West Cork food brand celebrates 10 years

IT’S WORTH more than €100 million to the west Cork economy and every year, delegations come from all over the world to learn the secret of its success.

Now the acclaimed Fuchsia brand celebrates its 10th birthday with a sophisticated e-book that explores the research and the critical decisions behind what is internationally recognised as a hugely successful marketing tool.

“We’ve had delegations from America, Australia, Russia and almost every country in the EU visit us. We get about eight overseas delegations a year and they all want to know the same thing: How did we do it?” says Ian Dempsey, chief executive of the West Cork Leaders Co-Op.

Last week, he flew to Raleigh in North Carolina to address 600 policymakers, academics and legislators on the brand’s success.

The Fuchsia logo, which was pivotal in the development of the region’s tourism, food and craft sectors was commercially launched a decade ago as a rural development strategy.

Since its launch in 1998, membership of Fuchsia has grown from 20 food producers and a handful of tourism businesses to a huge network comprising 55 food businesses, 82 tourism providers and 35 craft makers, with affiliation also from 15 local food retailers.

Latest statistics show the total direct value of output from members was estimated at €107 million of which €69m was spent in the local area supporting some 1,131 jobs.

The network includes well-known names like Irish Yoghurts in Clonakilty and Shellfish de la Mer in Castletownbere, which, last year, was named Irish seafood exporter of the year. Each year, dozens of brand members like Durrus Cheese or Inchydoney Island Lodge and Spa Hotel grab the headlines annually for the outstanding quality of their products and services.

Mr Dempsey recalls: “Our approach was buoyed largely by enthusiasm and naivete as much as anything. We simply set out to understand the development needs and challenges of local tourism and food enterprises in the first instance. The subsequent challenge was then to determine if these could be addressed through the Leader programme resources and integrated within an overall development strategy.

“While the responses from the enterprises varied considerably there was enough belief and conviction to give the idea some momentum. This consultation and discussion process ultimately proved hugely important in forging key relationships and contacts that became the bedrock upon which the Fuchsia brand was created.

“We would say it has been very successful. It has created a brand identity for these three sectors and we are confident that it will continue to do so in these more difficult times. The Fuchsia brand has a very significant role to play in the continuing development of west Cork.”

Now West Cork Leader Co-op has launched a new e-book looking back at the brand’s evolution and its success.

Why an e-book? “An e-book is a flexible format than a published book and will allow for regular updating,” says Mr Dempsey of the book: Perspectives on the West Cork Brand.

The work, which comprises a series of essays exploring the various phases of research, development and critical decisions which led to today’s success, is available online in an innovative flipping pages format which mimics the feel of turning the pages in a real book.

It is available at www.fuchsiabrands.com or on a USB stick for €15 from West Cork Leader Co Op in Clonakilty.