MediaPLUS: Sybil Mulcahy appointed dmg media Ireland group digital editor

MediaPLUS is your weekly update on all that matters in media and marketing

Sybil Mulcahy has been appointed group digital editor of dmg media Ireland.

Mulcahy has served for the past eight years as editor of EVOKE, overseeing the growth of its audience and creating the largest female digital media audience in the Irish market. ?

In 2021, she took on an expanded role as head of content for EVOKE, RollerCoaster.ie and One Fab Day, and in her new role she will oversee the publisher's news, sport and entertainment site Extra.ie.

Prior to joining dmg media in 2016, Mulcahy worked for Virgin Media Television (then TV3) as both a presenter and producer of popular programmes such as Xposé and The Morning Show.

MyHome brings Javelin in as creative and media partner

Property listings website MyHome has appointed advertising agency Javelin Dublin as creative and media partner to help drive growth.

The site receives more than 1m monthly visitors and works closely with local and national estate agents. Owned by The Irish Times group, the platform recently introduced a series of UX tools and products to make property research easier.

Of the Javelin partnership, MyHome managing director Joanne Geary said: "We believe they will deliver innovative campaigns that will drive the MyHome brand nationally."

Kyla O'Kelly , director of Javelin, added that "MyHome has an important role to play in being a trusted, fast-moving and progressive partner to people embarking on the important and often difficult journey of finding a home" at a time of record first-time buyer mortgage approvals.

"We are really looking forward to working with the MyHome team and encouraging more home and rental hunters to see the latest developments on the platform, all designed to make house hunting easier, less stressful and a more successful experience."??

Mawdsley teams up with SPAR ahead of Euro Championships

Olympian and European 4x400m champion Sharlene Mawdsley has partnered with convenience retailer SPAR ahead of the 2025 European Athletics Indoor Championships.

SPAR has sponsored the European Athletics Championships since 1996, and the company and Mawdsley are encouraging Irish fans to "get moving" ahead of the event in Apeldoorn in the Netherlands.

Members of the public can enter a competition to win a four-day VIP trip to Apeldoorn by going for a jog, taking a screenshot on the running app of their choice and posting it to Instagram with the hashtag #TeamSPAR.

Colin Donnelly , SPAR sales director, added: “SPAR has a long-standing tradition of supporting athletics both here in Ireland and internationally. We are proud to partner with Sharlene Mawdsley to promote a healthy and active lifestyle.

“This campaign is all about celebrating the dedication of Irish athletes and their incredible supporters and we can’t wait to see the Irish public lace up their running shoes and get involved for a chance to win this unforgettable experience.”

SPAR will also sponsor RTE coverage of the European Athletics Indoor Championships, which take place from 6-9 March.

Cuddihy to host The Tonight Show

Kieran Cuddihy has been announced as the new presenter of Virgin Media Television's flagship current affairs programme The Tonight Show.

Cuddihy will begin presenting the show, which airs every Tuesday and Wednesday, from 4 March, and he will continue to present Newstalk's drivetime programme, The Hard Shoulder.

He succeeds Claire Brock and Ciara Doherty , who stepped down following November's general election. The Tonight Show replaced Tonight with Vincent Browne on the Virgin Media schedule in 2017 and was formerly presented by Matt Cooper and Ivan Yates .

“I’m really excited to have the opportunity to present such an important show," Cuddihy said. “When you look at the presenters that have gone before me, you realise what an institution the show has become over the years.

“What The Tonight Show has consistently taught us is that current affairs programming doesn’t have to be staid and predictable - it can be engaging, informative and entertaining when done right.

“That’s exactly what I’ll be aiming for every Tuesday and Wednesday. I can’t wait.”

Cuddihy has been with Newstalk since 2011. Prior to broadcasting, the Kilkenny native worked as a solicitor.

US press releases becoming more hyperbolic

Research from ADWEEK shows that instances of hyperbolic descriptions in US press releases increased substantially last year.

The superlatives to see the largest proportional increase in year-on-year usage in press releases published on PR Newswire in 2024 were 'groundbreaking' (+47%), 'pioneering' (+33%), and 'cutting-edge' (+31%).

Innovative received a 7% bump in usage, and PR Newswire confirmed the increases were in word usage rather than due to a surge in the press releases being issued.

Conversely, mentions of 'industry-leading' were flat between 2023 and 2024, while use of 'passion' and 'revolutionary' both dipped.

While the use of 'thrilled' among PR people in press releases has climbed significantly over the past eight years, from 7,704 mentions in 2017 to 20,041 in 2024, 'revolutionary' appeared 2,136 times in 2017 before rising to 3,941 in 2023 and declining to 3,807 last year.

Anthony D'Angelo , chair of the public relations department at Syracuse University, said PR professionals should tone it down, and focus on showing rather than telling.

“My guidance to anybody: Don’t make a claim; substantiate one,” he said. “If you’re saying we have a revolutionary chip, wouldn’t it be better to say we’ve just introduced a new chip that’s 80% faster than anything else on the market?”

AD LAB – Bank of Ireland’s ‘EcoSaver Mortgage’ campaign

This week's AD LAB report focuses on Bank of Ireland's 'EcoSaver Mortgage' campaign.

Every week, Amárach and Future Proof Insights share exclusive findings from their PRIZM+ ad testing service showcasing best practice creative advertising in Ireland.

Bank of Ireland EcoSaver Mortgage ad takes a fresh approach to financial advertising, using humour to bring a complex topic—home energy ratings—to life.

Set against the backdrop of an over-the-top gender-reveal-style party, the ad leans into absurdity, showing a family celebrating their BER score with flares, fireworks, and even a drone reveal.

For more on the results, click here.

To read the full article on BusinessPlus.ie just click here

Ben Haugh Cormac Cahill George Morahan Doug Farrell Karl Byrne Liz Doyle Paul Henderson Fintan Gavigan Janice Carlin Hugh Quigley Conor Quinn Mairead Kearns Caoilfhionn Ni Dhuibhinn Emma Rooney Marian McConville Diana Bunici Lorraine Worth Karl Tracey Wini Moore Ciara Cantwell Desmond Farrelly MSc Amy Rohu Rebecca Horan Mike Dunne Nicole Goodman David Vaz SpaceTo dmg media Ireland

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