Picture New York in the 1980s, streets covered in graffiti pieces, tags and all things art. Music is playing, people are lively and passionate. You feel a strong sense of connection to the place. The result is micro-communities who interpret that connection through different kinds of creativity.
Fast-forward 30 years, and the rapid rise in globalisation and technology means that maybe the concept of sense of place in branding is now a flawed notion. Maybe, but highly fucking unlikely. Let’s start here: where is Apple or Google from? Cue mic drop.
It’s naive to think that the birthplace of brands isn’t important because it doesn’t align with top marketing destinations like New York, Tokyo, Byron Bay, San Francisco, California. I believe one of the most underrated concepts in branding is sense of place. Yeah, it’s easy to jump on the bandwagons of the past, like some kid starting a streetwear brand in New York. That works as a natural business concept because a lot of blood, sweat and tears have gone into small business owners investing sense of place into their brands’ culture for the 30 years prior. As globalisation rolls out, sense of place is something that can help you be true to yourself and your brand.
I’ve had many arguments with friends around only promoting sense of place in your brand if it’s an established brand entity. For example, people might argue that they’d promote their beer company if it was Byron Bay but not if it was Mount Gambier. But the people who hero a sense of place pure to them are the ones who’ll crack through all the noise, and give their customers a nostalgic, authentic feeling. It’s those people who will then start to build the foundations for the next generation to capitalise on their elbow grease.
So before you give up on pigeon holing your brand to a place, have a hard think about the long game you’re playing.
After all, once upon a time southern San Francisco wasn’t synonymous with startup.
*This was handwritten in a tiny house in Henley Beach, South Australia.
