No more shamrocks?
Pat Kinsley explores the changing face of Irish identity

What does it mean to be Irish? With Ireland's recent rejection of the European Union's Lisbon Treaty and the death of our much vaunted Celtic Tiger, this is a question that is harder and harder to answer. Are we in danger of losing our national identity?

While Lisbon and its rejection brought the question of our identity as Irish people to the fore, the state and condition of the Irish identity has been changing independently of any treaty. It's best to stick to the knitting as it were and so, rather than examining a broad sociological shift, it's time we examine Ireland's brands and the identity crisis that could be said to be affecting some of them.

In a global world, big business is global business. It goes some way to explaining the recent shift of Irish insurance brands, Hibernian and Eagle Star, to the use of their parent companies' brands, namely Aviva and Zurich.

There have been many voices crying out about whether or not it is a good decision to abandon brands with so many years' presence and multi-million euro equity in them. But another aspect of this is that these brands are, in a sense, leaving behind a part of their ‘Irishness' with their old names.

There is, of course, always room for change; indeed, it is a vital part of growing up, something that Ireland as a nation is still striving to do. Certain levels of change are out of our control, and nobody could blame Aviva and Zurich for wanting to bring the Irish arms of their brands into line with the rest of the market.

There are even those who say that we must make the decision between remaining stoically Irish and embracing the wider world. But the two do not need to be mutually exclusive.

Avoca is a brand that has taken to its core the idea of being Irish. Founded and developed by the Pratt family, Avoca uses its Irishness as a primary selling point and does it in such a way that has allowed the brand to move from strength to strength and to expand internationally, with locations in the US.

Branding comes from within and in a world where the phenomenon of clone towning is eating away at the individuality of our small communities, it is essential that the brands that define us truly represent our identity, or at least the ideal of that identity.

Many brands are seeking to put the stamp of what they consider to be the Irish experience in marketing. The posh student surfers of Denny's ads and the wisecracking fishermen on the Donegal Catch boat may be a far cry from Guinness' heroic depictions of GAA stars, yet they all represent aspects of the Irish identity that these brands seek to attach to their offering.

Whether it is reality, humour or aspiration, Irish consumers will react to a depiction of Irish identity that they can relate to, building a relationship with the brand and accepting it as part of their own national identity. Nowhere is this clearer than with Guinness, the brand that is almost synonymous with what it means to be Irish.

These Irish brands do more than simply reassure us of what it means to be Irish; they provide jobs for workers in Irish communities. Although they have HQs outside of Ireland and repatriate profits in the same way as all multinationals, many are still based here and their success is Ireland's success.

With a flagging economy like the one we are currently getting to grips with, indigenous companies can provide a vital boost and influx of economic activity both locally and nationally.

That said, the Irish economy may not be drifting into the doldrums many believe it to be heading towards. From our early days of stagnation to our unprecedented boom, Ireland has always been a land of extremes. What we are seeing at the moment may be nothing more than the previously roaring Celtic Tiger settling into a more relaxed pace, the pace our neighbours have been used to proceeding at for some time. Yet with this new situation comes another new Ireland, and we need to be sure of who we are and what part we will take in its future.

So is Ireland losing its identity? The answer is that it hasn't yet, and, despite the pressure of globalisation to create a homogenised world, Ireland has plenty of brand heroes left to take the Irish identity to new levels.

With a focus on homegrown Irish brands, not only will we make one more step towards keeping our economy healthy, we will be celebrating the Irish identity the way it was meant to be, through innovation and success.

ON A HIGH The Failte Ireland High ‘n' Lows campaign by DDFH&B-JWT has given a boost to the image of Ireland for those holidaying at home by projecting a modern, vibrant picture of the country.

Pat Kinsley (pat@neworld.com) is co-founder of Neworld Associates