1980s: Combating Unemployment

The location theme had achieved its success by the 1980s. Other locations in Europe began to compete in the market, offering generous incentive packages. Ireland was now offering export profits for 15 years , non-repayable cash grants toward fixed assets, and total paid training of an already English-speaking work force. The advertising message was sector focused. Specific ads were designed for each industrial technology sector and referred to the major U.S. corporate names that were already operating in Ireland. An educated, highly adaptable, and skilled labor force was now an additional theme running through the advertising, along with profitability and location. U.S. corporations were being told that a committed, educated work force was ultimately more important than any amount of introductory incentive packages.

The 1980s were also the toughest years for Ireland's economy; unemployment reached a record high. At this time, 50% of the population was under the age of 25. The Irish government took some dramatic steps in reversing the poor economic situation. IDA Ireland sponsored the successful advertising campaign "We're the Young Europeans" in 1984 (see Figure 7-2). This advertising campaign ran in the leading newspapers in North America, showing Ireland as a hotbed of talented, flexible, innovative youth. Taglines such as "People are to Ireland as oil is to Texas," "People are to Ireland as champagne is to France," and "The young Europeans ” Hire them before they hire you" focused upon Ireland's ample supply of highly skilled people for any corporation wishing to locate there. This focus on education, particularly on staff training, rounded out the previous campaign by emphasizing people, as well as tax incentives and infrastructure.

Figure 7-2. The "We're the Young Europeans" ad campaign aimed at selling Ireland's young work force as another valuable asset. Reprinted with permission of IDA Ireland.

The ad shown in Figure 7-2 was placed in specific industry and trade journals as well as the leading business publications such as Electronic Business , Electronic News , Industry Week , Business Week , and the New York Times .