The seeds for the Ideas Campaign were sown on RTÉ’s Prime Time special on the economy, broadcast on 14 January 2009. Aileen O’Toole was a guest on the programme and spoke to presenter Mark Little about:

• The positive aspects of economic activity that were receiving little attention
• The need to look forward, not backwards
• The Government’s “smart economy” plan

The RTÉ Prime Time special on 14 January

This contribution met with a huge response, particularly from business people who said that we needed to be having different conversations about the Irish economy - ones that are about looking forward, ones that recognise the many positive aspects of Irish economic life and ones that will ultimately send a powerful signal about Ireland across the world.

Aileen O’Toole and her business partner, Fiachra Ó Marcaigh, decided on 14 February to act on this feedback and launch this campaign. They agreed to invest €10,000 in the campaign.

On 18 February, a logo was designed and on 24 February a Campaign Manager, who had been made redundant in January, was appointed. Just over a week later – with a website designed and built, a presence established on social media sites and a volunteer pool in place – the campaign was launched on RTÉ’s Prime Time.