Throughout my public relations journey, I have learned a bit about the different PR career paths. One path that stood out to me was agency work. I got some experience in agency life working as an Account Associate at PRowl Public Relations and working on the digital marketing team at SEOM Interactive this past summer. Visiting THINKHOUSE solidified my interest in agency life.  

THINKHOUSE is one of the world’s leading independent agencies powered by youth culture. The agency works with progressive brands that care about the planet and provides creative, innovative, and purpose-led marketing. Its vision is a world of brands and businesses that young people actually want, and its mission is to make and keep leading brands and businesses culturally relevant. The certified B-Corp has three pillars: transformation, planet, and fame.  

When I walked into THINKHOUSE, I immediately fell in love with the energy of the space. It felt very collaborative and open (and not just because it was an open concept design). Our hosts Donna Parsons and Kieran O’Donovan were incredibly kind and insightful. I enjoyed their presentation very much and learned a lot.  

I found the DOT framework to be especially interesting. DOT stands for decoding culture, operation consciously, and transformative creative—which all align with the pillars of the company. It is fascinating that the agency focuses on targeting Gen Z audiences, and I wonder how it established itself as a leader in youth culture.  

My favorite part of the presentation was The Love Network. As someone with an interest in influencer relations, I thought that THINKHOUSE has such a unique approach to influencer marketing. The Love Network finds creators of all sizes who authentically love a brand. More importantly, the influencer’s audience loves the brand, and the influencer helps grow brand love. In a culture where people are getting tired of influencers, I like how THINKHOUSE chooses their influencers to remain authentic. I also was fascinated by the use of AI influencers. I wonder how audiences perceive AI influencers, especially compared to typical influencers.  

Additionally, I enjoyed getting some hands-on experience by creating a campaign for the RTE This is Art competition. I had so much fun collaborating with my peers to target our audience and marry public relations and sustainability in our campaign. I even enjoyed creating our agency name and mission statement. Shoutout G ²AS + Co! 

While I knew I had a slight interest in agency work, I am glad I was able to solidify my interest in agency and connect with more professionals in this field. Thank you, Donna and Kieran, for your insights and time!  

Despite only staying in Dublin for eight days, the trip holds memories that will last a lifetime. Outside of academic and career-building opportunities, the trip formed a bond with my classmates stronger than I ever believed was possible. Every step of the way, the 16 of us were side by side exploring the city. From hiking the cliffs of Howth to grabbing late-night pints together, this trip was one for the ages.

We somehow captured the perfect blend of fun and learning (which often ended up being fun too!).

Something that kept coming back to me when thinking about my career was that you don’t necessarily have to love the industry you’re working in. It is more so the environment an organization and its employees foster that makes the difference.

At first, I shrugged off the idea of meeting with Allied Irish Bank. I tried to stay open-minded, but I couldn’t ignore the thought that banking wasn’t for me. But if we truly think about it, who grows up desperately wanting to work at a bank? Almost no one.

I learned to keep my options open and to connect with whoever caught my attention. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the flashy agency work of Thinkhouse, but those positions will be hard to come by.

My other big takeaway came from our conversation with Maisie Lynch of Alice PR. Her work on the “Game Changer” campaign with Ruhama and the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA).

Just because two organizations have very different goals does not mean they don’t have a similar target audience and an opportunity to do good. Using the same male audience aged 18–35, Alice PR, Ruhama, and the GAA leveraged the positive values of Gaelic sports to raise awareness about gender and sex-based violence. The genius connection of sportsmanship and protecting/caring for one another is as authentic as it gets.

Finally, I’d like to return to the idea of authenticity—the foundation of this entire course. When an organization takes pride in the work they are doing and ensures it’s specific and measurable, the results follow. All of the professionals we met with had examples of this.

Thinkhouse noted that they turned down a substantial offer from Shein, as a fast-fashion brand could never truly align with their values.

Allied Irish Bank emphasized that they did not want to simply check a box to satisfy regulations but instead had a genuine desire to take positive environmental steps.

These are just a few of the examples.

In short, our trip to Ireland was a personal and professional success. I made great friends along the way and met with some of the most inspiring organizations I’ve come across. I look forward to keeping in touch with everyone in the future!

– Graeme Duffey

Throughout my week in the city of Dublin spent visiting agencies and exciting sites, there were several experiences and moments that will stick with me for some time to come. These moments range from simple interactions like speaking with locals, navigating new landscape and dynamics with my fellow classmates, to the more educational experiences such as our meetings with all the generous companies that granted us a bit of their time and resources. Among all of these growth opportunities, what I can say translates most directly into the trajectory of my career in advertising is the necessity of authenticity.

Authenticity was an overarching aspect of corporate social responsibility (CSR)  that we touched on before coming to Ireland. We read about it in several texts and had discussions surrounding its vitality in a company’s CSR efforts, however, once we met with one company in particular, Allied Irish Bank (AIB),  and continued to explore other agencies, this concept really took root in my mind. I realized that, once I begin to grow into my career field, examining the heart of potential employers beyond just their advertised and projected values is just as important as any other aspect of job research. 

In an industry as seemingly lifeless as banking and finance, CSR efforts outwardly appear as a facade meant to please the masses. And truly, this is what the case still is for most of the big names in banking. For a company such as AIB, their commendable CSR efforts are as well-rounded, well-researched and impactful as they are because these values are tied to personal beliefs held by those at the very top of their organization. To care for the humans you service and the environment you inhabit needs to be central to the people behind a business. This is necessary in order to stand on company-wide CSR efforts in the face of an industry that continuously disincentives doing so. These efforts can be written in the bylaws of an organization, but until they are internalized and humanized they do not truly stand a chance. 

 That being said, it now means more than just scrolling through a company’s “about us” and hoping to see socially and environmentally responsible efforts when researching a potential employer. In future considerations, researching the C-suite, founders, CEOs and higher-ups in order to gain insight as to the true identities that make up the business is a practice I will utilize. 

Furthermore, I’ve come to see that in the case that a company is part of an industry known to lack humanistic care, that company itself does not definitively harbor that same reputation. As new management and leadership is brought in and adapted to the changing landscape, opportunities for growth and establishment of better care for people and the planet are also established. Companies can grow and change and still be authentic in newfound values, just as humans grow and identities change all the same. To make values personal instead of just profitable and stand behind them as core facets to an identity is integral to a respectable and respectful employer.

These posts will feature student reflections on how their experiences in Dublin helped influence their future career directions.