Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Branding and Place of Origin

Place of origin often has an impact on the viability of brands that are known to originate from that place.  That is because the place of origin itself has its own associations and those associations may either enhance or detract from the brand associations.

For instance, any of the following might be associated with these places:
  • Countries:

o   Australia: Kangaroos, Sydney Opera House, Great Barrier Reef, the Outback, aborigines
o   Brazil: Carnival, Rio de Janeiro, beaches, samba music
o   Canada: Hockey, maple leaf, cold
o   China: Manufacturing, new cities, economic development, Chinese food and culture
o   England: London, Big Ben, royalty, grey skies, fog
o   France: Paris, Eifel Tower, Riviera, wine, food, culture, fashion
o   Germany: Automobiles, Berlin, castles, Oktoberfest, Hitler
o   India: Contrasts, exotic (Hindu) religion, bright colors
o   Mexico: Mexican food, sombreros, siestas, beaches, gang violence
o   Spain: Bull fighting, sunny, tapas, weak economy
o   Switzerland: Banks, watches, the Alps, orderliness
o   United States of America: New York City, world power, current US president, cowboys
  • States:

o   California: Diverse, Hollywood, San Francisco, LA, surfing, Route 1, Napa Valley, liberal, march to their own drummer
o   Florida: Retirement, alligators, swamps, Orlando, Miami, beaches, fishing
o   Maine: Lobster, Maine coast, sailing, seaports, L.L.Bean
o   Texas: Oil, Dallas, Houston, everything is bigger in…, George W. Bush, conservative
  • Cities:

o   Bangalore: IT jobs, outsourcing, business hub
o   Branson: Family entertainment, country music, conservative, tacky
o   Dubai: Skyscrapers, desert, wealth, Arabs, economic growth, oil money
o   Las Vegas: Gambling, prostitution, bright lights, shows, adult fun
o   New York: Wall Street, Broadway, shopping, high energy, night life
o   Orlando: Disney, theme parks, family vacations
o   Paris: The Louvre, Eifel Tower, cafes, great food
o   Singapore: Modern, clean, strict laws, thriving city state
o   Vienna: Vienna State Opera, waltzes, Mozart, coffeehouses

Consider which of the preceding places are the most likely to enhance brands in these categories and which are the most likely to make them less credible:
  • A new spiritual practice
  • Automobiles
  • Classical music
  • Coffee
  • Consumer electronics
  • Fashion
  • Gourmet food
  • Watches
  • Wine
  • Yachts

This is another way to think about this is. What comes to your mind when one says ‘Made in China,’ ‘Made in Japan,’ ‘Made in Mexico,’ ‘Made in Taiwan,’ ‘Made in USA,’ ‘Exported from France,’ ‘Exported from Germany’ ‘Exported from New Zealand,’ or ‘Exported from Patagonia’?

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