The latest episode of The Irish Marketing Podcast has just dropped and this week we delve into the changing world of public relations as seen through the lens of Emma Kelly, the founder and CEO of Elevate, the Dublin-based marketing and publications relations agency, which celebrates its 25th year in business this year.
A veteran of the PR industry, with a string of well known clients, Emma talks about what it has taken to build the business during a period of constant change in the wider media and communications industry.
Starting out in 2001 with clients like PlayStation and Reebok, Emma has navigated every major shift in the communications landscape — from the pre internet era to 5G and the influencer gold rush to the rise of TikTok — all while keeping her agency deliberately small, sharp, and client-focused.
She also talks candidly about the talent erosion she’s seeing in marketing teams today, why she hires for attitude over credentials, and why being physically in the office together is still non-negotiable for building great talent. She also reflects honestly on what it means to be a woman in her mid-fifties running an agency in an industry that hasn’t always valued experience.
