MEDIA & MARKETING: An ad campaign similar to Dublin's Terminal 2 could be a model for selling Ireland abroad

CAN A state ever rebrand itself? And how can a state like Ireland recover from the torrent of bad international press it has received in recent months? In its “NewERA” economic stimulus plan, Fine Gael has committed to spend €10 million in a marketing campaign to restore Ireland’s battered business reputation across the globe. According to party spokesman Richard Bruton: “We haven’t developed a detailed strategy but it’s part of a recognition that Ireland’s reputation has been damaged.

“The UK has been proactive in creating brand ambassadors to promote the country overseas. Recovery is going to come from new markets. We would envisage setting a number of objectives for our first 100 days in government and the marketing spend would be part of that.”

As marketing experts everywhere will testify, to get rid of the bad associations of a brand, what has to be done is to find the opposites to all of them and stick to them. So what would they do in the case of Ireland?

Patrick Hickey, managing director of advertising agency Rothco, says nothing repairs like success. “What is needed is one idea that will ensure the foreign inward investment continues to come to Ireland,” he says. “The changed media landscape means our audience will consume many different opinions and various ‘facts’ as propagated by some quarters.

“The truth is that the world still knows our strengths, it’s our own citizens who have forgotten.

“Multinational executives who are tasked with decisions about where to invest all know why Ireland is still one of the top choices for their companies. So we would like to focus on the biggest strength that we have – 100 per cent Ireland, 25 per cent cheaper. A simple, straightforward idea that has the potential to stop those looking in their tracks.”

Donal O’Dea, creative director in Owens DDB, says that, in global marketing terms, €10 million is small beer. Like Peter Mandelson and Tony Blair and their project to reinvent the Labour Party in Britain, O’Dea suggests rebranding Ireland by using the word “new”.

“For example, I’d love to harness the Irish under-23 cross country athletes. They could wear a ‘New Ireland’ logo – not to be confused with the life assurer of the same name – in interviews and in the lead-up to the London Olympics that could represent good value for money. They’d become brand ambassadors for Ireland as a place to do business – fit, lean and competitive.

“Our golfers are on top of their game at the moment too. We’d ask Pádraig Harrington to wear the brand on his baseball cap – young, bright, talented. We’d run press ads in the Financial Times with facts and figures about new, improved Ireland. Investors love that stuff.

“We’d be using our sports ambassadors to front this campaign. Their achievements synonymous with what ‘New Ireland’ is capable of.”

Jimmy Murphy, managing director of advertising agency The Hive, believes brand Ireland should focus on its creative strengths. “I would be tempted to say re-badge the TV ad for Dublin airport’s Terminal 2, the one where the smooth beardy guy walks through the new terminal and describes all the great ideas Ireland has given the world. Someone described it to me as ‘Zeitgeisty’ and I think that sums it up nicely.

“The DAA ad was about creativity, either expressed through the arts or through industry. Is that a proposition for Ireland? Is it relevant, unique and memorable and does it feel right? I’d argue that it is. It’s what we’re good at.

“Almost as importantly in the context of a world market, it’s credible. I’d give them an Ireland they expect to see and link it to this knowledge economy we hear all about. I’m not sure a bunch of Paddies in lab coats is as credible as a bunch of Paddies as scholars and artists bringing their unique and cultured take on innovation to the rest of the world. Make Ireland a Mecca for creative types by investing in the arts, the creative industries and by giving massive tax breaks to advertising agencies.”

Ian Brower, creative director of Ogilvy Mather, notes that the oldest maxim in finance is buy low and sell high. “Well Ireland can’t possibly get any lower,” says Brower. “To the untrained eye, Ireland is a place not to be touched. However, to the astute company, one looking for real value in a country that speaks English, Ireland represents the perfect location for businesses. The train of thought could be encapsulated in a series of ads in the business press, perhaps with the tagline – ‘The smartest place to invest always looks like the dumbest’.”