Councillor Ken O’Flynn calls for ‘We Are Cork’ branding spend refund

The councillor who led criticism of the We Are Cork branding exercise wants the city to ask for a refund from the consultants who worked on the logo.

Fianna Fáil councillor Ken O’Flynn made the call last night after city council chief executive Ann Doherty addressed the controversy following the Irish Examiner’s revelations that the initiative’s logo bears remarkable similarities to a British chef’s group and to a cultural initiative in Barcelona.

This newspaper also revealed that the exercise cost €300,000 and that the tag line, ‘We Are Cork’, has been used by Cork’s 96fm and 103fm for several years.

Mr O’Flynn said: “I am not satisfied that we got the best value for money for this particular product. I am calling for a refund of those monies.

He was one of several councillors who criticised the handling of the branding initiative after Ms Doherty presented a two-page report to council on the issue.

Ms Doherty insisted that We Are Cork is one part of a two-pronged Cork Placebrand strategy, which involves the city and county council, Cork Airport, Port of Cork, UCC, CIT, Cork Chamber, Cork Business Association, Ibec, Enterprise Ireland, Fáilte Ireland, and Visit Cork.

She said Belfast-based foreign investment and economic development services firm OCO Global linked with Belfast-based design studio, Collaborate, worked on the project. OCO Global were paid just over €200,000 for the work on the logo.

Ms Doherty told councillors that the costs of the entire exercise are being shared between the city and county councils.

Documents released under Freedom of Information show the total cost to the city will be €139,000.

Ms Doherty said she was satisfied that all relevant trademark searches were done and the new logo was cleared for use as a placename brand.

“Reducing the place brand to just a new logo is not representative of the scope of this two-year project,” she said. “Place branding and marketing is not simply about development of a new visual identity or logo. The ‘We Are Cork’ brand and website project the power of the people of Cork through the message ‘Cork Can’.

“It is a celebration of all the positive and unique things happening throughout Cork — highlighted through videos and images showcasing our amazing talents.”

She said she is confident that the return on investment will pay dividends over the years as the rolling out of a single brand to sell Cork at home and abroad continues.

However, councillors Tim Brosnan, Thomas Gould, and Fiona Ryan all said councillors should have been consulted on such an important project before the spend was signed off.

Mr Brosnan said he had concerns that decisions had been “made in backrooms” in the absence of consultation with city councillors.

I would appeal to management to consult with councillors on an equal footing with the stakeholders that were involved in this,” he said.

Mr Gould said councillors were “sidestepped” and that their mandate should have been respected.

“Two weeks ago, it was the €200,000 spent on the Charles and Camilla visit, then it’s Save Cork City legal costs, and now it’s this,” he said.

“I’ve been nine years trying to get traffic calming on north ring road, and I can’t get any of them done, and yet we’re spending thousands here.”

Councillors Terry Shannon, Des Cahill, and Kieran McCarthy said councillors should be supportive of the marketing initiative.