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.

Today, at Allied Irish Banks and Goodbody Clearstream, I learned about their initiatives and their motives behind becoming a sustainable company from Paul, Katie, and John. AIB is leading in the nation for their efforts in corporate social responsibility shows me that they are authentic in their values. John spoke about how AIB has raised over €19 billion for the Climate Action Fund since 2019, and their goal is €30 billion by 2030. Also, they wish to become net-zero in carbon emissions by 2030, and if they cannot make it to zero, they will have to pay tens of billions in fines. There is no time to waste, and with the United States dropping out of the Paris Agreement, the world needs climate action now more than ever. Another thing I learned from AIB was how to be transparent with your stakeholders, no matter if the reports are positive or negative. People value authenticity, and if the company is making clear efforts towards creating a more sustainable future, they will choose your business. Lastly, Paul discussed CSRD, the corporate sustainability reporting director, which puts regulatory pressure on landlords to make sure that their tenants live in habitable homes. This ensures that landlords will make sure their properties have A or B ratings are are always improving and investing in their properties. AIB is always putting in the time and effort to build 2,000 passive houses in Ireland, which are properties that never have to be heated or cooled because they always maintain 21° C. This ensures that energy is saved, as well as contributing to the fight against the housing crisis. 

One thing that I found interesting was how much society has changed over the past decade regarding sustainability. While Katie of Goodbody Clearstram was discussing the efforts that Munster Rugby is taking to reduce the number of indirect carbon emissions that Munster’s rugby team emits from fan travel, I was thinking about how 10-15 years ago, people would have never given it a second thought. After the discussion, I spoke with Katie and asked her a few questions about her career journey. I found out that she originally went to school for marine biology because she grew up in a coastal town and developed a genuine passion for protecting and sustaining the environment. She also talked about how in a country as environmentally focused as Ireland, there are still climate deniers, which I found particularly absurd. After this trip to AIB, I would like to learn more about the regulations that companies have to go through to confirm that they will not be fined by the government.