Dorothy Murphy is a Publicist at Mission PR & Communications. After studying Business and Arts Management in IADT, Dorothy began working in brand management before moving into the PR industry.
As a MediaHQ Rising Star, Dorothy delves into the reason she decided to follow a creative career, her favourite thing about working in the PR industry and the campaign that she is most proud of.
Why did you decide to follow a career in PR?
Growing up I always had a huge interest in music, fashion and the creative industries. Having very quickly realised that as I didn’t have the natural talent to be an artist myself, I needed to look at other ways to get into this world. PR seemed to be the perfect fit to make an impact and grow fan bases and brands.
Specifically, tell us about your route into working in the PR industry?
Having studied Business and Arts Management at IADT, I initially went into the brand management side of things before focusing on more PR-focused roles. Since graduating I have worked in-house with some of Ireland’s leading brands including Chupi Jewellery, as well as on the agency side of things alongside some of the world’s biggest brands such as Disney+ so I have really seen it all.
To me, it is really important to have that insight and experience on both sides of the fence.
What is your favourite thing about working in PR?
That’s a tough one, and while it’s a close call between the people in the industry that I have the pleasure of working with daily, I would have to say it is the satisfaction that you get from seeing a campaign come to life and the results that are driven by the work that you put in. There really is nothing quite like seeing a brand or an artist grow to the next level and knowing that you were able to play your part in that.
Last year Mission PR had the pleasure of promoting Girl in Red's debut album 'if i could make it go quiet', and being a big fan of her work that was simply the dream.
If you could make a lasting change in the PR industry, what would it be?
Over the last few years the advertising, marketing and communications industries have really opened their eyes to equality, diversity and inclusion issues. I have always approached my work with these in mind, and I hope that by continuing to bring these issues to the table with a genuine motive and sensitivity we will all continue to move towards lasting change - not just in regards to the campaigns themselves but developing careers and the creative output.
Name one person who has influenced your career and tell us why.
The formidable Sabrina Sheehan, the powerhouse founder of Mission PR who has such a passion for publicity that you can’t help but catch the bug too!
Name one communications tool you couldn't live without.
It’s an incredibly basic tool but I would be lost without email, when I think back to how publicists must have worked in the past without it I shudder!
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Tell us about a campaign or piece of work that you’ve worked on that you are proud of.
There are so many highlights I could choose and I really am lucky to work on incredible campaigns every day, but if I really had to I would choose one of the many seasonal PR campaigns I devised and executed during my time in-house with Chupi Jewellery - to this day I still have people both on the communications side and the brand side of the industry mention to me about the media drops I devised, and the attention it drew to the brand was massive, resulting in both raised profile and sales.
This really gave me confidence in my work and a belief in myself that continues to drive me forward to curate bigger and better campaigns.
Finish this sentence. “The best way to connect your story to your audience is by…”
really digging down to the heart of the story and getting the right angle.
What is your favourite hobby?
I’m a country girl at heart having grown up on the lakeshore of Lough Corrib in Connemara, so any excuse for a quick dip or a ramble through the wilderness and I’m there.
What is the best book that you have read in the last year?
We’re really spoiled at the moment with so many brilliant young female Irish writers, but one that really stuck out for me was “Exciting Times” by Naoise Dolan. I read it from front to cover in one sitting and can’t wait to see what comes next.
What is your binge watch recommendation?
I try to pace myself with TV shows so it takes something special for me to binge watch - recently I loved Danish Scandi Noir Drama “The Chestnut Man”, not even the subtitles slowed me down! I’ve also just started The Dropout on Disney+ and I am really enjoying it.
Name three trends that you think will be important in the PR industry in the next 5 years.
- Campaigns must reflect customer values and show empathy - more than ever brands are aligning themselves with social movements.
- AI Influencers - research has shown that the general public has greater trust in influencers that are created using artificial intelligence over actual real-life influencers. It will be really interesting to watch how this develops.
- Focus on local - with many people moving away from major cities and to more rural areas, a new sense of community has been sparked.
Which social media site is the most important to you and why?
Personally, Instagram is my favourite as it’s an endless source of inspiration. For networking and interacting with the media, Twitter is my go-to and without a doubt, Facebook is key for any brand to drive sales.
Name one staple of the PR industry that you think will die out in the next five years.
I would be hesitant to say that any staple of the industry will die out, just look at how the QR code was revived! Personally, I think we are moving away from the days of cold calling media due to people working from home and it seems to work much better for everyone involved.
About MediaHQ
Designed for PR and Communications teams, MediaHQ is the all-in-one media contacts database and press release distribution software with the mission to connect your story with your audience.
It was founded by entrepreneur Jack Murray in 2009. Our cutting-edge software is the best, fastest and most accurate way to find the right journalists, build media and pitch lists in seconds, send press releases and get results.
The comprehensive MediaHQ database lists the details of every journalist, and media outlet in the UK and Ireland and is full of time-saving features.
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