Topaz has reported that over two tonnes of essential supplies, including blankets, warm jackets and waterproof boots, were collected through its partnership with Goal for the charity’s Syrian Appeal. The items were flown out on a Turkish Airlines flight to Istanbul recently, where they will be distributed to Syrian refugees in need. Topaz worked with a number of organisations for the initiative, including the DAA, Masterlink Logistics and Retail Excellence Ireland, and facilitated the collections by setting up drop centres at over 300 of its service stations.
A study by IAB Ireland and PwC has found that investment in digital advertising rose by 25% to €162 million in the first half of this year. Display advertising saw a 31% rise, the study found, and within that category, social media display advertising doubled in growth. Mobile advertising saw a 72% rise.
C&C Group boss Stephen Glancey has hinted that the cider maker may make a play for one or two of the brands offloaded as a result of the impeding merger between AB InBev and SAB Miller. The Sunday Times reported Glancey as saying, “When you’ve got a consolidation play […] you always expect follow-on activity. We might benefit from that.”
Communications agency Unique Media has appointed Lisa Buckley as Account Director and Niall McHugh as Senior Account Executive. Buckley brings over nine years of experience in delivering communication campaigns and holds an MA in Literature and Publishing from NUI Galway. Niall McHugh joined the Unique Media team in 2014 after receiving his BA in Public Relations from DKIT, and has previously completed internships with Elevate, Balls.ie and Kantar.
European lawmakers have rejected a compromise deal that would have given EU member states the chance to opt out of importing Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) for use in food and animal feed. The European Parliament voted 557 to 75 against the law, which had been negotiated by the European Commission amid concerns about the safety of such products.
Repak ELT has established a new waste tyre compliance scheme after the Minister for the Environment, Alan Kelly decided to replace the existing scheme, TRACS. The first phase of the scheme is a registration period, while the second phase will be the roll out of a full PRI scheme in the second half of 2016. The PRI scheme will also formalise the fee already in existence for the industry, in which motorists buying a new tyre pay an arbitrary fee for disposal, of between €2 and €3.
Marks & Spencer is bringing the world’s first milk-based vodka to the high street, reports The Mirror. Black Cow Vodka is produced in Dorset with fresh milk by farmer Jason Barber, using a unique method that uses whey and ferments it into beer before it is distilled, blended and triple-filtered. It has been described as “exceptionally smooth and creamy” and can be used in cocktails or sipped neat.
International bakery chain Le Pain Quotidien has opened its first Irish outlet in luxury shopping destination Kildare Village. The new opening comes as part of the brand’s wider expansion plans into the Irish market, reports the Irish Independent. The company aims to create 120 new jobs over the next two years, new restaurants planned for Dublin.
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