Irish Agency Core Optimisation Acquires ClearStory To Fuel €500K Global Expansion

Founded in 2015 by Caroline Dunlea and David Brett, Core Optimisation first expanded into the UK and is now entering the North American and MENA markets.

The ClearStory acquisition boosts this growth by adding PR clients in tech, finance, defence, and hospitality, allowing Core to offer a more integrated digital marketing and PR service.

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ClearStory International, founded by James McCann in 2017, is known for building reputations for fast-growing brands. Its clients include Techstars, the Asian Development Bank, CoinDesk, Dynasafe, and Riskline.

Core Optimisation offers services like SEO, PPC, paid social, data analytics, and digital strategy, serving over 70 clients across various sectors.

Co-founder Caroline Dunlea says the move will strengthen Core’s global reach and help deliver a complete digital and PR solution to clients.

“As we are in the AI era, brands need cohesive, data-led narratives across every channel, and our clients are increasingly seeking partners who can anticipate and respond to their evolving needs.

By combining ClearStory's strategic communications expertise with our digital performance capabilities, we're positioning ourselves closer to our clients' strategic objectives by delivering integrated, insight-driven campaigns that drive meaningful growth and truly move the needle.”

Commenting on the acquisition, the CEO of ClearStory International, James McCann, said: “Over the past eight years, we’ve had the privilege of working with more than 200 clients across 25 countries, helping them navigate some of the world’s most complex media markets.

We’re now excited to bring our deep expertise in international storytelling and reputation building to Core Optimisation, as we pursue a shared ambition to build a world-renowned, Irish-owned agency.”

About ClearStory

Founded in 2017 and based in Dublin, ClearStory is a global PR agency that helps fast-growing startups and international businesses build their presence in new and existing markets. They use a strong network of global media contacts to get their clients noticed. ClearStory works with clients across industries like tech, health, food and beverage, energy, lifestyle, and social enterprise. Their fixed pricing model offers flexible, consistent PR support at a much lower cost than traditional agencies.