Allianz Ireland sponsors Q102 afternoon drive show The Home Stretch with Laura Woods

Allianz Ireland has been announced as the sponsor of Dublin's Q102's afternoon drive programme The Home Stretch with Laura Woods, as reported by AdWorld, with the deal brokered by Starcom, part of Core, covering tailored on-air credits and promotional activity across the insurer's motor, home and multi-policy products.

The show broadcasts on weekdays from 2pm to 6.20pm on Onic-owned Q102, targeting Dublin listeners during the evening commute through a mix of music, conversation and topical content.

Mark Brennan, chief marketing officer at Allianz Ireland, said the partnership was built around the significance of the journey between work and home for the insurer's customers. "At Allianz, we understand that the moments between work and home are some of the most important in the day," he said. "The Home Stretch with Laura Woods has become a trusted companion for thousands of Dublin listeners, making that journey more enjoyable through great music, conversation and connection. We know that strong communities are built through the everyday moments and connections people share, and we're proud to support a programme that has become part of daily life for so many people across Dublin."

Brian McCarthy, group commercial and operations director at Onic, said the programme had been developed in direct response to audience research. "One of the key themes of our Sound Affects research was the extension of the evening commute, and The Home Stretch was born from this insight," he said. "The programme has become an important part of the Q102 daily schedule, building a strong connection with listeners across Dublin. This connection is driven by understanding what our listeners need as they navigate their way home, and Laura does a wonderful job delivering that."

Noel Martyn of Starcom said the placement was driven by the alignment between the programme's audience profile and Allianz Ireland's commercial priorities. "Effective sponsorship is about finding the right intersection between content, audience and partner, and The Home Stretch with Laura Woods offers exactly that," he said. "The programme has established a strong connection with Dublin listeners by meeting them at an important moment in their day, making it an ideal platform for Allianz."

The deal follows Allianz Ireland's recent expansion of its partnership with sprinter Rhasidat Adeleke to include race kit branding, marking a period of increased sponsorship activity for the insurer across both broadcast media and sport in Ireland.