Royal place branding.

Sweden is considered one of the most modern countries in the world. Yet we are a monarchy. Perhaps it's by habit, or possibly because it gives people a sense of historical connection. One thing is clear though, the spotlight have been pointed to the members in the Swedish royal family lately, for different reasons.

What I'd like to address today is the royal wedding between crown princess Victoria and Daniel Westling, a boy from a small town in the middle of Sweden, and how their wedding will affect the brand "Sweden". A few weeks ago I laid my eyes on the wedding invites at the printing house who printed them (I did unfortunately not take a photo…), and my reaction was instant: How bland! Take a princess belonging to the royal family of one of the world's most modern countries, a country which is known, among other things, for its design. Result: a new royal (soon to be) married couple, becoming ambassadors for new Swedish design?

Not at all. Instead we see design which is very correct, very well made (it's not bad at all), but oh so boring and safe. But come to think of it, why should we be surprized? The princess herself has wished for her father, the king, to lead her to the altar, a tradition abandoned many years ago by the Swedish Church, as a symbol of old stereotypical gender roles and not worthy any modern woman of today.

Back to the royal design. The pattern that has been created for the royal wedding is now seen on a number of product ranges (by companies that have been approved to carry the stamp "Kunglig Hovleverantör"), from chocolate, to cookies, to coffee. All are part of promoting the royal wedding (and thus gaining from it) and by this shaping the brand image of a country.

Here are some examples from around town: