Carlin Creative provided strategic communications and media relations to support the work of Cancer Fund for Children and the Rory Foundation to announce the charity’s plans to roll out its specialist services across Ireland. Those plans include the donation of 1.2m Euro by Rory McIlroy and the Rory Foundation to build a therapeutic short break facility in County Mayo as part of a major donor strategy. The campaign was strategically planned to coincide with the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open when Rory returned home to host the tournament. The campaign achieved local, national and international coverage with news and features running across print, broadcast and digital media.
Consultancy work with Cancer Fund for Children included two strategic campaigns. The first maximised on international golfer Rory McIroy’s association with the charity during the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open in May 2015 and when the Rory Foundation hosted a major benefit night at the charity’s free therapeutic short break facility, Daisy Lodge in Newcastle, Co. Down. The objective; utilize the opportunity to highlight the unique work and services of Cancer Fund for Children to opinion formers and local, national and international press. The campaign, nominated for a CIPR Award, achieved global media reach and was followed by further brand building work throughout September designated as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month with stories running daily in the NI and Republic of Ireland press and on social media, television, radio and on-line.
Una Carlin was chief spokesperson for BBCNI and ran its Press Office for 15-years when NI was still emerging from the Troubles. Appointed to the post from Channel 4 and ITV, she brought with her commercial acumen, strategic thinking and selling skills focusing activity on press engagement and the pro-active placement of positive stories about BBC NI, its programmes, services and talent. Una worked on some of BBC NI’s most controversial and highly sensitive network content including Holy Cross, Sinners (Magdalene Laundries), Messiah (Ken Stott) and Five Minutes of Heaven (Liam Neeson and James Nesbitt). She handled numerous crises including, the arrest of four BBC investigative journalists during a Real IRA sting in Donegal and the Iris Robinson story for Panorama and Spotlight. She was also responsible for BBC NI programme season launches including ‘The One’ launch to mark the rebranding of BBC One, BBCNI Goes Country and, Autumn on Fire.
Una Carlin competed against senior BBC communications colleagues across the UK to win a prestigious attachment to BBC Birmingham. The objective; to stage a year-long-media relations campaign to promote and protect corporate reputation while BBC Birmingham closed its iconic Pebble Mill Studios and relocated to a brand new purpose built broadcasting centre in the Mailbox. Within weeks of her arrival, Una was awarded a performance bonus for pulling together a cohesive ‘In the Heart of the City campaign’ which off-set controversy around disruption, delays and costs of the property move by focusing on its associated benefits. Highlights included the launch of Desi DNA, a brand new Asian arts and lifestyle show for BBC Two to herald BBC Birmingham’s arrival to the Mailbox, a special supplement in the Birmingham Post, an explosive ending to the ‘Doctors’ set in Pebble Mill before the launch of BBC Birmingham’s new Drama Village culminating in a Royal visit to open the new facility.
Prior to the consolidation of ITV, Una Carlin was appointed to lead media relations for United Film and Television Productions. The role included overseeing the press office function of a large central London production house and three ITV regional franchises, Meridian Television, Anglia Television and HTV Wales and West. Output included So Graham Norton, Where the Heart Is and Hornblower. A highlight at UFTP was the launch of Alan Bleasdale’s adaptation of Oliver Twist for ITV at a VIP red carpet cast, crew and opinion former screening at the Strand Cinema in London followed by an after show party in the Lamb & Flag pub of Covent Garden which Charles Dickens frequented. Una also worked on United’s ‘Talent on TV’ campaign during its merger bid for Carlton which led to a Granada takeover and the eventual formation of ITV.
Una began her career in television media-relations at Channel 4 working alongside Peter Grimsdale, Commissioning Editor for History, Religion and Features. Highlights of her time included working with Robbie Coltrane on Coltrane’s Planes, Trains and Automobiles and securing a front page story in the Daily Mail with the headline ‘Channel Fortean’ during her promotion of Fortean TV, one of Channel 4’s more unusual series about the paranormal. She also worked on the Witness Series and documentaries including Cutting Edge. To coincide with devolution, Una produced a strategy document ‘Northern Exposure’ for Channel 4 arguing for a less London-centric approach to audience and press engagement leading to a Head of Communications position at Channel 4’s Nations and Regions operation based in Glasgow led by Stuart Cosgrove. There she showcased Channel 4’s increased presence in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland with regionally tailored opinion former launches of Film 4’s ‘My Name is Joe’ by Ken Loach.