Brandinavia: Why Nordic Brands Rule

Brandchannel.com, July 13, 2009 — How did this small geographic area in northern Europe, comprised of countries with little political capital, become such a branding powerhouse? The story starts around AD 900, according to the book The Viking Manifesto: The Scandinavian Approach to Business and Blasphemy by Steve Strid and Claes Andreasson (Marshall Cavendish, 2008). The authors point to the Vikings as the admittedly barbaric forerunners of contemporary Vikings: “The Viking is more soft spoken, but alive and well. Without any army to speak of, they still invade with a better idea and a new approach to marketing, advertising, culture and corporate culture.” The book’s premise is interesting: that the Viking philosophy survived and has been updated, resulting in modern business success.