Ireland’s leading connected entertainment provider Virgin Media has launched a €1 Million support fund as part of its #BackingBusiness initiative to boost Irish businesses nationwide, with free on-air advertising including creative, production, profiles in relevant TV programmes and social media promotion across its full schedule covering Virgin Media Channels One, Two and Three, Virgin Media announced today.

 

Limerick-based Wedding Avocado, which is an online marketplace that connects engaged couples and wedding suppliers, is among the first of many businesses to be supported by this new initiative. Their business will feature on Virgin Media’s weekly 60” ad break campaign and will also be promoted across Virgin Media’s official social media channels.

 

Saggart, Co. Dublin based Petit Avenue Baby Boutique, which is an Irish baby & children’s online boutique, will also benefit. Their business will feature on Virgin Media’s weekly 60” ad break campaign and be promoted across Virgin Media’s official social media channels.

 

Cork-based The Montenotte Hotel, who have devised the ‘Pure Cork Afternoon Tea’ concept to help get some of their staff back to work, support their local suppliers and reconnect with customers in a safe and responsible manner, is also among the businesses selected. The hotel will feature on Virgin Media’s weekly 60” ad break campaign and will also be promoted across Virgin Media’s official social media channels.

 

The Virgin Media #BackingBusiness initiative is designed to underpin the renewal and recovery of businesses in communities throughout Ireland in response to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. It’s open now to businesses across the country and aims to give them a national platform to showcase their resilience and ingenuity during these challenging times. It will feature as many Irish businesses as possible, and entering is really easy.

 

All business owners have to do is to send in a short email, outlining who and where they are, some of their main products or services and how they have coped and reinvented themselves through the current crisis. The ideal way to do this is to take a short video by mobile phone (including shots of the business premises). You can simply email submissions to backingbusiness@virginmedia.ie or WhatsApp them to 089 611 1111.

 

Businesses from every sector are being profiled each week to include advertising airtime, ad creative and production, social media promotion, PR activity, content features and exclusive Virgin Media Business support package.

 

Aidan D’Arcy, Director of Business at Virgin Media said: “Virgin Media is supporting businesses around the country who are adapting to the challenges around Covid-19. We’re using the full Virgin Media capability to back businesses like Wedding Avocado, Petit Avenue Baby Boutique and The Montenotte Hotel, among many others. This campaign celebrates and promotes the spirit of Irish businesses and their resolve to fight back, recover and succeed in spite of this unprecedented crisis. We’re really delighted to make it happen and we’re looking forward to hearing from businesses in every village, town and city across Ireland.”