O’Conall Street

Russell Brand claims to have coined MILF in tribute to the very elegant Sadie Frost. Now US political blog, Wonkette, has taken the sexual fantasy a step further with GILF (Governors I Love to ….) and the top GILF is none other than Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. This darling of the conservative right and now officially America’s hottest governor, is being tipped as a potential running mate for John McCain in November. And just to reinforce her home town credentials she is a former beauty queen too.

This is, I know, a very sad excuse to put pictures of good looking politicians on O’Conall Street but in the Twelfth week anything to lighten the mood.

With the French Cabinet also brimming with attractive ministers of a centre right persuasion I am reminded of a question which has dogged me since adolescence.

How come conservative parties always have better looking ladies?

Belfast’s latest brand was launched yesterday and the local papers today are full of a pretty girl with pretty a ’B’ to illustrate the event.

I was involved in the reference group which was consulted on the development of the new brand and am happy with the results but like all brands the logo is simply the tip of the iceberg. What matters is the proposition on which it is build, whether it fits the product - in this case Belfast city, and whether it is capable of being understood and adopted by the target audiences. City Brands are difficult to get right because they have to appeal to visitors and residents alike. The biggest risk is local rejection fueled by cynicism and a popular view that it is all about a logo which cost too much.

As a reference group we worked hard and long to develop a brand based on core elements.  These have been formally expressed in the brand guidelines as follows:

Brand essence
This is Belfast’s moment.

Brand proposition
A unique history and a future full of promise have come together to create a city bursting with energy and optimism.

Brand identity
Through application of this new identity, the energy and optimism of the city is brought to life. The logo acts as the heart of Belfast – reflecting the warm and welcoming nature of the city. The capital ‘B’ of the logo puts Belfast on the map. It highlights that this is Belfast’s moment by using the ‘B’ as a call to action, as in ‘be here now’.

What this means to key audiences is what is called the brand experience and so we settled on the following:

For citizens…
The time is right for us to build a thriving, vibrant city. Bringing together our strong sense of identity, our resilience and enterprise, and our renowned warmth and wit, we are seizing this opportunity with both hands. Proud of our heritage, we embrace the future to build an even better Belfast, providing a warm welcome to visitors, an exciting environment for business and a great place to live.

For visitors…
Here, between the mountains and the sea, is a dynamic city with a big personality. Proud of its heritage Belfast is alive with possibilities and open to change – vibrant, energetic and exciting. The people of Belfast provide a welcome which is not just warm, but genuine and generous, inviting anyone and everyone to join in. Belfast provides a vivid and memorable experience with new things to discover every time you visit.

For investors…
Belfast is a vibrant city full of opportunity. A spirit of optimism and a real sense of purpose fills the air, inspiring enterprise, creativity and change. The people of Belfast – witty, lively, welcoming and determined – are proud of the city’s past, positive about its future, and ready and able to seize the opportunities on offer. Now is the time, and Belfast is the place, where anything is possible. 

As I said, today’s papers are full of pretty pictures. They get the message across that there is a new brand in town but do not in any way explain the proposition or bring the brand to life in a meaningful way. The City Council faces a significant challenge to ensure buy in from key stakeholders and the business community although in their defence the work on this is already underway. The bigger and more daunting task is to secure public acceptance and adoption. That will take a lot more then a photo and a short press release.

The opportunities to use digital and social media to bring the new brand to life are immense I will be watching with interest to see if City Hall adopt them.

Campeones del viejo continente - la Espana del toque triunfa en Vienna!

They played a passing game and brought poetry to the pitch. In footballing terms, hope and history rhymed. 

Germany - Alemania: Lehmann; Friedrich, Mertesacker, Metzelder, Lahm; Hitzlsperger, Frings; Ballack, Schweinsteiger; Podolski; Klose. (4-2-3-1)
Spain - España: Casillas; Sergio Ramos, Puyol, Marchena, Capdevila; Senna, Xavi; Iniesta, Cesc, Silva; Torres. (4-1-4-1)

In the words of Spanish TV (TVE)

Min 32.¡¡¡¡¡GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL DE TORRESSSS!!!! Por velocidad tuvo que ser, al estilo del ‘Kid’. El pase de Xavi en profundidad encuentra el desmarque del ‘9′ español, que eleva por encima de Lehmann en un toque sutil y el balón entra botando, solito, y besa las redes. Golazo que vale su peso en oro.

FINAL. Los jugadores estallan de júbilo. Todos se abrazan en el campo. Los fuegos artificiales se oyen ya en toda España. ¡¡¡ES EL TÍTULO PARA LA SELECCIÓN ESPAÑOLA 44 AÑOS MÁS TARDE!!!!

Min 90+3. SE ACABÓOOOOOO. ¡¡¡¡¡¡ESPAÑA ES CAMPEONA DE EUROPA!!!!!!!

Dallas Morning News blog has the story of a republican pin maker with a racist sense of humour. There will plenty more where this came from before November.

There was an American academic who’s name escapes me who once wrote a long and considered article on the relationship between beauty pageants and societal development - the more developed the society the less attention it pays to miss this or miss that.  A decade ago the Miss Northern Ireland competition would have commanded plenty of media attention and the winner could look forward to a year of celebrity status. Today you would hardly notice and the lucky girl, in this case Judith Wilson (22), can expect not so much a year of stardom but one of hard slog as the North’s top promotional lady.

Fading stars likes buses always come in twos and yesterday was no different. As the tango queens strutted their stuff at the Europa, US President George Bush, the most powerful man on earth dropped into a sea of indifference.

The North is definitely changing and for the better. I guess if Barack makes it up Pennsylvania Avenue in January the streets of Belfast will fill up to welcome him. As for Miss NI, I wish her well, hope she has a great year and doesn’t work too hard.

The news agenda across Europe features prominently today’s referendum on the Lisbon Treaty. Less then 1% of the electorate of the European Union have been handed a veto on this important agreement and latest polls suggest it could go either way. O’Conall Street makes no apology for saying yes to Lisbon. We are happy to stand alongside the main political parties in the state, the social partners and the vast majority of stakeholders in Irish society. Not to mention the governments of every other member state in the EU.

The rules of Irish referenda give each side of the argument equal billing even if one side has little or no mandate. Many may want to reflect on whether it is right to give people who believe Lisbon will lead to the micro-chipping of babies free airtime on important issues of national concern.  

On another matter all together. The Irish News this morning brings us news of Obama’s latest online endorsement. Apparently there is none as Irish as Barack Obama!

We live in historic times.

There is a big hole in the Republic’s public finances this morning. It’s €8billion big and that is just in the tax shortfall.

Meanwhile Dublin based Davy Stockbrokers are cutting their forecast for the Irish economy because conditions continue to get worse for consumers, as the labour market weakens it is harder to get credit, and because of a ‘negative wealth effect’.

Davy now expects GNP growth of 1% this year, and for 2009 of 2%, down from a previous forecast of 3.4%. On housing, Davy does not think 2008 will see building bottom out, but it has hugely reduced the number of house completions it expects to see next year - from 40,000 to 25,000.  It says house prices will fall by 10.7% over the next year, and by 7.2% in 2009.  It also forecasts that non-residential building will fall by 10% next year. The Dublin stockbroker says unemployment will have reached 7% by the end of next year from a current level of 5.5%.

One good piece of news came out of this island last night though. A treaty banning cluster bombs was also signed in the fair city after the British government backed down to internal and external pressure and agreed to a total ban. It’s not often you get to demonstrate the value of local representation at Westminster yet for the past month a forceful campaign led by Mark Durkan MP of the SDLP has ensured this island’s opposition to these hideous weapons was heard loud and clear in every forum available to our public representatives. Advocacy in action me thinks.

O’Conall Street is going back to its roots and heading for Europe tonight. Venice is the destination and the excuse are the SABRE Awards, Europe’s PR Oscars, which Weber Shandwick is the only Irish agency shortlisted for. All will be revealed on Thursday night.

Elsewhere the turkey is for the oven. Dustin is out of Europe. His talent rejected at the first hurdle. That is the end of that one. Tonight the island of Ireland will unite in its rejection of Chelsea Football Club. From the Ballymoney to Bantry Bay the red army is our army.

Alex Ferguson has a selection dilemma. With all 24 players fit and ready for the game of the year he will have a job picking not just his first team but also his substitutes.Van der Sar, Kuszczak, Heaton, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Brown, Neville, O’Shea, Silvestre, Pique, Scholes, Carrick, Giggs, Hargreaves, Anderson, Fletcher, Park, Nani, Ronaldo, Rooney, Tevez, Saha, Welbeck are the current inheritors of the great red shirts. This is their night to make history.

Paul Scholes has already been promised a place in the starting line-up after missing the 1999 European Cup victory through suspension while Ryan Giggs is poised to overtake Bobby Charlton’s record of 758 appearances for the club.

According to SportingLife.com, Diego Maradona is backing United tonight. Maradona will support Manchester United in Wednesday’s Champions League final against Chelsea because of Carlos Tevez.

The former Argentina great admitted he will turn into a United fan for one day because he wants Tevez to win the Champions League in Moscow.

Speaking in Cannes, where Maradona is promoting the film ‘Maradona’ by the Bosnian director Emir Kusturica, he said: “I think Manchester will beat Chelsea. My friend Carlitos (Tevez) plays there.

“I think Manchester win tomorrow, even though I have quite a lot of friends in several teams.”

With the hand of God on our side we can’t go wrong. Do us proud lads.

I’ll wake in Venice and let you know what I think.

According to the Press Association, Ireland’s Eurovision entry Dustin the Turkey hopes to score maximum points and be plucked for this weekend’s final.

The cult figure plans to ruffle some feathers with his performance of Irelande Douze Pointe - a parody of Eurovision - at the song contest semi-final in Belgrade.

Our feathered friend has been campaigning hard in cyberspace too. He has a plethora of Facebook and BeBosupport groups and turkey is off the menu at the thousands of  Eurovision BBQs across Ireland scheduled for Saturday night.

Denis Murray had a great interview with the king of foul this morning on the BBC. Dustin reminded our great island that Terry Wogan was born in Limerick in 1592 and sent to England in 1902 as revenge for the famine. Of course O’Conall Street to tally dissociates from such remarks but would like to point out that culchies are, well, different.

Can’t resist the opportunity to see the great bird in action.