The Irish Marketing Podcast, powered by IMJ and Tinpot Productions drops every Friday.
Each week we give you the need to know on what's happening in Irish marketing with interviews, insights and context from the frontlines of adland and further afield.
We know you're busy so it's always short, informative and to the point with absolute minimum faff guaranteed.
Presenter - Daryl Moorhouse
Sound Engineer - Sean Byrne
Recorded, edited and mixed at Tinpot Productions Studios (https://www.tinpot.ie/), Dublin
if you've got a story you'd like to hear featured on the Irish Marketing Podcast, let us know via pod@tinpot.ie
58 - Behind the Scenes: Smyths Toys Character Campaign
Daryl is joined by Sinéad Byrne, European Marketing Director at Smyths Toys Superstores, and Jen Speirs, Chief Creative Officer at Droga5 Dublin, to discuss the creative strategy behind Smyths Toys’ new European Christmas campaign (https://www.adworld.ie/2026/10/02/droga5-dublin-puts-smyths-toys-catalogue-at-heart-of-new-european-brand-platform/).
Reimagining Smyths’ iconic 300-page catalogue—a cherished holiday tradition for families—as a child's best friend, the team brought to life a larger-than-life character (crafted from over 700 individual toy models, including dinosaurs, dolls, rockets, and footballs).
Together, they discuss:
The Catalogue as Creative Hero: Bringing a 300-page retail publication to life as an imaginative, playful brand icon across eight European markets.
Full 360-Degree Campaign: Integrating brand storytelling with targeted product films and hard-hitting retail messaging to stand out against competitors like Amazon.
From Mayo to 300+ European Stores: How Smyths expanded from a family-run pub and newsagent in Claremorris, Co. Mayo, into an international retail leader.
Long-Term Brand Building: Exploring the future creative potential and digital footprint for the toy character in upcoming seasons.
Presenter – Daryl Moorhouse
Sound Engineer – Sean Byrne
🎙️ Recorded, edited and mixed at Tinpot Productions Studios (https://www.tinpot.ie/), Dublin
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If you've got a story you'd like to hear featured on the Irish Marketing Podcast, let us know via pod@tinpot.ie
12 Oct 2026
57 - Paddy Power's Michelle Spillane: MII Marketing Champion 2027
In this weeks ep, Daryl is joined in Tinpot Studios by Michelle Spillane, Managing Director of Online at Paddy Power, following her recognition as the Marketing Institute of Ireland's National Marketing Champion 2027.
With a stellar 30-year career spanning senior marketing leadership roles at RTÉ, Microsoft, Bank of Ireland, Disney, and Paddy Power, Michelle shares invaluable insights into building magnetic, culturally resonant brands in a fast-moving industry.
Together, they explore:
🧲 The Power of Brand Magnetism: Why brands must prioritise distinctiveness and avoid "scaling wallpaper" in an era of automated, high-velocity communications.
💡 Curiosity as a CMO's Hallmark: How deep consumer psychology and relentless curiosity drive effective strategy and commercial problem-solving.
⚽ Behind "The Special One" Campaign: Collaborating with football legend José Mourinho to create an iconic piece of satirical pop culture.
⚡ Managing Content at Scale: How Paddy Power empowers its in-house editorial team to publish agile, culture-led content without corporate bottlenecks.
🤝 Empathetic Leadership: The importance of lending confidence to teams, shouldering the burden in high-stakes crises, and fostering a collaborative culture.
Presenter – Daryl Moorhouse
Sound Engineer – Sean Byrne
🎙️ Recorded, edited and mixed at Tinpot Productions Studios (https://www.tinpot.ie/), Dublin
▶️ Subscribe to our Youtube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmiLI38Lb16Qk5QwanOAQIA)
📰 Subscribe to The Irish Marketing Podcast Monthly Newsletter (https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7457856941084643328)
If you've got a story you'd like to hear featured on the Irish Marketing Podcast, let us know via pod@tinpot.ie
1 Oct 2026
56 - Thinkie: Refreshing Social Media With Jonathan McCrea
In todays ep, Daryl is joined by broadcaster and tech commentator Jonathan McCrae to discuss Thinky—his new algorithm-free social network built as an antidote to modern digital noise. Together, they explore:
Building Thinky: Why Jonathan built an independent, algorithm-free platform with no AI content, video streams, or data tracking.
The Decay of Social Media: How mainstream platforms shifted from fostering community to driving algorithmic outrage and self-promotion.
Human-Centric Design: Why real-name verification and chronological feeds offer a path back to polite, meaningful online conversation.
AI & Persistent Botnet Risks: The alarming technical hazards of autonomous AI "subtasking" and its potential impact on global financial infrastructure.
Find out more about thinkie.ie here (https://thinkie.ie/)
Presenter – Daryl Moorhouse
Sound Engineer – Sean Byrne
🎙️ Recorded, edited and mixed at Tinpot Productions Studios (https://www.tinpot.ie/), Dublin
▶️ Subscribe to our Youtube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmiLI38Lb16Qk5QwanOAQIA)
📰 Subscribe to The Irish Marketing Podcast Monthly Newsletter (https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7457856941084643328)
If you've got a story you'd like to hear featured on the Irish Marketing Podcast, let us know via pod@tinpot.ie
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