Background & Professional Expertise
Founded in 1996, Progress Communications has a proven track record of providing professional public relations and marketing support services to both national and regional clients.
Progress Communications offers the full spectrum of public relations services ranging from presentation training and media relations to strategic communications consultancy.
The versatility of the agency is demonstrated by the demands of its client portfolio, with clients ranging from the National Stronghold Veterinary Pet Care Awards and irishhealth.com; to projects such as the ASA National Conference or for the Quaker managed Newtown School in Waterford. Specific client requirements are as broad as writing and producing newsletters or copy writing for web sites; to organising product launches or conferences.
The services of Progress Communications can be employed either for individual projects or on a more long-term strategic basis, depending on the requirements of each organisation.
All projects are managed in a commercial environment which demands excellent budgetary control, highly efficient organising skills and a high level of standards and ethics. Recognised Account Handling Procedures provide the quality assurance measures to ensure that the planning and the implementation of projects are effectively managed throughout.
Professional Expertise
Antonina Ni Dhuinn FPRII MMII DipCAM, Managing DirectorThe agency is managed by Antonina Ni Dhuinn, who offers some 19 years experience of professional public relations consultancy at national level.
Prior to founding Progress Communications, Antonina was a senior public relations consultant based in Dublin for over a decade.
In this capacity she had the benefit of working across a broad range of sectors including the corporate, consumer, agribusiness and food, tourism, retail and pharmaceutical sectors. This involved managing and implementing public relations and media campaigns for clients ranging from international pharmaceutical companies to local interest groups and including household names such as Cadbury Ireland, Premier Dairies, Dunnes Stores and Procter & Gamble. Antonina has managed media relations for events ranging from the National Ploughing Championships, to Horizons - the international food and drinks exhibit held in the RDS in June 1996.
Professional Qualifications
In the 1980s Antonina was a graduate in public relations from the Dublin Institute of Technology/College of Commerce; and also subsequently CAM (The Communications Advertising & Marketing Foundation, UK).
She was the winner of the top public relations graduate award from the DIT/College of Commerce. She also subsequently won the Roger Haywood Award for the CAM top public relations candidate in Ireland and Great Britain.
PRII Fellow
At the end of 2004, Antonina was awarded Fellowship of the Public Relations Institute of Ireland (PRII) the professional body representing public relations standards and education in Ireland.
Fellowship of the PRII is granted by National Council to those individuals who have made a significant contribution to the development of the PRII and/or profession; who hold a senior position within the profession; and who have been full members of the PRII in good standing for a continuous period of not less than ten years.
Antonina served as a member of the PRII National Council from 1993 for seven years and was Honorary Treasurer for six years. She supported the co-ordination of conferences, training workshops and publications for the profession. When time permitted, she acted as an External Examiner in public relations for the National Syllabus managed by the PRII at that time in 8 different colleges.
Although she has now stepped down from the PRII National Council, Antonina continues as an active full member, supporting events ranging from National Conferences to professional workshops, which make a valuable contribution in terms of keeping up to date with changing trends and new skills.
She has been a full member of the Guild of Agricultural Journalists for over a decade and has been actively involved in the co-ordination of Guild events ranging from workshops to its international conferences through IFAJ (The International Federation of Agricultural Journalists).
Antonina is a full member of the Marketing Institute of Ireland and was on the South Eastern Council of the M.I. for four years from 1996. Antonina qualifies as a full member of IPRA (The International Public Relations Association) when time allowed and was also a member of the Chamber of Commerce prior to relocating.