NI Science Park to Expand to Meet Demand

The Northern Ireland Science Park has confirmed plans to expand its facilities by almost a third, providing additional space for up to 500 knowledge workers...a bit of good news amidst the economic gloom and continuing its amazing progress as a key driver of the NI Knowledge Economy.

This latest phase will see the second of three buildings known as ‘The Concourse’, representing a £6Million investment and a unique partnering of NISP, Belfast Harbour and DETI.



Frank Hewitt, Chairman, NISP; Enterprise Minister, Arlene Foster and
Roy Adair, CEO, Belfast Harbour with plans of the new building.



NISP, is already home to approximately 100 companies currently employing approximately 1500 people, with average salaries double the NI average. It is also planning to expand its reach to the Northwest of Northern Ireland and is in discussions with Ilex Regeneration re a regional model based in Fort George in Derry.

You can read more here. 

Tribute to Rosi Kirker

Rosi Kirker Millar
1964 – 2011

All consultancies regard their clients as special, but anyone who had the pleasure of working with Rosi Kirker would know that when it came to being ‘special’, she was in a league of her own.

I knew Rosi as a client (RTSL/Novosco), as a colleague (Sales Institute of Ireland), as a teammate (Malone Ladies Hockey Club) but mostly, as a friend. Time with Rosi was time well spent. Her smile, positivity and love of life were her trademarks, her enthusiasm was infectious and her sunny disposition brightened any day.
She was the ultimate ‘networker’, a sales supremo, and a consummate marketing professional.

Throughout her illness she refused to give up or give in, and thanks to her never-ending energy and determination she achieved so much for Bowel Cancer UK and the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Who else could organise a fundraising event in March which would set a world record for the greatest number of Santas to cycle from Belfast to Comber? This is just one of Rosi’s many legacies but it highlights how her selfless drive and positive outlook will benefit many in the future.

Martin and her boys have lost an amazing wife and mother and NI’s business community has lost a valued colleague. I, like many others, have lost a great friend but I feel privileged to have known Rosi Kirker and consider myself exceptionally lucky to have shared part of her life.


Claire Bonner

PR Powerbook

Kieran Donnelly, Morrow Communications Director, has been included in PR Week’s 2011 Power Book of the most influential PR people across the UK.

One of only five from Northern Ireland featured, this is the third year that Kieran has been named in the guide, which is known as the definitive ‘who’s who’ in the PR industry.

JCI Belfast – Morrows Insights

Junior Chamber International Belfast is a networking and personal development organisation for young business professionals and is part of a global organisation with over 250,000 members worldwide. Jacinta Parkhill, Senior Communications Consultant at Morrows is president of JCI Belfast and tells us what the organisation has been up to.

“More and more companies are realising the benefits of networking in generating new business and building contacts. JCI Belfast offers young professionals the opportunity to network, to build up contacts across the business sector and to develop new skills through our programme of personal development and training events.”

“So far this year we have hosted monthly members’ evenings with guest speakers presenting on topics from the NI Assembly to crafting a professional business image. Business consultants, Deloitte recently spoke at an event on pension planning. JCI Belfast also has an active social events programme and we support Barnardo’s NI as our charity of the year,” she concluded.

For more information on upcoming events and on joining JCI Belfast, visit http://www.jcibelfast.com/

Out 'n' About

The team at Morrows have been pitting their wits and pushing their fitness to the limits – all in the name of team spirit!

NI Hospice

This spring, Morrows managed to donate a whopping £300 worth of household items and clothing to the NI Hospice as part of its ongoing efforts to support the local charity. Staff brought in mountains of items which have been sold through the Hospice shops to raise money for adults and children around NI who need it most. Last summer, the team also helped out with some gardening at the Childrens’ Hospice in North Belfast.

Born to run!Morrows entered two teams in this year’s Belfast City Marathon. Sarah, Kelly, Nicola, Gareth, Anna, Karen, Kate and Lauren donned their running shoes and, along with additional team support managed to raise vital funds for two very important causes – Macmillan Cancer and Aaron House, a care home based in Belfast.

JCI Quiz Success – “From Holywood to Dollywood” Morrow Communications scooped top prize at the JCI Belfast charity pub quiz recently. The dream team of brainiacs included Lauren, Kieran, Anne, Karen, Kelly and Gareth. In a nail-biting finish Kieran led the team to victory with the closest answer to the tie-breaker question – ‘The Pacific Ocean covers what percentage of the earth’s surface?’ Answers on a postcard..!

Talking the Talk

We have recently been sharing our collective communications wisdom at a few high profile events.

Crisis Communications Seminar – Preparing for the Worst
We played a key role at the Agenda NI Crisis Communications seminar at Belfast’s Grand Opera House recently, which brought together key representatives from a wide range of sectors to examine and explore the importance of crisis management.

As one of the six key speakers at the event, Peter Morrow spoke about the various types of crisis an organisation should plan for and the associated impact, as well as outlining the role of planned, strategic communications in managing reputation and minimising damage.


Digital Futures Event
We also delivered a Workshop on Online Reputation Management at the recent Digital Future 2011 Event organised by Ion.

The event considered digital channel integration strategies and was attended by over 150 people from both the public and private sectors. Director Kieran Donnelly delivered a workshop on the importance of online reputation management and the importance of its integration into overall communication strategies.

The AVEs and the AVE Nots

For the first time PR Week has decided not to accept AVEs (Advertising Value Equivalents) as a method of measurement in its awards. The move reflects the growing industry consensus that AVEs are outdated and insufficient.

Executive director of comms measurement body AMEC Barry Leggetter welcomed the move: “The decision will help educate PR professionals to finally move away from AVEs.”

The Chow Mein Theory!

It won’t be a great shock to many to hear that a recent study proves that Irish consumers are losing faith in advertising. A new study by Carat Ireland and iReach shows that Irish consumers are losing considerable levels of trust in traditional advertising. Strongly established channels experienced double-digit drops in trust in the past year – radio dropped by 15%, newspapers dropped by 15%, magazines by 13% and television advertising by 17%.

In contrast, topping the list of the most trusted forms of communication is ‘recommendation from a trusted person’, further proving the importance of creating influence and advocates. It’s the old ‘Chow Mein Theory’. Most people go to their local Chinese take away and order the same thing every time – “I’ll have the Chow Mein”. It’s safe, you know you like it and what if you order something else and it’s not as nice? But, if you’re with a person you trust and they say, ‘you should really try the Kung Po Chicken, I think you’d like it’, you’re more likely to step out of your comfort zone and try something new. That’s the power of advocates.

The question is how to tap into that power and create brand advocates. In short, it’s a three step process: Likability, Communication and Reward. Establish why your customers like your brand, communicate with them and encourage them to communicate with others and lastly reward them for their loyalty and advocacy.