It's that time of year again

With the infamous McDonald's shamrock milkshake still knocking around, it certainly does bring a bit of Irishness around the world. With McDonald's chains all over the globe it's great to see them advertising Ireland when it comes to Paddy's Day.

This old advert came to my attention and i couldn't help but laugh out loud. Made in the early 1980's and very much a schmaltzy, corny production - what do you think??

Guinness celebrates Paddy's Day in style

Photo by Spiros2004



Happy days for all of yee by the name of Patrick!!
For one day on March 17 ( and one day only) Guinness Storehouse will present anybody by the name Patrick or any variant of the name (for all of you Paddy, Pat, Rick or Rickys out there) with a special complimentary pass, otherwise known as the “VIP Pass” into the St. Patrick’s Day Festival at the Storehouse, you will be treated to a day of fun and entertainment to celebrate 10 years since the Storehouse first opened its doors to the public!
For all of us not lucky enough to be named after the great saint himself, we'll have to fork out 15€ to join in on the fun!


A strong Irish brand giving back on a day that marks our nation - hurrah!

OSCAR GLORY

Photo by Dave_B


Richard Baneham, a former student at Ballyfermot College of Further Eucation, has scooped an Oscar for his part in the creation of best visual effects for the movie Avatar.

This win is an incredible achievement for Baneham but more so this has elevated Irish animation, film and brand Ireland to a whole new level. Well done Richard, you've done us proud!

Brand BOD

Photo by Paolo Camera.


Some Irish brands are disappearing but some are seeing their star very much on the rise, propelling the 'brand Ireland' status as they do!

Some of Ireland's top stars are seeing themselves transform into super brands, taking the world by storm. Brian O'Driscoll is one such star, having forged his way from rugby hero to brand A-lister, Brian is well on his way to strengthening his brand with endorsements from an eclectic mix of products, including Gillette razors, Lexus cars, Adidas sports wear and O2 phones. Recently launched, check out Brian's website for more info.


http://www.brianodriscoll.ie/

Give me some sugar....

"Photo by Ayelie on Flickr"




Digging through the ever rising list of Irish brands that seem to be falling by the wayside during this recession, something quite wonderful caught my eye.
Irish food ingredients company Fusion Nutraceuticals is to supply a new sugar substitute product to retailers both home and abroad, bringing in an estimated €50 million over the next 2 years supplying to the likes of Aldi and Asda.
A market which is currently dominated by the Splenda range of products, Fusion say they will have the same quality but at a much cheaper price. Congratulations to Fusion Nutraceuticals!


As the saying goes -

'When a door closes, a window will open somewhere'

Don't know what you've got 'til it's gone!

In the blink of an eye, yet another Irish institution has disappeared and a UK 'super store' is ready to pounce. Hughes & Hughes bookstore is shutting it's doors after going into receivership due to high rents and lack of consumer demand, British chain W H Smith are tipped to take over. Has the battle of cheaper prices driven consumers to their laptops and PCs in the bid for more competitive prices online? It seems so, but at what cost? Are people simply blinkered by price tags? Will this be another case of only missing something once it has gone?

When Bewley's closed on Grafton Street, we all felt a similar sense of loss. The people of Dublin put a 'save Bewley's' plan into motion and the beloved cafe reopened its doors shortly after consumers realised it's worth as a brand ambassador for Ireland!

Stumbling across a blog posting on the Glenisk website (one of Ireland's premier leading brands) i couldn't help but think it shared some of my thoughts on supporting all things Irish, whatever type of Irish brand it may be, check out their blog and see for yourself - www.glenisk.com/blog

Blatant Product Placement

Anyone else think TV3's Irish Apprentice is full of blatant product placement?

Brand Accessories

Today's youth are tomorrow's branding future - they will be the ones doing the shopping for the family in the future, right?

Yes, today's young'ins seem to be obsessed with the brands splashed across the media, more concerned with who is wearing what and what the latest gadget is, but is 'food & drink branding' just as important to them?

It seems that some brands are working their way into the social scene of the younger generation (product placement,maybe or maybe not?) Star Bucks coffee cups, water brands such as Evian - all the latest accessories not to be seen without apparently!!

Are there any Irish 'brand accessories' out there?
Can't be seen without your bottle of Ballygowan whilst waltzing down Grafton Street? Hmmmmm....worth thinking about!

Can product placement work in Ireland?

Product Placement, a clever tool for building a brand and giving it national and worldwide exposure. We've all seen the strategically placed Coca-Cola glasses in front of the American Idol judges week in week out and not to mention the James Bond movies - take Casino Royale for example, it was practically a 2-hour long advert for Sony. In that film, every electronic gadget featured was a Sony — from the Sony Ericsson phones, to the Vaio laptops and Cybershot cameras, and even Bluray players!

With recent developments in the UK allowing broadcasters a more relaxed attitude toward product placement, Ireland will surely follow suit - could this bring opportunity to Irish brands who are hoping to breath life back into their brands? More importantly, would it work? If you saw blatant, in your face product placement of Irish brands on your favourite show or movie, would it entice you to that brand?

Food for thought

The top 3 Irish brands sent abroad are Tayto crisps (39%), Barry’s Tea (22%) and Cadbury’s chocolate (19%) - food for thought,huh??