or….when brand globalisation comes unstuck
Last summer, I was sitting in a bar in Northern Cyprus watching a local band render a terrific version of the Sting classic “An Englishman in New York”. Whilst questioning the loaded irony of my own identity and marvelling at the plethora of international treats on offer, it got me thinking about a sign I saw the previous day, the image of which adorns this article.
Porsche gave the North Cyprus distributorship to a local company around 7 years ago with the view of gaining a stranglehold in the ever-burgeoning luxury sports utility vehicle market. With a high import cost and few sales over the ensuing years, the operation closed on the island in 2015. All that remains is this eyesore and the association certainly doesn’t resonate with the renowned and prestigious Porsche brand. A missing C, grossly overgrown trees and a derelict showroom seems to be the legacy. (Ironically the real sea is around a kilometre away on the other side of the road!)
Growing up in the ’70s and ’80s, the notion was that Porsche represented an aspirational “go-to” brand for the rich and famous. The above picture paints an altogether different story and must be deemed as borderline disaster to our German neighbours, where image certainly tugs at the coat tails of the brand.
So, whilst I was marvelling at the entertainment side of globalisation, I felt conflicted about how there can be a real downside too. The key is to ensure that stringent brand guidelines are in place are regularly controlled, patrolled and where necessary corrected. This ensures that the Porsche’s’ brand values are adhered to and consistently reflects the culture, equity, tonality and essence of the brand.
The importance of setting up key procedures, processes and getting the right people in place is as critical as the over- arching commercial aspects of the enterprise and cannot be undermined.
If this entails the need for regular visits to ensure that these brand values are accurately transmitted to the owners…. well I can recommend a bar with a terrific house band that may make you a little homesick!
