The Minister for Public Enterprise, Ms O'Rourke, is in Kilkenny today to announce a new marketing brand for the city based on its ancient heritage and what the organisers claim is the city's reputation for progressive thinking.
"Kilkenny - The Creative Heart of Ireland" is the title of the new brand which it is hoped will build an international reputation, reduce business marketing costs and put the city to the forefront in tourism and inward investment.
Organised by the Kilkenny Marketing Strategy (KMS) group, the new brand is already being used by a number of well-known bodies in the county such as Kilkenny Tourism, Kilkenny Industrial Development Company, Kilkenny Information Age, the county council and the County Development Board.
Private-sector companies involved include Gowran Park Racecourse and the Kilkenny Arts Festival. It is hoped that, following today's announcement by Ms O'Rourke, the brand identity, the promotion of which has so far cost £250,000, will be adopted by further business and social organisations in the area.
The brand includes a new logo and visual identity for all Kilkenny publications, a centralised library of high-quality photographs and literature promoting Kilkenny Tourism and inward investment.
KMS was established in 1997 by representatives of the chamber of commerce, the local authority and public bodies in the county. It aims to make Kilkenny instantly recognisable on the world stage. According to Ms Siobhan O'Dwyer, a spokeswoman for KMS, the brand will attempt to create a "cornerstone identity" based on:
A vibrant creative culture. Kilkenny has the highest proportion of craft and design businesses in the State and has been at the heart of such events as arts festivals and the Cat Laughs comedy festival.
"The artistry of hurling". Kilkenny is currently on the crest of a wave with a recent all-Ireland hurling victory.
An appreciation of ancient architecture. Kilkenny Castle, St Canice's Cathedral, the Black Abbey, Kells Priory and Woodstock House and Gardens are some of the heritage elements of the brand.