Employee Ownership Ireland Launch

The Brief

JComms was appointed by newly formed business alliance, Employee Ownership Ireland, in January 2025. Our role was to raise the profile of employee ownership in NI as well as supporting the trade body with its aim to create 10,000 employee owners here before 2029.

What we did

We set ourselves three key objectives:

- Start a conversation: Position Employee Ownership Ireland board members as trusted voices in NI’s business community and build understanding of employee ownership.

- Raise awareness: Reframe employee ownership not as an alternative to sale, but as a viable succession option.

- Growth: Encourage businesses to sign up for a feasibility study or begin conversations about transition.

At the heart of our idea was to establish a network of ambassadors from employee-owned businesses who could show, not tell how this model delivers genuine impact.

We engaged with employee-owned businesses to hear how ownership had transformed employee engagement, satisfaction, recruitment, and growth. This research allowed us to speak with credibility and nuance and once complete, enabled us to move into the next phase of the campaign – officially launching Employee Ownership Ireland.

This phase was designed to dominate local business news, spark conversation, and build trust in the board’s leadership. The second stage involved a sustained programme of coverage, tied to new business sign-ups, events, and the availability of fully funded feasibility studies to support transitions. Where relevant, we highlighted both the economic and social benefits of employee ownership through authentic local stories, positioning EO as a sustainable model that protects jobs and investment.

We also worked to create strong media hooks, for instance linking employee ownership to existing debates around productivity in NI. To reach wider audiences, we developed engaging social content including testimonial videos and short explainers. By setting a clear target, 10,000 employee owners in NI by 2029, we gave media, stakeholders, and businesses a tangible milestone to track. This bold ambition was the headline of most coverage, reinforced by a high-profile launch event attended by political leaders, including then Economy Minister Conor Murphy MLA.

The Outcome

The launch firmly positioned Employee Ownership Ireland within business and media conversations in NI. Coverage spanned print, broadcast, and online, building recognition of both the organisation and its board members. To date, we have secured over 100 pieces of media coverage with estimated views of 1.98M. Highlights of the coverage secured include a Big Interview in the Belfast Telegraph with EOI Chair, Karen Maguire; an op-ed in the Irish News from EOI advisor, Aidan O’Neill and a themed episode of the Trading Up podcast.

Ongoing PR generated further coverage throughout the year. Campaign activity generated over 7,550 sessions across channels (direct, email, social, search). Organic social delivered 55% engagement sessions and referral traffic from partner websites also increased significantly, showing collaboration helped to extend the reach.

Since the launch of EOI in January 2025, the number of employee-owned businesses in NI has increased by over 80% and there are already over 1,200 employee owners based here. Dozens of fully funded feasibility studies have been completed, providing a pipeline of potential new conversions into 2026 and beyond.