BORD Failte is seeking up to five major corporate partners who will pay millions of pounds to promote their products alongside Irish tourism.
The tourist board, which is currently working on developing a new brand image for the island of Ireland, has asked companies from five distinct sectors to apply before September 18th if they wish to promote their brand in conjunction with Ireland as a tourist destination.
The sectors being targeted are photographic film products, gift ware, beverages, financial services, and petrol retailing.
Bord Failte's international marketing manager, Mr Noel Toolin, declined to reveal how much the organisation hopes to raise through the scheme, but said it would be "several millions".
One of the problems of putting a value on the possible income that such a scheme could produce, according to Mr Toolin, is that it has never been tried previously. Although income from the three year deal is expected to be substantial, money will not be the central factor in deciding which companies it does business with.
Any product taking part in the scheme will have to have a "natural relationship" with Ireland or with tourism, he said. Any Joint marketing which Bord Failte engages in will be sensitive, and will not detract from the new brand. Bord Failte will "disaster check" every potential corporate partner, said Mr Toolin.
He declined to give examples of the types of firms which Bord Failte would like to attract. However, the size of the investment involved would rule out all but the largest of corporations. Mr Toolin said he expected a great deal of interest in the scheme. Brands are always looking for real equity and heritage," he said.
Irish based companies that are likely to be interested in participating in the scheme include Guinness, Irish Distillers, Waterford Crystal, and Baileys. The idea of co-marketing alongside Ireland may also appeal to international brands such as Visa, Mastercard, Fuji and Kodak.
The licensed products and services under the scheme will be allowed to use the new Irish tourism brand in their marketing, and there may be opportunities for product placement in Bord Failte advertising and promotional material.
Bord Failte has spent several months liaising with other national tourism boards and major sports sponsorship organisations. It has already drawn up sample contracts which cover key legal issues such as intellectual property rights.
Advertisements inviting applications from interested parties have already been placed in newspapers, and the selection process is being handled by a team of independent consultants from the Dublin office of Ernst & Young.
This is the first phase of the scheme, and it may be extended to smaller firms on a more localised basis. While it is Bord Failte which is seeking the corporate partners, the new Irish tourism brand is an all Ireland development and it is likely that the Northern Ireland Tourist Board will also take part in the scheme.
The launch of the corporate scheme comes as Bord Failte and its advisers put the final touches to the new Irish tourism brand. The Peter Owens advertising agency was recently selected to handle the account and has awarded the £1.75 million filming contract to the London based company, D-Films.
The 25 day shoot for the new series of commercials has already begun, and possible product placement segments for possible corporate partners can be filmed at the end of the shooting schedule if required. The decision to award the filming contract to a British company has been criticised by Irish film makers.
The Dublin based company Design Works has been appointed to design the new logo for Irish tourism. Design Works, whose clients include Brown Thomas, and the Ireland stand at the Seville Expo, has been working on the new tourism logo for almost two months.
The new brand, logo, advertising campaign, and corporate partners are expected to be formally unveiled by the middle of November.
