Meeting with Alice PR was an inspiring look at how communications can directly fuel advocacy and social change. Niamh Breathnach, Maisie Lynch, Emma Walsh, and their team have built a values driven practice, choosing to work with non-profits, charities, and government agencies rather than pursuing purely commercial accounts. I was especially struck by how they have embedded philanthropy into their own operations, such as the Alice Academy for Activists, a fully funded, three-day bootcamp that equips aspiring changemakers with skills in media relations, digital communications, and human rights based advocacy.

Hearing about their Game Changer campaign for Ruhama in collaboration with the Gaelic Athletic Association showed the complexity of real world advocacy work. Using Ireland’s biggest sporting event as a platform to tackle domestic violence and raise awareness to educate boys at a young age about the struggles that women go through was very inspiring to see. The team’s foresight in preparing risk management strategies, such as having written statements ready for athletes, was a reminder that communications work isn’t just about the message, but about anticipating challenges that could derail it.

One insight that stayed with me was their emphasis on humanized storytelling for social media. For non-profits, a dedicated spokesperson who can share personal, authentic stories can cut through noise and build a genuine public connection. Another insight that I found interesting was hearing how they plan their communications before sending out press releases to make sure that the media has time to plan and book interviews.

Also, I’d like to learn more about how Alice PR measures the long-term impact of such campaigns when they are done with them, particularly in influencing policy and securing government funding. I know that they measure the analytics regarding Ruhama’s Game Changer on their websites, but I would like to know more about how else they collect data.

Overall, Alice PR’s work reaffirmed that advocacy in action requires both heart and strategy,  meeting people where they are, while pushing for the change they may not yet know they need.