This is the last one, promise. Previously, BS1 and BS2. Is there any overlap at all in the stories the social democrats and the liberals tell themselves about what it means to be Swedish? Is there something that all Swedes can agree on as being at the core of the Swedish experience, suitable for foreign consumption, yet not just true on a trivial level, like schlager festivals, Santa Lucia, midsommar, surströmming, lumpen, winter sports… Yes, all those things define Sweden, but surely being Swedish is more than the sum of these parts? Isn’t there something more?

I think there is, but its at the end of this post.

First, some things that are not. We’ve already eliminated the social democratic utopian ideal as a Swedish universal (again, without having to pronounce on its merits or otherwise). What about the royals?

At the branding conference, Simon Anholt said something that perked my ears. He told the assembled Swedes that they are very lucky to have a royal family. “Royal families are the guardians of the national brand,” he said. What I understood him to mean is that for the Swedish royal family, Sweden is the family business, so when it comes to the country’s image, it’s personal for them, which puts them at a competitive advantage.

Anholt probably didn’t mean to be prescriptive, but what he said implies putting the cart in front of the horse. Surely, deciding on whether to dump the royal family should foremost depend on the justness of competing political systems, not whether royals make for good TV come Nobel time. If the removal of the monarchy were to damage Sweden’s standing in the eyes of Belgium or Brunei, should that really be a valid reason not to proceed? Instead, might there not be something positive to be said, brand-wise, about showing that Sweden’s commitment to meritocracy is reflected in its national symbols?

What about corporate national champions — can they teach us something about core Swedishness? Well, certainly not most of them. Volvo, Saab and Ericsson are supposed to be Swedish, except that Volvo is run by Ford (and its cars are designed by a Brit), Saab is owned by General Motors, and Ericcson is married to Sony. Corporate finance and modern production processes simply aren’t impressed by national borders anymore. It’s the same everywhere: Belgium’s Godiva Chocolatier is now owned by Campbell Soup. Brands lag reality, but in the cases where a corporate brand feeds off the national brand (Belgians as bon vivants, Swedes as innovative and safety minded), the marketeers desperately want to prolong this connection. Needless to say, it’s all a bit of a sham.

What’s left? A panel discussion at the end of the conference noted how Ingmar Bergman has helped shape an image of Swedes that borders on a caricature — the Swede as an earnest, moody introspective melancholic, playing chess with Death when not staring out of windows at stormy coastlines. And yet there is some truth to this. Proof was the panel itself, whose members managed to alternate between earnest, moody and introspective. Swedes can be painfully honest about themselves, and are often self-conscious near excessive displays of patriotic pride. The idea of branding raises the specter of immodesty. It’s somehow an unserious pursuit. Swedes are much happier if they can relate honestly to someone, do something useful, and then have a reputation bestowed upon them.

I think the branding of Sweden should incorporate this conflicted approach towards the branding of Sweden, because it is in this tension between reticence and pride that I see a core national trait — the one thing that most Swedes have in common. So let’s market this! How?

In professional marketing circles, apparently, you’re supposed to come up with an encapsulating tag line, like Nokia’s Connecting People or Avis’s We try harder. Other countries have them too — New Zealand New Thinking, Cool Britannia, Norway’s Peaceful NatureGet it? It was proposed, in any case. I’m not sure if the Norwegians went for it in the end., Malaysia Truly Asia. The best ones, like the British and Norwegian ones, are punny, and hint at a double entendre.

I’ve come up with some of my own candidates for Sweden’s tag line:While we’re at it, I also suggest:
Radiotjänst. We pry harder
Chello. Goodbye!

Sweden. Fair enough.

Sweden. Honestly.

Sweden. A little proud.

Sweden. If you like.

Sweden. Not that there’s anything wrong with Norway.

Sweden. For Life (4 to 8 with good behaviour).Let’s not market this one in Iraq.

But my favorite tag line draws from the fact that there is one Swedish national corporate champion that truly does embody core Swedish traits — not least via its founder — and which already has a globally recognized brand to die for. Sweden should just to try to ride this company’s blue-and-yellow coattails. Hence,

Sweden. Made in IKEA.