What Does ‘Made In’ Mean Anymore? Part 1

This post is by Britta Knueppel and Chloe Williams.

What does the term ‘Made In’ really mean anymore? As corporations become global – and may even be run in countries away from the one they were born in – how relevant is the tag today and why do some companies cling on to a sense of nationality?

Country of Birth
When it comes to characterising a country, beyond their flags and national airlines, consumers typically start to list products and brands. Countries have become synonymous with certain products or categories. Germany is associated with the car industry, conjuring up images of Mercedes, BMWs and Audis, all intrinsically German. Being German has come to represent quality, engineering precision and technical innovation. France is commercially characterised by its high-end luxury goods: Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Moët & Chandon. Japan is renowned for its electronic products and technological innovations, with brands such as Sony, Nintendo and Honda all founded there. While more recently Spain has become known for its cheap chic fashion brands such as Zara and Mango.

Why is national origin important to brand image?
Brands forge relationships between consumers and products. A product’s place of origin and the stories associated with it enable consumers to form opinions and tap into preconceptions about the product. Using the country of origin or regional associations as a point of differentiation is one of the oldest branding methodologies. In the past the origin of the product was used to signify quality and authenticity.

However consumers no longer simply buy a product to satisfy a need, they are now also buying into the lifestyle aspirations the product represents. In a world where people are travelling further and more frequently, country associations hold more emotional sway often evoking memories or aspirations.

Brands express their heritage in a various ways, ranging from the overt use of brand stories to more subtle ‘made in’ packaging indicators. However, the authenticity of the brands country associations is often elaborated. Appropriating a country for brand purposes can be a marketing device with very little, if any, truth behind it. Country associations allow a product to convey heritage, authenticity and in some cases even a brand personality.

Certified Brand Heritage
The “Made in…” label has lost its original meaning. In a globalised world products have multinational ‘passports’ that transcend borders – components can be sourced in any number of countries; manufacture can take place across the globe, packaging and distribution might be centralised and marketing can be handled locally. So where exactly does a product come from if its DNA is global?

Companies, countries and the World Trade Forum have begun to address how products can be labelled in order to ensure authenticity. Swiss watches have always been synonymous with high quality and handcrafted precision. In order to protect the label ‘Swiss made’ the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry actively polices all uses of the term and has strict guidelines on how it may be used on clocks and watches.

France and Italy have developed a food certificate called “Appellation d’origine contrôlée” (AOC), which translates, as “term of controlled origin”. This certification ensures that only authentic French and Italian produce can be labelled with a place of origin. For example, only wine produced in the Bordeaux region can be called Bordeaux wine and only ham from the town of Parma in the north of Italy can be labelled Parma ham. Countries have begun to realise the value attached to these associations and are now keen to ensure the correct use of their name. In the future this could mean countries achieve a monopoly over a product.

Part 2