Stefan's Branding Blog

Recognize Great Naming, Wherever You Encounter It

I practice what I preach, hence this short note :)

I received some Romanian email spam recently. The sender, however (the tech platform, who, in the end, may not even realize they're spamming) is an English company with a name that's a wonderful fit for the job.

Tincan. Short, memorable and, for the naming connoisseur, strongly suggestive of Spam, the canned meat product that originated the modern meaning of the word.

I Dig Ohio

Great place branding, Ohio!

No, not because it's where I've been for the past month or so. Germany (and a particular hamlet called Frankfurt) are the culprits there, partly.

But because it's promoted with a no-nonsense, very focused and business-oriented approach. The simple, clean brand identity also helps, of course.

The effort behind this is provided by someone who otherwise supports further place branding initiatives (brand USA, not an easy endeavor by any standards) with the same focus and thoroughness.

Hats down, Ed!

Strategy Fun

I maintain Dilbert is one of the world's leading corporate strategists. Note the mission statement, which is probably one of our times' best and most current. Plus, Dilbert now enters the field of corporate identity, with a logo whose originality can only compare to the work of Rand and Bass. Evidence to support my claim is embedded, with a wish from my side that it never happen to you :)

Trabant Is Back

You may have already heard about the ol' East German car brand making a comeback as an electric vehicle (with a brand new brand identity more easily visible here). Not only do they do that, but Trabant is also going to be a vanity/vintage-reborn brand in the same vein as Mini and the Fiat 500. The German press doesn't shy away from calling it "the Mini from the East" (great pics and story in German.) The model name alone doesn't shine: Trabant nT... "nt nT" has a uniformly delightful pronunciation in all languages known to me and it gives no clue on either the electric nature of the vehicle or its coolness.

I wonder what automotive relic is up next for revitalization. Any guesses? I for one would like to see brands from smaller, more exotic markets (such as my own country) return to life and seek to build global niches.

Lotsa Place Branding in Asia-Pacific

As if their efforts so far weren't enough (they regularly ranks well in country brand tops/indices), Australians again invest in their country brand. Not tourism, but country (there's a difference).

Brand Japan is also a matter of constant concern in that country. Not that people haven't heard of Japan...

All that in a region that already boasts successful place branding projects, such as Malaysia and Hong Kong.

Asia's the place to watch in the coming years, and not only from a branding perspective. For us Europeans to stay competitive, we need to watch them, and watch intently.