PR coup – or disaster - for Betfair?
“Switching Saddles” – the campaign in the UK which has
seen dual Olympic gold-winning cyclist, Victoria Pendleton switch the bike for
a horse could be one of the best PR coups ever – or a major disaster, according
to this measured article. Her enthusiasm
for her new sport is accepted as being completely genuine. But if, when participating in the Foxhunter
Chase at Cheltenham on Friday 18th March, she, her horse, another
rider or another horse has an accident due to her inexperience, fingers will be
pointed. But well done to Betfair – not an
official sponsor at Cheltenham – who, so far, are reaping the publicity
rewards.
Virtual Reality – arrives in Ireland within next few weeks!
With VR headsets arriving in Ireland shortly, this article
looks at how some Irish companies are working with it. Plans afoot to use the headsets for viewing
houses and training the defence forces for peacekeeping missions. A Waterford company, Immersive VR Education
is launching Apollo 11 based on the NASA mission, having raised money initially
on Kickstarter. They also have a Titanic
project in the works and VR lectures. A
Sligo-based company, Mind Myths plan to use VR to improve wellbeing and mental
health. Should be some really
interesting VR stuff emerging over the next few months…
The Rising isn’t the only Centenary!
The first radio broadcast in Ireland took place during the
Easter Rising week – have to admit I didn’t know that! And radio is still a very powerful medium in
this country with 83% of people here tuning into a radio station every
day. And it’s not just the older cohort
of the population that listen – 77% of 15-35 year olds are ‘habitual radio
listeners’ according to this article from John McGee in the Sunday
Independent. But radio hasn’t stood
still – they’ve been staging live
events, engaged with brand partnerships and content-focused offerings - such as
podcasts and live-streaming.
