December 6, 2007
Scottish Branding
The following advertisement, found in an old The Economist, leads me to believe that Scottish developers needs a new branding strategy:
If there’s one thing Scotland is famous for, it’s bold innovation. The television. The telephone. The steam engine. The fax machine. Penicilin. Aspirin. Insulin. the ATM. Dolly the sheep. They all got their start in Scotland. In fact, there are far too many Scottish innovations to list. Which is why more companies are doing business in Scotland. Where they can get the innovative thinking and practical solutions they need to develop new products. And expand their business. Contact Scottish Development International to find out how you can join them.
Scottish Development International wants to be a middle man connecting businesses with…the rich history of Scotland? Seriously? That’s your pitch?
Why would Scottish bankers having had invented the ATM decades ago persuade any company to do business in Scotland now? Because that creation ability is somehow replicable? Hey Big Pharma, the Scottish are more likely to create the 21st century’s penicilin because they created the original, it’s in the blood that courses in their sputnik-sized melons.
Scottish Development International is a company that…shares a name with an old country? Great. An advertisement should not make potential customers question whether or not your company actually exists, as we know from previous research.
Recommendation: Scottish Development International: Fire your marketing team. Also, consider not existing. Also squared, change your name to something more awesome like Siberian Tiger Developers.