New Ways of Representing Sweden   The economy of the United States is by far the largest in the world. Assuch, it is the engine that drives the entire global economy. And when itcoughs or slows down, as seen recently, so does the rest of the world.Between 1995 and 2002, the U.S. generated 65% of the world's total economicgrowth. A Swedish commercial presence in the United States is therefore critical toour export industries and to our long-term prosperity. Add to this the factthat New York is the world's greatest stage. What makes a splash in NewYork will almost certainly also be a hit in Florence, Taipei, Paris orStockholm. It's not unusual for Swedish companies, products or artists tobe launched in New York in order to get the attention of Swedish media. The Consulate General of Sweden in New York covers all of the United States,with the exception of California and the greater Washington D.C. area. Weare Sweden's largest information office abroad, receiving around 10,000questions from the general public each year and organizing up to 50different events to support Swedish companies and to advance Swedish culturein the United States. Our efforts in promoting a modern image of Sweden in New York depend heavilyon relations with the media. Last year, events initiated and organized bythe Consulate General of Sweden in New York received close to two hundredmentions in the New York press. This means we're capable of reaching anaudience of millions. After four years in New York and at the beginning of a fifth, there arereasons to reflect on what works in New York and what doesn't. Theseexperiences and observations are no doubt relevant and useful to many othersbeyond the immediate sphere of the Consulate. · To succeed as a Swede in New York, you have to be prepared to swim inAmerican waters. Americans, often quite openly, tend to pose the question:"What's in it for me?" And the right answer does not necessarily haveanything to do with Sweden being pleasant, modern or beautiful. An interestin Sweden alone can not be counted on to attract the "right people".Representatives from over 100 different nations are working actively topromote their respective countries and various companies in New York. Themost effective means of ensuring credibility is joining forces and workingtogether with an already established U.S. partner. · The United States is different. Every country has its own particularbusiness culture. The American one differs from the Swedish much more thanmany Swedes might think ­ and vice versa. The ubiquitous yet superficialinfluence of American culture on Sweden has led many to believe that thesimilarities between the two countries are greater than they actually are.With this in mind, it's always a good idea to work with American lawyers,publicists, etc. · Your product, concept or selling point has to be unique. To be "worldfamous" in Sweden won't get you far. You have to be able to explain, in onesentence, exactly what is special and unique about what you're presenting.After all, due to the sheer size of the U.S. market, American customersalways have the option of looking to their own backyard, of choosing adomestic product or partner. · It's important to note that everything takes longer and costs more in theU.S. than in Sweden; the country is huge, New York is huge. Contractors,messengers and others will inevitably give you hassles and take up precioustime. Traffic congestion can easily make you late for appointments. Andmeetings may not always be rescheduled until several days later. Thebureaucracy can approach third-world levels and the technology is oftenoutdated, for example in the processing of financial transactions.Something that in Sweden may not take more than a few days can easily takeseveral weeks in the U.S. · To be able to deliver on demand is critical. A contract with a major U.S.client or distributor requires a readiness on the part of the supplier todeliver large quantities of a given product ­ and to quickly finance largeexpenditures. Many Swedish products ­ from wood houses to Västerbottencheese ­ have been forced to withdraw from the U.S. market due to aninability to produce the mass quantities demanded. · Organizing events can be a key to success. There has to be a considerableelement of attraction; Swedishness in and of itself will generally onlyattract other Swedes as well as the already converted. Organizing events isone effective way of getting widespread attention. A glamorous launchparty. An in-store reception. Offer something. Put something on display.And, if possible, engage a charitable organization with a compatible purposeto secure the involvement of their social network. The Swedish boutiqueClearly First on Madison Avenue organizes new events on a biweekly basis,presenting products and designers for a different audience every other week. · Avoid the "Swedish trap". Swedes in New York can often be excellentambassadors; they have great amounts of valuable experience and are usuallyhappy to share advice and personal contacts. But, all too often, Swedesarriving in New York will end up in a closed circle, unable to reach theirintended audience. With this in mind, it's important to first identify yourtarget audience, client or consumer base and then, secondly, assess the waysin which Swedish groups in New York can help you gain access to it. Manyseem to think that their target customer base is the Swedish community inNew York. This is almost never the case; Swedes in New York are too few anddo not have enough purchasing power. We often encounter Swedish exhibitorsor entrepreneurs who claim to have an extensive network of contacts in NewYork, but this often proves to be little more than the usual group of peoplefrom Swedish banks and other Swedish organizations. The American asks "What's in it for me?" The answer is not "I am Swedish"but rather "I have the world's greatest product". (Americans find itperfectly natural to brag and exaggerate a bit.) The interest for thingsSwedish will eventually follow. Olle Wästberg Back to index
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