My Design Notes

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16 Apr 2012

Branding a less known travel destination - Finland
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How would you promote a country that is not a mainstream tourist attraction? The Finnish Tourist Board has decided to use a conceptual identity to tell what Finland is and why you should come here.

Finland was eight in the 2010 Country Brand Index, ahead of the UK, Sweden, Germany and Italy. However, in tourism terms Finland is a challenger brand. Most overnight visitors come from Russia, Sweden, and Germany. "Visit Finland" is the conceptual identity that should attract travelers also from other parts of the world.

The new website (now in beta) of Visit Finland wants to communicate Finland's identity through four characteristics: credible, contrasting, creative and cool. Accordingly, it provides a top 10 list of reasons for traveling to Finland:
- Get off the beaten track of traditional European tourist attractions
- You need to hide
- You want to do something that your friends haven’t done
- You’re bored of crowded places
- You want to see Santa
- You want to experience clean nature (while the world still has it)
- You like to have fun in the snow
- You love the Moomins
- You want to learn real driving
- You feel cold (Come to the land of the sauna)
The Tourist Board has developed three themes that reflect Finland's core values:

SILENCE, PLEASE

"As a counterbalance to the hectic, ever-accelerating rhythm of daily life, Finland offers peace and quiet, and space to breathe, even in the heart of the city. Visitors can take things easy, stay at a cottage, enjoy a sauna, and explore an untouched natural environment."

WILD & FREE

"Every traveller would like to experience at least one memorable adventure during their holiday. Finnish nature offers opportunities for spectacular nature activities, such as snowmobile and dog sled safaris, island hopping by boat, canoeing in the archipelago, or even a snowball fight in the city."

CULTURAL BEAT

"The uniqueness of Finnish culture is recognised around the world, from its classic design and Father Christmas to heavy metal music and tasty fresh produce."

The Finnish Tourist Board has identified the type of travelers whose own preferences coincide with that of Finland. They are "modern humanists", according to the RISC Monitor research. About 15 percent of world travellers are estimated to be modern humanists, people who have traveled a lot and are seeking fresh options.

"Finland is for people, who have seen the major metropolises of the world and are open to further broadening their horizons. People, who find advancements in technology, sustainability and design close to their hearts." - Visit Finland

Photo credit: Aarni Heiskanen

Site screen capture: beta.visitfinland.com
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2 Dec 2010

The problem solver of the world – Finland
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How to develop a brand for an unknown country? The Country Brand Delegation has some suggestions. It released a report called Mission for Finland on October 25, 2010.

The report begins with a quotation from Sir Bernard Ledwidge, Ambassador of the UK. He stated in October 1972,

“You could argue that for anyone other than a Finn, it is a disaster to spend three years in Finland, as I have just done. Finland is flat, cold and far from the busy centres of European life. Nature has not favoured Finland, nor has art for that matter. Up until quite recent times, the residents of Finland have included peasants, hunters, fishermen, and a small group of foreign rulers who spent most of their money elsewhere. The rich cultural history of Europe has left fewer marks in Finland than anywhere else in the Western world, perhaps excluding Iceland. Finnish cuisine deserves an extra punishment for its barbaric dreadfulness: only the mushrooms and crawfish are worth mentioning.”

OK, the starting point sounds depressing. But the report says that that's what Finns are best at – solving the world's most wicked problems. Quoting from the report:

IN 2030 FINLAND WILL BE THE PROBLEM-SOLVER OF THE WORLD

Finland is already the best country in the world. Considering its small size, Finland has an unbelievable array of strengths and opportunities to solve some of the world’s most wicked global problems. If Finland did not exist, it would have to be invented. We have a mission.

Finland’s greatest strength is the unbiased, solution-focused approach to problems, which derives from our history and culture. When faced with an impossible situation, we roll up our sleeves and double our efforts.

Right now, the state of the world seems in many ways impossible. We are facing global-level challenges: the world must find a sustainable way of life, ways to reduce poverty and ways to produce fewer disposable solutions.

Finland is simply duty-bound to demonstrate that we are able to solve such problems. Finland offers the world functionality and sustainable solutions in the form of both products and services as well as a functional society. Finland offers the world its ability to negotiate so that the world can be a better place to live. Finland offers the world clean water and food and related expertise. Finland offers the world better education and teachers.

You can download the report at http://www.tehtavasuomelle.fi/documents/TS_Report_A4_EN.pdf

Photo: Aarni Heiskanen
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11 Sep 2010

Making companies audibly memorable
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Big companies have realized that all of our senses can and should be used for branding. Visual branding is obvious, but how about having an audio logo?

Audio branding is something that companies have done for years. It can be, for example, a four-note theme that is embedded and varied in short compositions. It can also be a very simple jingle.

Audio branding is not just for the ads. Car makers are know to "design sounds" – the way a car sounds when you drive it. A Macintosh computer has a signature startup sound. Everyone knows the Nokia tune, even some birds mimic it!

The following video demonstrates some possibilities of audio branding.
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27 Jun 2010

What is in a company name?
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The other day we drove by a car dealer. They had a gleaming statue of a leaping jaguar in their frontyard. Jaguar denotes strength, speed, and beastly beauty - not a bad image for a car brand. I think that the best company names characterize the company: what they do, how they do it, and what benefits they offer. The name should differentiate the company. An excellent name also creates a compelling visual image.

Naming to a company is somehow similar to naming a baby. The name reflects the expectations and values of the parents. Whereas parents have a finite list of suitable first names companies have to come up with a unique one.

A good name should be easy to remember, pronounce, and write. Short names are categorically better than long ones. Sony, Nokia, Nikon, Bing - they are all technology brands that fulfill that requirement. Many Internet brands use two-syllable names, e.g. eBay, Dropbox, PayPal, and Twitter.

I once worked for a company that had a bit difficult Swedish name to spell (the founder's). The employees collected misspelled address tags in a folder. Eventually the folder became very thick.

Using the founder's name for a company would seem like a natural choice at first but can become a burden later on. The character and success of the firm and the founder become inseparable.

Many brands have evolved from local markets to global markets. The names have evolved accordingly. Take for example Maschinenfabrik Augsburg-Nürnberg that we today know as MAN, or Bayerische Motoren Werke - BMW. I got these examples from a list of company name etymologies that is available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_company_name_etymologies.

Photo: Aarni Heiskanen
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