It’s hard not to watch the news this morning (on that fantastically British medium, the BBC, we do that so well don’t we, the Royal Family, the Open, the Championships) without some fear for Brand Britain. We also specialise so well in shooting ourselves in the foot. Time, after frustrating time.
BP’s failure to stem the leak in the Gulf is an environmental tragedy, with the associated sight of American citizens standing on British flags. If we have a special relationship with the US, we as a country should be using the innovative talent, all innovative talent at our disposal to find a way to stop this. And fast. The long term damage to the US coastline and marine systems is heart-breaking to see.
Take then BA. Does nobody in Unite or BA management not see how they are systematically taking apart a brand that has taken decades to build up? At a time when competition has not been fiercer and profits never harder to come by. Bridge the gap…JFDI. If BA and Unite can’t bridge it, Mr Cameron, this has to be in the National interest. If they won’t then remove the B from their name as they don’t deserve it.
Quite how the Daily Telegraph believes that it is in the National interest to keep running expenses stories is beyond me. Does anyone believe that the new Laws and Alexander stories are new? Or have the Telegraph been holding them waiting for a damaging time to use them? Stupid, self-interested journalists with nothing but destruction in mind. Another systematic picking apart of our national self-esteem.
To find another IP angle I saw this in the Guardian today. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/may/31/mergers-acquisitions-vince-cable
If you really look behind foreign takeovers of UK firms, what are people buying? Answer—British IP and intangibles. From Tata’s acquisition of JLR (brand, innovative skills, know-how bought at a monster discount) to SAICs of Rover (ditto, except all of the valuable Rover formal IP for close to nothing), to Kraft’s of Cadbury (generations of heritage and a fantastic brand), to the Qatari government’s buying Harrods (albeit from Mr al-Fayed), to football clubs now owned by a slew of Billionaires of varying integrity, what on earth are we going to have left when we finally wake up and realise we’ve sold all the shop?
I do fear. I really do fear. As a message to David Cameron, please work out and fast what we as a country are good at. There are things, innovation, heritage, some technologies, banking, tradition, integrity. And really focus on our brand values and what makes people want to keep coming to the UK and dealing with the UK. Focus on them and nurture them, be seen when they are under threat, be vocal when they are to be praised. Either that or you’ll be able to switch off the lights when it’s time to close up.
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