Monday, March 7, 2016

PR coup - or disaster - for Betfair, VR headsets come to Ireland & Radio celebrates centenary here




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.


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