Regional Branding: Rolling Hills and Unraveling Threads

Is There a Place for Newcomers in the U.S. Lifestyle Market?

Since the days of Abyssinian myrrh, provenance remains one of the most powerful branding tools. Home décor, travel, gourmet foods, spa, etc. rely heavily on our historical lust for beautiful objects and tasty treats from faraway places.

France and Italy are far ahead in both national and regional branding which today seems to be the preferred way of establishing provenance rather than a country. Known for so long to be a source of all things great, their reputation is now a huge asset in the U.S. market. But, popular demand and manufacturing shortcuts are inevitably hurting the authenticity of Western European brands.

American appetites for anything "Provençal", "Tuscan" or "Mediterranean" fueled a global cottage industry of faux-branding. There is probably an entire province somewhere in China producing nothing but hastily put together French and/or Italian inspired trinkets. Todays' New York Times’ article Made in China on the Sly talks about how even famous luxury brands are now, more or less deceptively, made there.

To be fair, other lesser known European regions like Eastern Europe, can only dream of such celebrity status and enormous fan base. The opportunities exist. Lifestyle gurus and trendsetters are always on the lookout for the next “it” region. Well-heeled clientele never in recession would still prefer highly priced luxuries to be the real luxuries. Even suburbia, all dolled up in shabby chic and smelling of lavender, is open for suggestions in spite of the bleak economical forecasts. Providing truly authentic, well-made artisan products in the sea of pretenders seems like a valid option.

Not everything is about fashion, boredom and exclusivity. Environmental, health and human rights issues are beginning to considerably influence consumers’ shopping habits. Buying high quality, chemical-free products made under humane conditions used to be the expression of one’s left-wing views. Today, it is common sense. Countries and regions eager to brand themselves cannot ignore this trend for reasons other than just market demands, particularly if they have aspirations to become tourist destinations.

Back to wine, hot tubs and fine linens. In developing markets, branding is often misinterpreted as pure advertising. The truth is, the best and the quickest way to become known as a maker of fine products is to actually make fine products.

Tuscany, Provence, meet Pannonia!
Case in study (PDF): Pannonia Linens, a step in the right direction.

Think Global, Click Local

When you have the whole world at the tip of your finger, where do you go?


The answer is: where they speak your language(s). For all its world-wide reputation, the web is still a local affair, even if local means a few hundred million speakers of a particular language.

The way we speak is closely intertwined with the way we think. In many cultures a non-verbal communication is often more important than the spoken words. Such differences in creating and processing of information inevitably result in different “Internets” as well (I guess, Al Gore was right about this, too).

Whether a website is going to take you on a meandering quest for knowledge and hidden treasures or briskly march you to the “designated area”, depends a lot on the group’s prevailing culture. Researchers found the perception of time influences web design from the site's architecture to its visual elements. Elaborate intros are preferred by the groups where time is less relevant and by those who believe that artistic expressions trump everything. Societies where time is considered a commodity with a price tag attached, favor speed and functionality.

So far, English seems to be the only language with a global crossover success. But, as a connective tissue it can only go so far. The business world which adopted English as its Esperanto often presents grammatically and even semantically correct yet poorly translated local values.

For those who wish to take full advantage of the web’s global reach, going beyond language is necessary. That doesn’t mean you have to lose your authenticity, just explain it better, even when your native language is in fact English.

Case in study (PDF): Sweezers – How a well-known Swiss precision instrument maker introduced a line of cosmetic tweezers to the U.S. market.

Does Wearing Too Many Hats Make You Look Like a Clown?

Lately, we are hearing a lot about multitasking. Apparently, even the simplest tasks performed simultaneously, overload and slow down our brain circuits to the point of crashing. Into the nearest obstacle, most likely; a fact known since the earliest days of humankind, only recently promoted as a scientific discovery.

Not to bash science any further, they also found out that diverse and complicated brain activities, performed consecutively, is the best way to prevent Alzheimer’s disease. Naturally, brainflex gadgets are popping up everywhere to be consumed as supplements for thought-deficient people.

But, let’s not confuse multitasking with diversity. What do we know about the perils and benefits of wearing too many hats in our professional lives? Our expert-based culture pushes us into very narrow specializations as if knowledge could be obtained only by drilling deep through a pinhole. Jacks-of-all-trades are often portrayed as superficial and flighty while labeling someone a Renaissance man or a woman is anything but a compliment today. An entrepreneur might get the recognition but not for long: continuing to fulfill many roles past the start-up phase is viewed at best as a lack of focus.

Yet, we are bombarded with messages that learning new skills is essential to our bread-winning abilities - as long as you stay close enough to your primary field of expertise. What a shame, if you ask me. After all, being resourceful and adaptable species won us the evolutionary prize. Our curiosity and willingness to tackle any task, to turn our lives upside-down if we need to, in any age and anywhere, is far more valuable in the long run than any resumé-building technique du jour.

Jobs and careers come and go, new technologies wipe out entire sectors and form new ones in a flash. Be proud of your headgear collection and don’t get spooked by eucalyptus-nibbling specialists. They are the endangered species, not you.

A Decade of Me, Inc.

10 years after Tom Peters’ article “The Brand Called You” introduced it, personal branding is reaching its heights on the Web 2.0.


It seems that the last decade somewhat contradicted George Orwell’s vision of hell. It’s not so much the loss of individuality but, rather, the overabundance of it that is now showing in its full glory. We’ve seen it all: the good, the bad and the ugly. Reality TV, MySpace, YouTube, blogging, a “personal touch” put to everything from underwear to bank accounts… Even the Times magazine declared that the person of the year for 2006 was: You.

So, how’s You doing now? Is the brand holding up? Branching out or downsizing? Has You lost touch with its customer base? Are they still buying You? Tough questions, especially if you - You? Oh, the hell with it! - if you still remember the days when you were just you. Oddly, at the same time we started assuming corporate identities, the corporations began more and more to portray themselves as individuals. That is, as one of our trusted friends on MySpace.

Not all is lost. Before personal branding there was self-empowerment, before that self-improvement, before that self-help, going all the way back to maxims and proverbs. A desire to better or at least distinguish ourselves is our innate human trait and, it’s here to stay. If we today use computers to express, expose, spill our guts, network and schmooze and if we call gathering places social media instead of piazza, so be it.

As for personal branding, it’s simple, your company, your rules. The best part of it, they can be amended anytime. Just ask Martha Stewart.

The Manifesto

Black and white is a fashion statement.
Absolute is an alcoholic beverage.
Not every obstacle is worth overcoming.
Retreat is an option. Tuning out is not.

We make lemonade with sugar. We say no to kool-aid.
We do not throw away worn out dreams. We pass them on.
We may arrive late and improperly dressed but, we show up.
We do not preach, scold or crusade. We participate.

Contact: AlexHughart[at]gmail[dot]com