2019 Influential Businesswoman Awards

Acquisition International - 2019 Influential Businesswomen Awards 21 With more than 20 years’ experience in the market, Amy has seen many developments in the PR space over her career. Most recently, she has noticed the increased focus on influencer marketing, which she believes is having a positive affect on women in this competitive market. “One of the biggest changes I’ve seen since starting my career is the rise of influencer marketing and influencer content. Ireland has seen the influencer sector grow massively in the past few years in a way that other countries haven't necessarily experienced yet. Ireland had become one of the largest users of Snapchat per capita, but that has since slowed down, and Instagram has become the new normal. It was a largely grey area for a while with little regulation, but these days influencers are having to treat it as a profession in terms of accountability too. “Within this huge development, I have seen a lot of positive change when it comes to women. From brands to celebrities and influencers, it is all about authenticity and representation and embracing all women today. It is no longer about the supermodel that no real woman can really relate to, but that’s not to say there’s no room for the supermodel either. Every brand with whom we work wants to make women feel good about who they are and what they do rather than make them feel that they need to be better, and that inclusivity is something that I am proud to see developing. There is now a lot more room now to be comfortable in your own skin and to be human and this is something we’re championing at the Publicity Loft. “Having set up the agency ten years ago I am incredibly proud of how far it has come over the past decade. Prior to Publicity Loft, I had another PR and event management agency that was successfully acquired. With a lot of hard work and lessons learned along the way, my leap of faith eventually paid off in choosing to work for myself.” “Fundamentally, I think the PR industry is one of the few industries that has always been dominated by women, especially the lifestyle sector. I don’t think it’s any easier or harder to enter the PR industry because of gender; whether you’re a woman or a man, you have to be a critical, flexible and lateral thinker with lots of ideas and a willingness to adapt and to work hard.” Overall, with the future stretched out in front of it, the sky is the limit for the Publicity Loft, as Amy is proud to conclude. “Over the coming years my aim for the Publicity Loft is to be the best agency and the best at what we do. Growth is not my core focus: I think there is a lot of value in the more intimate approach and our brands are responding very well to our dynamic. I do want to continue developing the digital side of the business and meet the digital needs of each brand as that’s something that’s constantly evolving and it’s only going to get bigger. I also want to ensure that PL fulfils its role as a lifestyle agency; we have become so known for our work with beauty in particular, which is fantastic, but I want to consciously widen the net, by bringing more lifestyle brands to the table, such as interiors and fashion which are areas that we used to specialise in. “Ultimately, these developments will drive the Publicity Loft to even greater success and help us to support more clients in the future, and I and my team are looking forward to working with clients from across the corporate market.” Company: The Publicity Loft Contact: Amy Buckeridge, Managing Director Phone: +35316424199 Website: www.publicityloft.com