Thinking outside the box to promote Ireland overseas
Jennifer Rea, Celtic Steps, performs in a stunning video showcasing Killarney’s fascinating history, lore and legend has been produced as part of this year’s unique virtual St Patrick’s Festival in the town. Picture: Valerie O'Sullivan
Food and drink produced from the fresh pastures of Ireland have always been associated with the St Patrick’s Day festivities at home and abroad.
A marketing survey conducted among ethnic groups and different age profiles across the United States in the last century revealed a common finding.
Most of those interviewed saw Ireland as a country with friendly people and a wholesome green image. That led to the Government and state agencies here adopting it as powerful tool to promote Ireland worldwide.
The export values of Irish food, drink, and horticulture (€14.3bn) to over 180 countries were held to a marginal 2% decline last year despite dramatic change and daunting challenges.
Covid-19 saw the largest disruption to normal market operations globally since the end of World War II, and the difficulties posed by Brexit caused created huge logistical issues for companies exporting to Britain.
Tourism in Ireland, always linked to the food and drinks sector, suffered a particularly devastating blow due to the collapse in visitor numbers from abroad and the prolonged closure of the food service sector.
It means a new focus is being put this year on the annual Tourism Ireland organised Global Greening initiative surrounding St Patrick’s Day to reconnect with more than 70 million people around the world who claim links to the island of Ireland.
Famous attractions and sites that have gone green to mark the festivities include a post box at the summit of Øretoppen Mountain in Norway, 350 kms above the Arctic Circle, Sydney Opera House, and South America’s tallest building, the Torre Costanera in Chile.
While many of the traditional parades and other public events associated with St Patrick’s Day in Ireland will not be held this year due to the pandemic restrictions, the work of marketing Ireland continues, mostly in a virtual format.
Bord Bia will host targeted trade engagements and conduct a series of new promotional campaigns across 14 countries.
These will culminate in a virtual trade mission to China and a seminar for Irish exporters featuring experts to that market across the meat, dairy, seafood and alcohol sectors.
Agricultural Minister Charlie McConalogue said the events are part of a strategic response to the challenges the agri-food and fisheries sector is facing arising from the Covid-19 pandemic and the impact pf Brexit.
“Structured engagements with key business customers offer a real opportunity to communicate the premium quality of Ireland’s food and drink offering, to the benefit of all those along the supply chain, particularly farmers and fishers as our primary producers,” he said.
Minister of State for new market development Martin Heydon said he was delighted Bord Bia is putting Irish food and drink at the heart of this year’s virtual celebration.
Tara McCarthy, Bord Bia CEO, said it is placing particular importance this year on priority European and international markets.
Activities include a beef and lamb promotion with 1,000 outlets across Germany and an online engagement with one of Italy’s largest retailers.
It is also partnering with Tourism Ireland on a range of activities including a digital festival in the Netherlands, and the creation of video content for a Spanish TV cookery channel, with a focus on Irish grass-fed Hereford beef.
Bord Bia, along with Tourism Ireland, will take part in a series of radio programmes in the United Arab Emirates.
In the UK, which accounts for 32% or €4.3bn of Irish food and drink exports, it will target over one million consumers in collaboration with high-profile chefs.
And in New York, it will host a virtual press event with chef Dan Barber, previously appointed by then president Barack Obama to serve on his Physical Fitness, Sports and Nutrition Council.
Bord Bia is also exhibiting at the largest annual food and beverage trade show in Japan, and it will lead a trade masterclass targeting food service and hotel industry food buyers and chefs in the Phillippines.
At home, the online St Patrick’s Festival, which began last Friday, and continues until Wednesday, is themed ‘Dúisigh Éire! Awaken Ireland!’ It is being streamed live to a global audience through the festival’s website SPF TV, and on RTE. It is also being broadcast live to 1.1 million homes in Ireland on Oireachtas TV.
The festival commissioned film makers, The Reelists, to produce a five-part mini-series in which chef and food studies graduate Tadgh Byrne explores Ireland’s rich history through the medium of food from prehistoric times to the present day.
He visits some iconic historic locations around Ireland, chats with a range of guests from historians and food scientists to foragers, chefs and farmers while sampling plenty of delicious food along the way.
Meanwhile, the build up to the festivities in the United States was boosted earlier this month by the European Commission and the Office of the US Trade Representative.
They announced a four-month suspension of tariffs on selected exports and imports between both blocs. These represent €105m on affected Irish exports in a full year.
The decision sets the mood for a celebration of Ireland developed by the Embassy of Ireland in Washington in partnership with Irish community organisations, Culture Ireland and Tourism Ireland.
It will be hosted by Ambassador Daniel Mulhall alongside Ireland’s Consuls General in seven US cities.
Alongside a special St Patrick’s Day message from Taoiseach Micheál Martin, the evening will include a poetic tribute to US President Joe Biden and will commemorate those lost to Covid-19 over the past year.
Ambassador Mulhall said:
"This year, because of Covid, there may be no large parades down Fifth Avenue or green rivers through Chicago. But while we can’t gather in person, we can come together as a community.” And the title chosen for this year’s celebration, Shades of Green, fittingly reflects the vibrant image cultivated over the years to promote Ireland including its wide range of quality food and drink offerings.
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