Eileen Ruddy has been appointed as the managing director of GrowthStory, the newly rebranded agency that has emerged from performance media business Sing!
GrowthStory’s service offering will focus on developing branded content and partnerships across creator, social and influencer media, including video and audio, as well as performance-based media solutions.
GrowthStory also launched its new website this week at www.growthstory.ie.
Ruddy, who has more than 20 years’ international experience across digital media, business development, commercial strategy and executive leadership, will take responsibility for the overall strategy, P&L, commercial development and client relationships.
Previously she held senior roles with Trend Media, part of the Digicel Group in the Caribbean, and Independent News & Media, now Mediahuis. She has also worked as a digital consultant and also served as a non-executive director.
Explaining the transformation of Sing! into GrowthStory, she says that “brands are competing for attention in an increasingly fragmented media environment, and traditional approaches alone are no longer enough.”
“What makes creator media so powerful is the trust and connection creators have built with their audiences. Whether through podcasts, video or social content, people actively choose to spend time with these voices,” she said.
“For brands, that creates an opportunity to show up more authentically, tell richer stories and build meaningful relationships that drive both brand growth and business results,” she added.
“Our goal, simply, is to deliver business and brand impact using audio and video-first creator media.”
She said that creator media represents an opportunity for brands to “show up in conversations and connect meaningfully with audiences.”
“We’ve always believed that great stories are one of the most powerful levers of long-term business growth. The new name simply puts that belief front and centre.”
As part of its business development plans, GrowthStory has also appointed award-winning podcaster, broadcast journalist and producer Rebecca Horan as senior creator partnerships manager. Horan will play a key role in developing partnerships between brands, creators and podcast talent. She has previously worked with a range of brands and content producers in delivering commercial partnerships and content solutions. She is also a former head of production at DMG Media.
Speaking about her new role, Horan says: “I’m really looking forward to working with Eileen and the wonderful team at GrowthStory on some exciting and prolific partnerships.”
To support its launch and rebrand, GrowthStory partnered with RED C Research on the inaugural “GrowthStory Podcast vs Social Attitudes Barometer” which tracks how weekly users experience podcasts, social media and YouTube.
The study examines authenticity, attention, trust, relationships with creators and receptivity to advertising.
While social media continues to offer considerably greater audience reach, the research found substantial differences in how users evaluate the quality of their experience.
According to the RED C research, 59% of weekly podcast listeners described podcasts as “authentic and genuine” compared with 20% for social media.
Some 58% said podcasts provided a depth of information that shorter-form content could not deliver, compared with 27% for social media.
Meanwhile, more than half (52%) said podcast consumption made the time they spent feel meaningful, compared with 23% for social media. In addition, some 55% said podcasts had a positive impact on their lives compared with 28% for social media. Another 55% rated podcast content as high-quality or superior, compared with 26% for social media.
The RED C research also identified a stronger reported connection between audiences and podcast creators with 46% of weekly podcast users saying that podcasts helped them feel a deeper connection with creators, compared with 25% of weekly social media users.
When it came to trust in recommendations, 41% of podcast listeners said they would trust recommendations made on podcasts compared with 22% for social media.
Ciara Clarke, Group Director at RED C Research and Marketing Ltd, said the figures pointed to a distinctive audience mindset.
“What stands out in the findings is the quality of the podcast experience,” Clarke said.
“Podcast listeners are not just consuming content passively; they’re actively choosing to spend time with voices and creators they trust.
“That creates a very different environment to social media — one that feels more intentional, more immersive and ultimately more influential,” she added.
The research also noted that advertising also attracted higher reported attention in podcast environments with 30% of weekly podcast listeners saying they paid attention to podcast advertising compared with 22% for social media, meaning podcast listeners were more than 36% more likely to report paying attention to advertising.
The study also found lower levels of perceived advertising clutter, with 44% of podcast users saying they encountered a lot of advertising compared with 62% of weekly social media users.
“These findings reinforce what we have believed for some time,” noted Ruddy.
“The opportunity for brands is not simply to reach audiences, but to earn their attention and build a genuine connection with them.
“The research also shows that podcasts and creator-led media can create an environment where audiences are more engaged, more trusting and more receptive to the content and advertising they experience,” she adds.
“For brands, that represents a significant opportunity, but it requires a different approach to how partnerships and content are planned and delivered. That is exactly why we created GrowthStory. We believe the market needs an agency that brings together creators, compelling storytelling and performance thinking to help brands connect with audiences in ways that are authentic, effective and ultimately drive business results.”
To download a copy of the RED C/Growth Story research, click HERE
