Advancing The Case For Northern Ireland

Economic development agencies around the world play for high stakes in a crowded marketplace. Offering a common menu of grants and incentives, scores of countries, regions and states compete for corporate investments and strive to stimulate employment for their local workforce. But when mainstream national media consistently report images of conflict in a region, the challenge to attract multinational corporate investors becomes even tougher. Such is the case with Northern Ireland.

The Industrial Development Board for Northern Ireland (IDB), a unit of the region’s Department of Economic Development, retained Public Communications Inc. over a six-year period to develop and implement a fully integrated marketing communications program to tell the region’s story to North American corporate investors. The communications challenge was clear: to generate awareness of Northern Ireland as a safe, profitable location with strengths that differentiate it from its chief competitors.

Strategy

To avoid competing head-to-head with images of Northern Ireland printed and broadcast by the world’s media, our communications strategy for IDB was to reach specific business audiences in target market sectors with a high potential for overseas investment. Targeted business sectors included computer software, electronics and teleservices (call centers). A strategic decision was made not to seek editorial coverage in high-profile general circulation media, preferring to remain focused on securing placements in leading trade media in each of the target sectors.

To position Northern Ireland with its prospects, PCI counseled the IDB to create an identity it could own – its educated workforce. We branded the region as: “Northern Ireland – the Educated Choice for Business,” a theme that provided a platform to highlight the smart, young and affordable workforce in Northern Ireland and presented a strong call to action to potential multinational investors.

Later, when the client adopted a new theme – “Right People, Right Partner, Right Place, Right Connections” – all marketing and media materials were modified to reflect this corporate change in direction.

Research

Focus groups were conducted in key U.S. markets to gauge executives’ overall perceptions, impressions and opinions of Northern Ireland. Participants were not shy in discussing their concerns about the region’s safety and stability nor their impressions of Northern Ireland vis a vis other regions in Europe and the rest of the world. This intelligence was used to benchmark the campaign.

Tactics 

Northern Ireland’s identity was communicated to its target audiences of prospects, decision makers, influencers and specifiers in the key target market sectors with an integrated marketing communications program:

• Advertising. Insertions in books such as: Upside, Teleprofessional, and city/regional business publications such as the San Jose Business Journal were made.
• Executive Visits. Advance planning, local market research, government agency liaison and media relations services were provided to support visits by Northern Ireland leadership.
• Direct Mail. Using a common graphic treatment and many contemporary four-color photos featuring technology, augmented by graphs, charts and maps, a series of direct mail pieces was published and distributed to target audiences.
• Annual Report. A summary of U.S. investment in Northern Ireland featuring the logos of prominent North American corporations was published and distributed to prospects.
• Newsletter. The Bottom Line, a quarterly newsletter was redesigned to reflect the new common theme and distributed to key target audiences.
• Web Site. A dedicated IDB North America Web site (www.idbni.com) was created to reflect the pace of business in Northern Ireland.
• Trade Media Tours. Trade editors were encouraged to visit Northern Ireland and interview management and staff of U.S. corporations in the region.
• By-line Articles, Trade Media Features. Scores of editorial feature articles were researched, written and placed with leading trade media in site selection, computer software, electronics and teleservices trade media. Reprints of selected articles were produced for direct mail and leave-behind use by IDB Overseas Representatives who call on North American corporations.
• News Announcements. As positive announcements of new or incremental investments in Northern Ireland by North American corporations occurred, they were placed with sector specific trade and appropriate general business press media.
• St. Patrick's Day. To commemorate St. Patrick’s Day for key IDB clients and prospects, PCI each year has created a distinctive greeting card designed to deliver a strategic message.

U.S. business executives became more aware of Northern Ireland as a safe, profitable business location.

• Hundreds of trade media placements, by-line articles, case studies and news announcements were secured.
• Many thousands of targeted prospects saw and responded to IDB advertising in trade media, direct mail or trade show exhibits.
• The IDB Overseas Representative staff reported a higher degree of receptivity than in recent years by targeted U.S. corporate executives willing to discuss possible investment in Northern Ireland.