Common Misconceptions of Branding in Europe


In the United Kingdom in the financial years of 2016 to 2017, over 600,000 new companies, each with their own branding, registered with Companies House, and 436,526 dissolutions in the same period. This was an increase on the previous year, which in turn was higher than every year before that since 2009.

This ongoing trend would suggest a thriving hub of passion and entrepreneurship within the UK, which in turn would imply more businesses in competition with you, all vying for the same client.

Plus, with Brexit on the horizon and the changes in trading linked with leaving the EU, companies will require even more of an edge to ensure they don’t fall into the latter category having handed over their advantage to their competitors both new and old.

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Export Implications

Seven out of the top ten individual destination countries for UK exports of goods are in the EU. In 2017 exports of goods from the UK accounted for over half of total exports. So, what are the common downfalls with selling to each different country, each of which comes with its own language and laden with a list of idiosyncrasies and foibles?

Whatever they are, you need to ensure you understand them and save getting oeuf on your face.

Combine these factors with politics, notwithstanding the barriers to entry that already exist and are likely to exist when Brexit takes hold, and you’re faced with a veritable smorgasbord of knowledge needs.

Three Steps For Branding Success

  1. Fully assessing your product or service offering’s suitability to the area you are targeting. When Chevy launched their new car, they failed to appreciate the Hispanic demographic’s translation of the car’s name, which was Nova. In Spanish, ‘no va’ means ‘It won’t go’.
  2. Fastidious name, logo, culture, linguistic disaster, brand message and survey localisation checking by experts that don’t just speak the language, but are, in fact, natives to the country. We’ll help you avoid the plethora of potential pitfalls and subsequent professional faux pas.
  3. Long-term strategy for brand growth, notoriety and product development. Name, logo and disaster checking aren’t one-off activities. Whenever marketing within a new county, expanding your product range and developing sub brands; a strong relationship with your disaster checking company will ensure your continued success.

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You’re passionate about your brand and want to reflect that in every launch. Brand and Borders ensure you have the edge when launching abroad, time and time again. Talk to us now about how we can help you make your launch as successful as it can be.

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