PRCA, PRGN, and the Press Database & Licensing Network (PDLN).
Owen is passionate about sustainability and spearheaded the agency’s journey to B-Corp certification in 2023, becoming only the 25th company in Ireland to achieve this distinction. He holds a MBS Degree (Honours) from the UCD Smurfit School of Business and a Diploma in Business Sustainability Management from the University of Cambridge.
