For her full biog, please click here.

Company:

DHR Communications is a full-service communications practice.  The services we offer can be classified under three main headings: public relations; public affairs; and project management.  For many of our clients, we provide an integrated service across all three areas.  We also offer training in media skills, advocacy techniques, crisis communications and social media skills.

Since the company was established, the focus has been on working with organisations that want to bring about positive change in society.  We try to make communications services more accessible and affordable to groups that, traditionally, wouldn’t have had a budget for PR.

Further information is available at www.dhr.ie and on our social media sites:
www.twitter.com/DHRComms; www.facebook.com/DHRCommunications; www.linkedin.com/company/dhr-communications.

Job Description:

Basically, my job is to raise the profile of the organisations with which we work.  This can involve straightforward PR tasks like developing and implementing media relations campaigns; organising media events, such as photocalls and press conferences; writing press materials; and liaising with journalists.   For clients with a public affairs focus, it can also involve arranging meetings with key politicians and policymakers; engaging with relevant stakeholder groups; and providing advice on how to strengthen relationships with target audiences.

We also deliver project management services for a number of clients.  Projects I work on range from nationwide student competitions to public consultations; music gigs, festivals and other large public events; funding schemes; marketing campaigns; and social media projects.  Because DHR Communications has a relatively small team, our work is very hands-on.  If we are running an event, I could be found assembling equipment, sweeping floors and cleaning up afterwards, in addition to managing the promotion and organisation of the event.

Social media is an increasingly important part of my work.  Many of our clients are charities or state-funded agencies, so their PR and marketing budgets are negligible.  Social media outlets provide a great, cost-effective way to promote their work.  I advise clients on establishing social media profiles – what sites will suit them best; how to build up a following; how to engage with followers.  If required, DHR Communications will also manage social media sites on behalf of clients – updating and monitoring their Facebook page and Twitter profile, for example, on a day-to-day basis.  We also manage websites on behalf of clients, or work with clients on the establishment of new sites – advising them on content and format, and engaging web developers on their behalf.  In 2011, we worked with an international energy company to develop its first ever corporate blog and to build its capacity to use social media to reach its target audiences.   Increasingly, we’ve been receiving requests from our existing client base and other organisations for training in social media skills.

Obviously, monitoring the media and the political environment is a hugely important part of my job.  Quite often, my work-plan for a day will go completely awry due to a breaking news story.  Clients can ring up at any time to ask us to draft a press release responding   to breaking news.  We’re also always available to clients to advise them on crisis communications.  Again, social media plays a significant role in both of these scenarios.  Emerging developments often come to our attention through social media sites.  Or negative comments left on a client’s Facebook page or Twitter profile can lead to them calling us for some crisis communications advice.

Likes:

What I like most about my job is working on projects that make a positive difference to Irish society.   It gives me a great sense of job satisfaction to think I’m helping make a difference – even if it’s in a very small way.  We work with organisations that tackle racism, homelessness, domestic violence, poverty, addiction, mental illness…

Another thing I really like is that no two days are the same.  Some days, I’m ensconced in my office, writing press releases or a tender proposal for new business; other days, I’m managing a photocall in a busy public location – or meeting clients to plan forthcoming events.  And the variety across our client-base is great so, in any given day, I could be working on topics as diverse as positive ageing, the digital economy, adult education, tourism, social innovation and international development.   In that sort of environment, I never get bored.

I also really like the growing focus on social media and online news outlets, which has impacted significantly on the PR industry.  The way people and organisations consume news; promote campaigns; and communicate with each other has changed – and will continue to change – hugely.  This is an exciting time for anyone involved in communications and the media.

Career Ladder:

I worked in Fine Gael National Headquarters when I finished college.  One of my duties there was to assist in overhauling the party’s website in advance of the 2004 local and European elections.  That was my first taste of working online on a day-to-day basis, and I really liked it – it was the first time I learned about content management systems, and saw how easy it can be to update websites and generate content online.  Since then, pretty much every job I’ve had has had a strong focus on using online tools.

I also worked as a journalist and editor with Public Affairs Ireland.  My duties were to write and edit content for a bi-monthly public affairs journal, and to produce a weekly email bulletin.  At the same time, I was doing freelance journalism work for a number of different sectoral publications, such as Council Review, Health & Safety Times and Emergency Services Ireland.

Before I joined DHR Communications, I was Communications Officer with AONTAS, the national adult learning charity.   In addition to managing media relations, I was responsible for the organisation’s online presence.

I joined DHR Communications as an Account Manager in 2007.  I was coming from a non-profit organisation, and a lot of DHR clients are not-for-profits, so it was a natural fit.  I never really expected to end up working in PR, but the mix of advocacy and media work that DHR Communications offers really appeals to me, as does the client-base.

Qualifications:

BA in Journalism from Dublin City University

Working Hours:

Working in PR means you have to be available to your clients pretty much all of the time.  My day starts at about 8.30am, when I check my emails on the way to work.  I’m usually in the office by 9am, and could be there quite late at night, depending on what’s happening in any given week.  We do some night-time events, and also a good bit of work at weekends.  And I need to be available to take calls or respond to urgent emails – from clients or from the media – pretty much at any time.

Breaktime:

My working day is busy, so I generally eat lunch at my desk and I’m not great for taking breaks throughout the day.  I try to be organised enough to bring my lunch into the office from home.  If that fails, I go to Manning’s on Thomas Street in Dublin 8, our local deli, for a take-away sandwich.  Occasionally, I’ll meet a friend in town, or go out for lunch with colleagues or clients.

Social media credentials:

First thing in the morning, I’ll check my emails on my iPhone & will glance at Facebook – and maybe Twitter.  Once I get to the office, the first websites I open are Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, and I leave these sites open all day – I’ll keep an eye on them throughout the day to see if there’s any breaking news I should be aware of, or any other items of interest or of relevance to our clients.  I also use TweetDeck, and have apps on my phone for all of the main social media sites.  If I’m out of the office at a photocall or client event, I’ll live-tweet from the venue and upload photographs to the DHR Facebook page and Twitter account – and possibly to the client’s social media sites too.

I manage DHR Communications’ online presence, including the company’s website; Facebook page; Twitter account; and LinkedIn page.  One of the things on my ‘to do’ list this month is an overhaul of the company’s website.

I’m also responsible for developing and delivering our social media training modules, which means I need to keep well informed about new developments and trends.

In addition to managing DHR Communications’ own online presence, I also manage our work on social media profiles for many of our clients.  So, quite often at work, I’ll be flicking back and forth between a number of different Twitter profiles, Facebook pages, websites and blogs.

During the working day, I use Facebook and Twitter more to get a sense of what’s going on in the world than for ‘social’ purposes.  Outside of working hours, I’m relatively active on Facebook in a more conventional way – keeping up with friends, etc.   I’m not active in a personal capacity on Twitter (I tweet as @DHRComms), but I like to use Twitter outside of working hours to see what’s happening in the world – and also to follow commentary around certain events and activities.  Increasingly, I’m keeping an eye on Twitter while watching something major on TV (political debates, current affairs shows, etc.).  Seeing how people tweet about breaking news stories or current affairs developments helps to inform my work with clients.

I use LinkedIn for networking and also to find out sectoral news – I’m a member of lots of PR, communications and social media groups on LinkedIn.  I’ve also recently started to use Google+, and plan to become more acquainted with that in the coming months.

News sources:

I get a huge amount of my news through Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.  I follow news sites like TheJournal.ie and Broadsheet.ie on Facebook, and frequently click through from my Facebook profile to their sites to find out more.  I particularly like TheJournal.ie’s ‘9 at 9’ and ‘The 5 at 5’.  I think the way that site has developed is symptomatic of the future of news – it’s a really good model of how media organisations can use social media to engage their audiences and deliver quality content.

I also follow lots of organisations of relevance to my work on Facebook (including clients), so I’ll come across news stories that way too and, obviously, Twitter is great for breaking news.  Through LinkedIn, I get lots of sectoral news – from the PR, social media and communications groups of which I’m a member.

I get the email versions of The Irish Times and Metro Herald delivered to my inbox each morning, so I’ll have a glance at the headlines on those, and I regularly refer to RTE.ie, IrishTimes.com, Examiner.ie and various other Irish news sites over the course of the day.  I also subscribe to a number of blogs that are of relevance to my work – and to the work of our clients.  Silicon Republic is great for Irish tech news, as are Digital Times and TechCentral.ie.  To keep up with international developments, I follow blogs like Spin Sucks, Social Media Examiner, PR News and PR at Sunrise.  And I also subscribe to a number of different bulletins from BrandRepublic.com.

Obviously, working in PR, it’s really important to keep up with traditional media too – I listen to morning current affairs shows on my way to work each morning – usually on Newstalk or RTÉ Radio 1.  The radio is always on in the background throughout the day and we have a selection of daily newspapers in the office, as well as magazines, specialist publications and local newspapers.

Onsite or offsite:

My job involves lots of meetings outside of the office, which I like.  I usually have a couple of off-site meetings every day.  There’s also a fair amount of travel involved in my role.  Lots of our clients have a nationwide remit.  So, even though their head office might be based in Dublin, they’ll have branches or members throughout the country, and will quite often ask us to travel for regional events or initiatives.  And, of course, some of our clients are based outside of Dublin, so – obviously – we travel to where they’re located for planning meetings and / or to organise events.   We also deliver training throughout the country, so I could be in Cork or Galway or Donegal for that.

Occasionally, this job involves overseas travel – I was in Brussels a couple of months back because one of our clients was presenting to a European Forum and meeting with MEPs to brief them on a particular initiative.  Lots of our clients are involved in transnational projects, so keeping an eye on what’s happening at EU level is important to our work.

Digital strategy/vision:

The PR and communications sectors will continue to become more and more influenced by digital media in the coming years.  So my main priority is to keep abreast of emerging trends and figure out how best to use new social media and online tools to promote our clients’ work.

I would also like to see more of our clients proactively embracing social media.  A surprising amount of organisations are still fearful about using Facebook or Twitter or other online tools.  Or they feel that, given their limited resources, they simply don’t have the staff available to maintain an effective social media presence.  Part of the training that DHR Communications offers is aimed at helping organisations overcome that fear – to understand the benefits of social media and plan how it can be incorporated into day-to-day work without any extra resources being required.

Apart from our clients, I also want to continue to enhance DHR Communications’ own online presence.  We have found social media to be extremely beneficial in terms of getting feedback about our work and developing our business.  But, with social media, you can’t afford to get complacent.  I know there’s more that we could be doing and that things are changing and developing all the time, so I want to make sure we keep pace with that.

I love Mondays because:

I love Mondays because, generally, I try to get any outstanding work cleared on a Friday evening or (if it has to be done!) over the weekend.  So, usually, come Monday morning, I feel I’m starting with a clean slate and a very manageable ‘to do’ list.  Unfortunately, though, this quite often doesn’t go to plan!

DHR Communications is a full-service public relations and public affairs agency, working primarily with not-for-profit organisations.  We are currently seeking to recruit an Account Executive to contribute to project delivery and to support our senior team.

The ideal candidate will have at least two years’ experience in the areas of public relations, public affairs or journalism.

S/he should enjoy working as part of a team; pay meticulous attention to detail; and offer:

• An understanding of the media and political systems in Ireland, and how they operate.
• Strong writing skills and an ability to develop and pitch media angles.
• Experience in monitoring and updating websites and social media profiles.
• Strong administration skills and experience of managing extensive contacts databases.
• Experience in planning and delivering projects.

Salary will be commensurate with experience.

Interested candidates should apply, with a CV and cover letter, to: info@dhr.ie.

The closing date for receipt of applications is Friday, 16th December 2011, at 5pm.

Catherine Heaney, one of the founding Directors of DHR Communications, has taken over the company as Managing Director.  Catherine – who has 20 years’ experience in public relations, public affairs and politics – will now focus primarily on business development and the provision of high-level strategic communications advice to clients. 

Expanded Team

Joining our team is Leinster House veteran Tony Heffernan, who – in recent months – served as Campaign Manager for Michael D. Higgins’ successful presidential election campaign.  Tony is one of the most experienced political communicators in Ireland, having worked in the Oireachtas for almost 30 years.  He served as Assistant Government Press Secretary with the Rainbow Coalition Government from 1994 to 1997, and was Press and Parliamentary Director for the Labour Party for the past 11 years, working closely with three Labour Party Leaders over that time: Eamon Gilmore, Pat Rabbitte and Ruairí Quinn.  At DHR Communications, Tony will be responsible for advising clients on public relations and public affairs strategies.

We have also appointed Martina Quinn as an Account Director.  Martina has worked with the firm for almost five years, delivering PR services across a range of client accounts.  She has particular expertise in social media campaigns and project management, and has played a lead role in managing major initiatives and events for clients such as ESB International, Irish Aid, Trócaire, the South-East Regional Authority and drinkaware.ie.  Prior to joining DHR Communications, Martina worked at Fine Gael National Headquarters and with AONTAS, the national adult learning organisation.

Other changes at DHR Communications include the promotion of Lydia Ishak to Senior Account Executive and the recruitment of Emily Kelly, also in the role of Senior Account Executive.  Lydia has worked with us for three years, while Emily joins the team from 98FM, where she served as a reporter and news-reader.

Our staff team is now comprised of seven communications professionals.  Our company is chaired by former ICTU General Secretary and incoming Executive Director of the Kennedy Centre for Conflict Intervention at NUI Maynooth, Peter Cassells.  Peter will continue to advise on key client accounts at DHR Communications.

New Business Wins

In the past two months, DHR Communications has successfully tendered to provide PR, public affairs and consultation management services to a number of high-profile public sector agencies, including the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, Irish Aid and Skillnets.  Other new business wins include contracts with Young Social Innovators, the Immigrant Council of Ireland, Philip Lee Solicitors, City & Guilds and St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

Yesterday, we assisted Ballymun Youth Action Project‘s launch of two reports; one on a conference they held recently and another on youth perception of drugs and alcohol use in Ireland.

Earlier in the month we supported Clúid Housing Association‘s announcement of a new national contact centre and work positions.

Threshold also launched its annual report for 2010 and called on the government to prioritise sustainable housing solutions over emergency accomodation and street services.

The Simon Cumbers Media Fund student scheme’s roadshows are being rolled out in various colleges and universities in Ireland. So far we have been to University of Limerick, Independent Colleges, Dublin Businsess School, NUI Galway and Cork IT.

Looking ahead, we are working on the Immigrant Council of Ireland‘s 10th Anniversary Celebrations which will be held in mid-December.

So a brief summary of our work this month. Check here soon as we will be making major announcements soon.

Bob Jordan, CEO and Aideen Haydeen, Chairperson of Threshold at the launch of their 2010 Annual Report.

The Immigrant Council of Ireland has also been busy with a number of events. We managed the publicity for their Racism Report – ‘Taking Racism Seriously’ launch, the Pathways to Parental Leadership toolkit launch and a briefing with the Scandinavian police force on the impact prostitution legislation has had on Sweden and Norway.

Minister Jan O'Sullivan; Paddy Smyth, The Irish Times and Susan Cahill, Newstalk pictured at the launch of the Simon Cumbers Media Fund Student Scheme

In addition to this, we also launched the DARE2BDRINKAWARE.ie 2012 round and worked with the Digital Hub, for the ‘Best in Show‘ graduate internship competition. Other projects that we worked on included Active Retirement of Ireland’s annual national bowls tournament in Castlebar, Co. Mayo.

So that’s a quick round-up of our work over the past month.  For more information on what we do on a day-to-day basis, check out our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter.

Dermot, together with our other founding Director, Catherine Heaney, has built DHR Communications’ capacity and reputation across public relations, public affairs and project management.  He leaves us with a very proud company, committed to delivering excellent results to our many clients.

The team here at DHR Communications will miss Dermot very much and wish him the best for his future in the Southern Hemisphere.

2FM's Ruth Scott & Joey Lynch from The Hot Sprockets try their hand at bashing a pinata at the launch of the 'Thanks, from Trócaire' gig.

The gig is taking place at The Grand Social, 35 Lower Liffey Street, Dublin 1 this coming Thursday, 23rd June, from 7pm ’til late.  Alternative / electronic quartet  CODES will headline the event, where they will be joined by blues-rockers The Hot Sprockets and rising Irish five-piece Storyfold.  Tig Linn – a collective with members from Kíla, Discovery Gospel Choir and the Afro-Irish music group De Jimbé – will open the gig, while acoustic performances by a variety of acts will take place throughout the venue over the course of the night.  2FM’s Ruth Scott will be the special guest MC for the night, and the gig will close with a DJ set by internationally acclaimed DJ iZem.

To add a Central American flavour to proceedings, Latino guitarists will be on hand, while Honduran-inspired snacks will be cooked to order in the outdoor beer garden.  Games and crafts from Central America will also be on show.

Tickets for this gig – costing only €5 – will be available on the door on the night.  However, DHR Communications has some pairs of tickets to give away over the coming days.  To be in with a chance to win a pair of tickets, just email your contact details to trocaire@dhr.ie before 9am on Thursday (23rd June).  We’ll announce the winners on Thursday morning.  In the meantime, you can find out more about the gig – and about Trócaire’s work in Central America – at: www.trocaire.org.

Catherine has been a Board member of Connect Ethiopia for almost three years.  The charity was founded in 2005 by leading entrepreneur Brody Sweeney and well-known solicitor Philip Lee.  It aims to promote the economic development of Ethiopia through building links between business communities in Ireland and in Ethiopia.

DHR Director Catherine Heaney befriends one of the younger residents of Lalibela during her recent trip to Ethiopia.

In April, Catherine – along with 12 other representatives of Connect Ethiopia – travelled to the ancient North Ethiopian village of Lalibela, which is famed for its 11th and 12th Century rock-hewn churches and is a UNESCO World Heritage site.  All members of this delegation are leading figures in Ireland’s hospitality, marketing and tourism sectors.  During their time in Lalibela, they delivered an intensive training programme to local service-providers and worked to build the ‘StayLalibela’ brand, which aims to increase the number of tourists visiting the village each year.

One of Lalibela's famous rock-hewn churches. Photo: Jan O'Connell.

In addition to Catherine, other members of the delegation to Lalibela included Michelin-starred chef Kevin Thornton; well-known Kerry hotelier Francis Brennan; and Connect Ethiopia founders, Brody Sweeney and Philip Lee.  All of the Irish people involved in the trip gave freely of their skills and services.

As part of their work in Lalibela, the Irish delegation developed a range of new tourism products, including a cookery school, a half-day farm visit and a walking tour.  Catherine worked closely with the Lalibela Guides Association during her stay, providing advice on writing website content; designing a tourist trek; and marketing their services better.

Catherine Heaney and fellow Connect Ethiopia delegation member, Jack Crotty, pictured with a member of the Lalibela Guides Association while mapping out a new trek for tourists to Lalibela...

... And one of the many stunning views to be enjoyed by trekkers in Lalibela.

Over 80 people from Lalibela’s tourism sector completed the four-day intensive training programme delivered by the Irish delegation in April.  The purpose of the trip was to enhance the skills of key personnel in Lalibela’s hospitality sector, so that the village can take advantage of a growing tourism market in Ethiopia and develop sustainable tourism products.

“While Lalibela plays host to lots of day-trippers who come to visit the churches, what we are aiming to do is ensure people extend their visit and remain in the village for a longer period of time,” Catherine says.  “Our aim is not only to encourage more people to visit Lalibela, but also to increase the average number of nights that tourists spend there from one to three.

“Thanks to our work in April, visitors to Lalibela can now enjoy a range of activities as well as visiting the spectacular churches.  With StayLalibela, we hope to create a more sustainable and profitable tourism industry in Lalibela, which will be of real benefit to the local economy.  Our measurable objective will be to help double the number of foreign visitors to Lalibela from 28,000 in 2009 to 56,000 in three years’ time.”

Catherine Heaney and chef Kevin Thornton participate in a traditional Ethiopian coffee-making ceremony in Lalibela.

StayLalibela was officially launched in Dublin earlier this week, and the launch achieved high levels of media coverage in the national press.  You can keep up-to-date on the progress of StayLalibela by checking out the website on a regular basis and / or following StayLalibela on Facebook.

Catherine takes a break during a hike in the hills around Lalibela.

To mark Africa Day 2011, we have two pairs of tickets to give away for the ‘Pathways to Africa’ gig, taking place at 7pm on Sunday, 22nd May, in the Button Factory, Temple Bar, Dublin 2.  The highlight of this gig will be a performane by acclaimed Guinean djembé drumming master Nansady Keita.  Also on the line-up are Congolese musician Niwel Tsumbu; the Wassa Wassa Rhythm and Dance Collective; reggae, dub and roots act Dub Investigation; and Rwandan dance troupe Inkindi n’Inganzo.

To be in with a chance to win a pair of tickets for what promises to be an excellent evening of African music, song and dance, just email noomi@dhr.ie, including your contact details, or comment on this post.  The competition closes at 3pm tomorrow, Friday, 20th May.

The ‘Pathways to Africa’ concert is being organised by Wassa Wassa with support from Irish Aid.  Further information on events taking place for Africa Day 2011 is available at www.africaday.ie.

Would you like to visit IMMA for a public conversation with renowned West African artist Romauld Hazoume?

In addition to the ‘Pathways to Africa’ concert, Irish Aid is supporting a whole host of Africa Day events around the country over the coming fortnight.  The first of these will take place tomorrow evening (Friday, 20th May) at 5pm at the The Chapel in the Irish Museum of Modern Art.  African curator and writer Yacouba Konate will host a public conversation with leading West African artist Romauld Hazoume, who was born and continues to live in the Republic of Benin and whose work is deeply rooted in the culture and traditions of West Africa.

This public conversation is taking place in conjunction with an extended solo exhibition of Hazoume’s work at IMMA.  The conversation will be followed by a wine reception.  Admission is free, but booking is essential.  To book a place now, just click here.