Inis Communications, the Dublin and Donegal-based public relations (PR) firm founded by ex-journalist Trish Hegarty, has launched a new online PR toolkit to help businesses tailor and develop their own communications strategies.
The product, called Inis ExPRtise, is an interactive service that provides companies with advice and one-to-one support across five separate modules sold individually or in bundles.
Developed with funding support from the Inisowen Development Partnership, the service grew out of tools and templates that Ms Hegarty, a former Irish Times and BBC journalist, built in her years in the communications industry.
“During Covid, I mentored over 30 businesses in one year who rapidly needed to improve their online presence,” she said. “So, I had to adapt all my tools to provide a streamlined but quality service in a limited time frame. Post-Covid, I realised we had a suite of tools we could develop into a new online service.”
Market research conducted by Inis Communications revealed that more than three-quarters of SMEs rarely or never use external PR firms but almost half of them were interested in an online solution that is transparently priced.
“We have basically distilled three decades of professional PR and media experience into this toolkit, which aims to revolutionise PR for Irish SMEs,” Ms Hegarty said.
She said the service provides “practical and, actionable tools” for businesses to achieve their PR goals covering a range of topics including strategic communications and online content creation.
Andrew Ward, joint chief executive of the Inisowen Partnership, said the service is “the first of its kind in Ireland or elsewhere” and has global export potential.
