Cork, 17 September 2018: Many of Cork’s landmark buildings including City Hall, County Hall, Port of Cork, University College Cork, CIT’s City Centre Hub on Grand Parade, The Capitol and One Albert Quay among others, will be turning red this week to mark the launch of a new brand to promote Cork. The “We are Cork” brand will enhance marketing of the city and county nationally and internationally as a great place to live, work, invest, study, play, visit and succeed.
The initiative aims to support Cork as it’s poised to become the fastest growing region in Ireland in the next 20 years. With €510 million in commercial development underway or recently completed in Cork city centre alone, the region is home to the world’s largest technology company, Apple and 7 out of 10 of the world’s top 10 pharma companies. With increased global movement of companies, and Brexit uncertainty, stakeholders in Cork have been working to promoting its economic and lifestyle merits: Cork offers its inhabitants all the benefits of a metropolitan area as well as vast open spaces, scenery and extensive coastline. And notably Cork is poised become Europe’s second largest English speaking region.
As part of the initiative, which is a first in Ireland, the region’s stakeholders including Cork City Council, Cork County Council, Cork Airport, Port of Cork, University College Cork, Cork Institute of Technology, Cork Chamber, Cork Business Association, Ibec, Enterprise Ireland, IDA, Failte Ireland and Visit Cork are backing the “We are Cork” brand. As the umbrella brand for Cork, it is envisaged that “We are Cork” will also be available for use by all businesses, organisations and interested parties in Cork.
An Tánaiste Simon Coveney TD, who was on hand to launch the We are Cork brand, said: "We Are Cork is a brilliant initiative to bring together under one banner everything that makes Cork great. The city and county is going to be the fastest growing part of the country for the next two decades and it is essential that campaigns like We Are Cork are initiated to make the most out of the business to be done".
Speaking at the launch”, Cork City Council CE and Chair of the “We Are Cork” Steering Committee, Ann Doherty said: “Collaboration is the cornerstone of the “We are Cork” brand, which should be adopted widely in the coming weeks and months. The brand has unilateral support from all major players in Cork, unifying Cork’s positioning and messaging to help us tell the Cork story cohesively overseas as well as at home. With Brexit around the corner, it is vital to be prepared for the challenges and opportunities that this will inevitably bring. We are Cork is vital to our strategy to help realize the ambitious growth targets for our Region set by Government in Ireland 2040.”
Cork County Council Chief Executive, Tim Lucey said:“We Are Cork is a brand under which we are united in showcasing the Cork region on a local, national and international stage. Cork is unique in terms of its offering, balancing significant urban growth with a quality of life across our rural, coastal and Island communities that is second to none. Our highly talented workforce and low cost of doing business is a proven attraction but it is the quality of how we live that secures retention. We Are Cork has incredible potential, we just need to live it now and into the future.”
With a population of over half a million people, Cork will see an investment of €200 million in public transport in the coming years and €214 million on roads in the next three years. New flights continue to bolster the region’s accessibility, with a number of direct flights to the USA and almost 15 flights daily to and from the UK.
Residential costs are 30% lower in Cork when compared to Dublin. Cork has previously topped the Financial Times ‘European League for Foreign Direct Investment’ table and is currently home to 158 FDI companies located in the Region, including global leaders such as Dell EMC and Vmware, Pfizer, Eli Lilly among others. Cork has also been voted the top small city for business friendliness and the 3rd friendliest location in the world, among with numerous accolades from travel, food, culture and arts.
Conor Healy, CEO of Cork Chamber added: "Cork has everything to offer – a great place to live, work, study, invest and to succeed. As a long term advocate of the need for a strong place brand, we are excited to see not just the ‘We Are Cork’ brand launched here today but most importantly the collaborative approach that has been taken by all involved. Building on this we are calling on the people and businesses of Cork to support the brand and demonstrate the strong collective voice we have in the region as we work together to position Cork for prosperity".
For more information and to download a copy of the We are Cork brand, visit www.wearecork.ie or follow #wearecork on social media.
