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Ireland’s public relations and communications sector now contributes €1.9 billion per year to the economy.

The figure represents a 60% jump since 2019 when the industry was estimated to be worth €1.2bn, according to the PRII Census 2025, published by the Public Relations Institute of Ireland (PRII).

Conducted in partnership with Amárach Research, the triennial PRII census provides the most comprehensive analysis to date of the size, shape, and direction of the profession in Ireland.

The report found that the number of professionals in Ireland is calculated to have grown to almost 4,000, up from 3,344 in 2022, and the average annual salary in the profession now stands at €78,000, an 18% increase since 2019.

The census data also shows that in-house PR budgets have risen 10% since 2019. Team sizes are growing too, which is being seen as an indication of the sector's growth.

Another trend identified in the report was the growth of in-house public sector PR roles which now make up 42% of the workforce – a dramatic increase from 25% pre-Covid in 2019.

“This census shows a vibrant, growing profession that is increasingly strategic and central to organisational success,” said Dr Martina Byrne, chief executive of PRII.

Core Optimisation acquires ClearStory

Public relations firm ClearStory has been acquired by Shannon-based digital marketing agency Core Optimisation. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Core Optimisation said the takeover forms part of a broader €500,000 investment in expanding its operations to North America and the United Arab Emirates. 

Founded in 2015 by Caroline Dunlea and David Brett, Core Optimisation has developed a significant foothold in strategic digital consultancy over the past number of years. The company began its international expansion with the UK market and is now positioning itself to expand into North America and MENA markets.

Core Optimisation has an extensive client book across multiple sectors, including global brands such as Waterwipes, Tirlán Country Life, Kirby Group and Aryzta, and will now integrate ClearStory’s tech, finance, defence and hospitality-focused PR client base.

ClearStory International was founded by James McCann in 2017 as an international PR agency specialising in reputation building for emerging and scaling brands.

The agency has since expanded its client base across North America, Europe and MENA to include major players across the tech, finance and defence sectors, including Techstars, the Asian Development Bank, Dynasafe, CoinDesk, and Riskline. 

“Over the past eight years, we’ve had the privilege of working with more than 200 clients across 25 countries, helping them navigate some of the world’s most complex media markets," said McCann.

"We’re now excited to bring our deep expertise in international storytelling and reputation building to Core Optimisation, as we pursue a shared ambition to build a world-renowned, Irish-owned agency.”

ASA appoints Butterly and Cosgrave to advisory positions

The Advertising Standards Authority has appointed Claire Butterly to its board and Eimear Cosgrave to its independent complaints council.

Butterly was appointed chief operational officer of Omnicon Media Group in 2019, having begun her career as a buyer at OMD Ireland and later transitioned into strategic planning and client leadership roles.

Throughout her career, Butterly has worked across a wide range of sectors including telecommunications, retail, utilities, banking, travel, FMCG, and entertainment.

In her current role, she is responsible for overseeing product development, resource capacity, and capability enhancement across the group, ensuring operational excellence and innovation at every level.

Butterly has a BA in Economics and Business Studies from Trinity College Dublin.

Cosgrave is the deputy director for consumer protection at the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC). With over a decade of experience in consumer protection and enforcement, Eimear has extensive knowledge of advancing consumer rights and ensuring business compliance with consumer law.

Prior to her current role, Cosgrave held a number of key leadership positions at the CCPC, including head of compliance and inspections and head of strategic planning and engagement, spearheading the development and publication of industry-wide business guidelines designed to promote regulatory compliance and enhance consumer outcomes.

In her current role, Cosgrave is responsible for shaping legislative developments at both domestic and EU levels. She also leads business engagement and educational initiatives that provide practical actionable guidance on consumer protection.

Cosgrave studied at Waterford Institute of Technology where she earned a BA in International Business.

Egan made Arena series producer

Sinead Egan has been appointed series producer of RTÉ Radio 1's weekday evening arts and culture programme Arena.

"I’m happy to share that I’m the new Series Producer RTE Radio 1's Arena! Love working on this great show with such a wonderful team," Egan wrote on LinkedIn.

Egan is a 20-year veteran of RTÉ, having started as a radio producer with the national broadcaster in 2005, and she has produced Arena since 2019.

Prior to joining RTÉ, Egan studied English and Spanish at the University of Galway and completed an MA in Journalism at DCU.

After college, she worked as a reporter for the Sunday Tribune and later the Irish Star before moving TV3 where she worked as a reporter and assistant producer.

She worked as a freelance feature writer and columnist with the Irish Independent for three years and then served as a news reporter for Today FM.

Omnicom chief is advertising's best paid CEO

Omnicom's John Wren was the top-earning chief executive in advertising last year, making $21.7 million between his salary, bonus, equity awards and other forms of payments.

Analysis of public filings by executive intelligence firm Equilar shows that IPG's Philippe Krakowsky took home $16.4m, making him the second-highest earner and better off than the average S&P 500 CEO ($16.4m).

Yannick Bollore of Havas ($10.8m), Arthur Sadoun of Publicis ($8.9m), Mark Read of WPP ($8.6m) and Mark Penn of Stagwell ($7.3m) follow behind Krakowsky. Martin Sorrell, the WPP founder turned S4 Capital chief, made $622,200.

Equilar is also broke down CEO pay as a ration of the earnings of the average employee. Wren again topped the survey at 494:1 ahead of Krakowsky (218:1), Penn (60:1) and Sorrell (8:1).

Kellogg's GAA Cúl Camps ad appeals to kids and parents despite lack of adult perspectives

Every week, Amárach and Future Proof Insights share exclusive findings from their PRIZM+ ad testing service, showcasing best practice creative advertising in Ireland.

Kellogg’s 'GAA Cúl Camps' campaign delivers a burst of summer energy. Built around a group of kids gathering, playing, and having fun, the ad encourages young families to sign up and take part in one of Ireland’s best-known summer activities.

There’s no build-up, no downtime, just a continuous flow of light-hearted, high-tempo moments grounded in gaelic games and community.

The ad is bright, lively, and consistently upbeat. It uses pace, humour, and sport to grab attention and link Kellogg’s directly with outdoor activity.

Crucially, the brand doesn’t stand apart from the action, it’s integrated. Gear, kits, cereal boxes and the logo all appear naturally in the flow of the ad, tied closely to the message.

Neuroscience tells us it mostly works. Engagement and Emotion are both consistently strong throughout.

Key scenes generate peaks in Impact, Memorisation, and Desire, particularly when branded moments align with on-screen joy. Cognitive Load stays within the optimal range, helping the message land clearly and cleanly.

To read more on this advert, CLICK HERE.

Photo: (l-r) Paul Hand and Martina Byrne. (Pic: Supplied)