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Think you know Germany? Think again.

If I asked you which nation is the world’s top exporter of goods, my guess is that you’d not answer with Germany. And yet, with a value exceeding a trillion dollars in 2005, the country is significantly ahead of the US, and leaves China, Japan, France and the UK trailing. If that’s a revelation, perhaps it’s time to update your view of the country. I made a visit on business a couple of weeks ago and found the experience to be both reassuring and exhilarating. A few old stereotypes were confirmed, but there were many unexpected discoveries, and I left with a renewed appreciation for the nation and its people.

I don’t think I’m alone. The World Cup brought international exposure and Forbes’ ranking of Chancellor Angela Merkel as the world’s most powerful woman has given many food for thought. But consider, what impression do you really have when someone mentions Germany? According to ads running on the tube at the moment, we Brits at least have only half the picture. They contrast the VW Beetle with high speed ICE trains, cuckoo clocks with the MP3 player, and product design with fashion design.

I’m not sure that Germany was all Beetles and cuckoo clocks to me; but the message to “think again” is apt; the country is full of surprises. For instance, I had a notion that Germany was keen on wind power generation, but the sight of mile after mile of graceful white turbines dotting the landscape around Berlin was astonishing. They were a perfect symbol of the nation’s sleek and progressive efficiency. A stereotype maybe, but undeniably true and wonderful to experience. What was perhaps unexpected among the modernity was the old-fashioned sense of how to conduct business.

The difference in approach compared to the US and Britain was instantly noticeable. Instead of the rushed gatherings of harassed people that can pass for meetings back home, in Germany people took their time, were exceptionally polite, and graciously personal. Conversation flowed freely, as did coffee or wine (depending on the time of day), before business was begun. This was immensely refreshing and reassuring. When developing new commercial relationships, the “getting to know” stages are always the most difficult. Finding a rapport, too readily dismissed as wasted time in US and British business, meant that moving onto more serious matters was much more comfortable.

Austin Lawrence Group advocates taking time over relationships in business. We believe this approach is vital in marketing, a discipline that relies heavily on good communications. Visiting Germany showed me how effectively tradition and progress can be effectively combined in modern business. Wünderbar!

Maybe Being British Doesn’t Matter (Ignore Bloggers at Your Peril)

It’s tempting, being in the transatlantic marketing business, to think a brand’s British Heritage is important to its success elsewhere. As readers of SwelledHead know, we firmly believe that Americans are Anglophiles generally. But, what if business imperatives force your business to move manufacturing offshore? Can you retain your "Britishness?" And is that really important to your end customers?

For Unicorn Darts and Cues, such a situation came up as price competition made it necessary to move its manufacturing from Great Britain to China. And how the company’s Managing Director, Edward Lowy, successfully managed this transition is a case study in contemporary integrated marketing.

First, Unicorn didn’t just shutter its factory and sub-contract manufacturing to the least cost provider. It sought out a truly symbiotic relationship with a company that was already making similar machined goods, but not darts. And Unicorn brought its industry-specific machinery with it, and established training and quality control that enabled it to recreate its product, not substitute someone else’s product for their own. Business being very strong worldwide, Unicorn has this new factory working at capacity, and both Unicorn and its Chinese partner are very happy with their business relationship. For Unicorn, prices are down and quality remains high. For the Chinese partner, his factory runs at capacity and he has a partner who values his abilities. Unicorn executives visit often, and a strong relationship has developed.

As word of its factory move got out, Unicorn was caught a bit off-guard. It wasn’t prepared for the reaction from its loyal customers. There were complaints on message boards, suggestions that quality wasn’t the same, calls for a change of brands among enthusiasts, and more. It could have been a nightmare.

This is where Ed Lowy’s education in Internet marketing began. His instinctual reaction was to engage bloggers in a dialogue about the business and the decisions he and his family had to make to ensure the future of the company. He also talked frankly about the movement of machinery, training of new staff and ongoing quality controls that the company undertook to keep Unicorn darts at or better than previous standards.

After a short while, the flames of protest died down, and Ed thought that might be the end of it. But, after posting his replies and having conversations with his customers on the Internet, he realized that he was getting fantastic marketing research from these interactions. The message boards were providing him with new product ideas – some of which have become the best sellers in the entire Unicorn line. Blogging has become integral to Unicorn’s marketing efforts, and on its Web site at www.unicorngroup.com you’ll see its UniBlog, with blog entries from more than a dozen industry and competitive figures and comments from enthusiasts the world over. What could have been a company-killer became its secret weapon.

In addition to blogging, Unicorn sponsors leading darts professionals and tournaments worldwide and fields its own professionals, in "Team Unicorn." This keeps its brand in front of the competitive amateurs who are its key customers (they don’t buy discount-store darts, but spend upwards of $100 for a set and buy accessories as they wear out and new darts as their skills improve – or Unicorn introduces a new product). It also has an amateur club, called "180 Club," that it administers and promotes with a leading enthusiast magazine.

How would your customers respond if you took the British out of your brand? Would it matter? For Unicorn, it was a bump in the road, but could have been quite a detour.