In this post we want to explore how will the confusion around Brand Britain and Brexit shapes how the UK is seen in the world. The Guardian ran an article entitled ‘Un big mess – how the rest of Europe views Brexit’. Which got us thinking. What will ‘Brand Britain’ look like in a post – Brexit world? A 2018 Barclays study said that the premium carried by a ‘Made in UK’ tag may be worth up to £3.45bn to British business. Brand Britain has serious value. However, will it be burned or boosted by Brexit?
Trying to define what Brand Britain is about isn’t easy. We settle on a DNA encompassing values like ‘open’, ‘assimilating’, ‘involving’, ‘accessible’ and of course, ‘creative’. We’re the land of The Monarchy, The Beatles, Burberry, Bentley, Curries, Stormsy, Paul Smith, Harry Potter and lots more great stuff. So there’s a core of truth around Brand Britain’s value proposition. Conclusion? We’re pretty cool.
However, what is Brand Britain now? Quarrelsome, divided, angry, undecided, lost? Designer Oswald Boateng said on Channel Four news ; ‘You thought being British was an expanding proposition, involving many cultures. As a brand it was working. Suddenly, no one knows what to do…’
Finally, how will the Brexit trauma affect what our brand means, going forward? Is Brexit a cry for the past, a yearning for our former glories? (Dunkirk anyone?). Will Brand Britain wrap itself in Crumpets, Castles & The Queen, heading back to a chocolate box image of ourselves? How will the Union Jack fare? It resurfaced on Mini cars, Noel’s guitars and Geri’s dresses. Could dark forces reclaim it?
To sum up. Successful brands need a clear and agreed Value Proposition and DNA. Although our ‘Brand Britain’ ’emerged’ over the years, up until now we could at least broadly agree what it was. Are we losing it and how will we find it again?