Another Year, Another Great Dublin Horse Show

Since it was first established in 1864, the Discover Ireland Dublin Horse Show has become a Dublin institution for horse lovers and the general public alike. Taking place in the first week of August each year, it is Ireland's largest equestrian event, and one of the largest events held on the island. This year the show ran from August 3^rd-7^th.

It is a showcase of the best national and international equestrian talent. This year, Irish riders were joined by competitors from Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, the Netherlands and the US.

The show itself saw over 100,000 spectators attend the RDS show grounds over the five days. It estimated to have cost €3.6 million to hold the Discover Ireland Dublin Horse Show and it is expected to break even. Last year, the horse show contributed €43 million to the economy and it is expected to be the same again this year.

The 2011 Discover Ireland Dublin Horse Show had a prize fund of over €940,000 for the 15 international jumping competitions and the 87 showing classes which saw over 1,500 horses and ponies on the Ballsbridge grounds between August 3rd and August 7th.

Shaun Quinn, chief executive of Fáilte Ireland, said for many people overseas Ireland was the land of the horse, and our association with horses was very much bound up with our cultural image abroad. “Our commitment to this event reflects not only the potential of the equestrian sector to attract visitors and holidaymakers to our shores but the importance of iconic events and festivals such as the Dublin Horse Show to generate economic activity,” he said.

The Dublin Horse Show is not just for horse lovers. It is, of course, possible to pass a very enjoyable day at the show without ever coming within sneezing distance of a horse. More than 300 trade stands were on exhibition, and the Fine Art Antiques Hall and the RDS National Crafts Competition exhibition provided further browsing opportunities.

While many sporting events are suffering with lack of sponsorship, this is not the case for the Dublin Horse Show. The show is sponsored by a wide range of well-known brands from Land Rover, which launched the ‘Evoque’ at the show, to Longines and Blossom Hill.

This year was also the first time that the Discover Ireland Dublin Horse Show had a strong social media campaign. The Facebook page has over 12,000 followers. With regular updates during the show, the page was a platform for horse lovers to discuss the show. It is a great example of how a successful social media campaign must be interactive and updated regularly.

We are a nation renowned for our well-bred, high performance animals. The Dublin Horse Show is a truly great event which really showcases how important the equine industry is in Ireland. The 2012 Discover Ireland Dublin Horse Show is taking place next August from the 15^th to the 19^th. It is being held a week later to avoid clashing with the Olympics. So whether you are attending the Olympic Games or not a visit to the Dublin Horse Show is a must.

All Eyes on New Zealand

With the 2011 Rugby World Cup just over a month away, the marketing machine that surrounds such an event has sprung into life. Most notably is the release of the new official team merchandise that will be worn by each team during the competition. Ireland donned their new kit against Scotland this weekend. Puma have put a huge amount of research into the new products and have claimed that the new Irish jersey is the most technologically advanced jersey that has ever been worn by the team. This may be true, but it it is a statement that is being echoed by many other brands that will be represented at this years World Cup.

As much as the pitch is a showcase for high quality rugby, it is also the prime opportunity for the elite brands of World Rugby to battle and see who has made the most innovative and advanced product. Adidas have supplied the All Blacks with their gear for a number of years, and are still waiting for the ultimate pay off they have been expecting since the Adidas logo graced the left breast of some of the worlds most naturally gifted rugby players the game has ever seen. Richie Mc Caw is the odds on favorite captain to lift the World Cup, but history has shown us that New Zealand's track record is something the proud nation is quick to forget.

For Adidas to still go on such tag lines as "I believe in a black jersey" the All Blacks simply must succeed this year. As fantastic a team as New Zealand are, it will be very hard for their current sponsors to stand by them if they are not successful.

A nations hopes rest on the shoulders of the team, and no one will buy a piece of Adidas clothing that has the silver fern embroidered on it if they lose, as they will want to distance themselves from the pain that losing a World Cup at home will create.

The Irish jersey is promoted as a high performance jersey. I believe this feeds off the Irish feeling of "what if". We all know that we have a very special group of players, but even so we know it will take something remarkable. This jersey lives up to this feeling and is marketed as giving the players something extra on the pitch, a sixteenth man so to speak. This seems to be working well because sales of the new jersey are quite high and people are buying into the ethos that surrounds it.

The All Black on the other hand is plain and simple, and represents something more than performance on the pitch, it represents a nations pride. Unlike most teams kit,it never changes. And this is how it is marketed, a simple yet incredible identity that rugby fans and players around the world have come to love and fear.

Winning the World Cup will justify this form or marketing, a loss however will destroy it, and maybe people will start wondering if maybe space age materials are more important on the pitch than national pride. All that is certain is on the pitch it is as much Puma versus Kooga as it is Ireland versus Australia, and brand executives around the world are hoping that their teams are celebrating tries, and not huddled under their posts.

It is an interesting fact to consider that no matter how much work a brand puts into their team ,months and even years of hard work can be destroyed in only 80 minutes, but that is the nature of sport.




The above video is a fine example of getting it very very wrong!






Posted by Paul Maher

The BBC reported last week that Apple has more cash reserves than the American government. America still has its AAA rating, but many fear that this won’t last long. So, if Steve Jobs can run a successfully company, could he run a country? The U.S. would be a large country to start with, but what about a smaller European one?

If Apple ran Ireland, would we see the 35 percent predicted uptake of the iPhone5 jump to a 100 percent? Would all schools have iPads instead of school books? Would the Irish people become impatient, developing a culture of having everything available at our fingertips when and how we wanted it, our music on the go, communication anytime and always on? The 9-5 job would no longer exist as we would always be able to access our work and each other at all times through smart technologies.

If Apple ruled, how they would regulate competition? If we look at the contactless electronic payment systems as an example, it can’t be used to buy airline tickets because no airline is going to give 30 percent of revenue to Apple. However, this could all change quite quickly. WorldNet, for example, has developed a number of apps that would mean that the retailers in question would only have to pay the same 2 to 3 percent cut that they currently pay through their e-commerce payment systems, rather than 30 percent. (These WorldNet apps are currently with Apple for approval.) This would effectively mean that retailers could sell any product currently available on their websites through mobile apps.

Apple is considered one of the most innovative companies in the world. This, along with financial capabilities, should by logical reasoning mean that have the best CSR portfolios right? If they hire the best as they have said they do, they should have the capabilities to help the world through one of its toughest times. So the question is, are they doing enough and, if they were to do more, how would it reflect on their overall product offering?

Festivals Floating Galway's Economy

Summer in Galway means one thing really - festivals. Between the Galway Film Fleadh, Galway Arts Festival and of course the Galway Races, July is essentially one long party. However it's not all about the craic, festivals have and continue to prove essential to Galway's economy. Michael Coyle CEO of the Galway Chamber of Commerce commented recently that "Galway tourism is built on festival foundation, one shudders to think, especially in the current climate, about having a tourist season in Galway without the festival programmes."

His comments come as no surprise really when we discover that the Film Fleadh this year attracted over 20,000 admissions and that the economic benefit is estimated to be somewhere in the region of €5.5 million. The quality of admissions is also on the up, one of this years feature films was John Michael McDonagh's The Guard featuring Brendan Gleeson and Don Cheadle which is second only to Harry Potter in Ireland's box offices!

However those are small numbers compared to what the Galway Arts Festival, which is wrapping up tonight,

is expected to draw in. The 34th annual festival was set to attract an estimated 160,000 visitors to the city and provide a boost of €20 million to the local economy. The festival has also attracted some big brand sponsorship in the form of Absolut Vodka which has teamed up with the festival to create the 'Absolut Visual Arts Programme', the sponsorship will be worth almost €1 million three years. The sponsorship is part of the 'Absolut Art' initiative which dates back to 1985 and has been named by Advertising Age as one of the 10 best campaigns of the 20th century.

Finally the creme de la creme of Galway festivals - the Fianna Fáil tent, the helicopters and limousines and the free flowing champagne may be a thing of the past but the Galway Races is still the highlight of the season. Many feared that the festival, which represented so much of the excess that we had come to enjoy in Ireland, would suffer the same fate as our economy and come crashing to its knees, thankfully that was not the case. In fact last year 166,000 made the journey to Ballybrit, 16,000 more than Horse Racing Ireland had dared to hope for. This years numbers are predicted anywhere between 180,000 and 200,000 which will amount to somewhere between €60 - €70 million for the local economy. It also seems that the popularity of the festival has not gone unnoticed in the business community either, with all 52

races on this years cards securing sponsorship. Ladbrokes, the British sports betting giant is among one of the sponsors of the festival this year and Managing Director Joe Lewins has commented that Ladbrokes are delighted to be part of the event and "have a number of plans underway that we feel will contribute to making the week even more spectacular." Other sponsors include Guinness, Tote Ireland, and local department store Anthony Ryan's which sponsors one of the most coveted prizes of the week. The Best Dressed Lady competition on Thursday will see one lucky lady walk away with a price pack worth over €10,000.

So although it's not all about the craic, you can be sure that plenty can be had. 2012 will also see the Volvo Ocean Race return to the city of the tribes and preparations are already underway, so be sure to book early!

The Business of Sport

While everyone is enjoying the highs and lows of Wimbledon, it is worth remembering the business behind the sport…

It is a well-known fact that the sports industry is dominated by males. However, there are several powerful female figures operating at the top. One of these is Stacey Allaster; CEO of WTA (Women’s Tennis Association), recently named by Forbes magazine as one of the “Most Powerful Women in Sports”. She certainly didn’t disappoint those present at this mornings’ business breakfast, hosted by the Women’s Executive Network at Dublin’s Convention Centre.

It may surprise some people that WTA operate with a marketing budget of $1.5m. Through leveraging close relationships with their partners they strive to make maximum impact with minimal cost. Social media is used as an inexpensive promotional tool for women’s tennis. In essence, it’s all about creating inexpensive content. For example, Sony Ericsson, the WTA’s primary sponsor, has created “Xperia Hot Shots”; a web-based reality show documenting the progress of six up-and-coming female tennis players through the WTA tour, on and off court. The video series is highly interactive, and the new “Xperia” smart phone features heavily.Individual players also employ social media techniques. For example, Maria Sharapova has 4.8 million Facebook friends, and constantly engages with her audience, whilst promoting her loyalty to her sponsors.

You can look at Sharapova's Facebook here!

Below is the WTA’S most recent effort “Strong is Beautiful” campaign; an emotive and captivating series of videos featuring well known-household names…

Aislinn

Jobless Paddy No Longer!

The papers have been full of reports about "Jobless Paddy", the unemployed 26 year old from Galway who reportedly spent €2,000; the last of his savings, to fund a billboard proclaiming his desire to find a job. His efforts have paid off; as he has since been offered employment by Paddy Power. Féilim Mac An Iomaire is set to join the company's Marketing and Communications Department at their Dublin headquarters.

This morning in the MDP's weekly management meeting it was reported by several advisors that the whole case was orchestrated by Paddy Power.

What do you think? Is this one step too far for Paddy Power? In a country with such a high unemployment rate (approx. 14.7%) should they have toyed with the public regarding this ensitive matter?

In a question of ethics...how far is too far?

Aislinn