Rebranding Germany

Heard
about the new German-Chinese restaurant? The food is great, but an hour
later, you’re hungry for power…

FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Hard working, dull and humorless?

Germany, which has been saddled with negative stereotypes since World War
II, is actually hip, hedonistic and laid back, a team of image consultants
is trying to persuade Britons.

"We are known for being aggressive, thorough and pushy," said
Ulrich Sacker, director of the Goethe Institute in London.

Given the weight of skepticism about Germany at home and abroad, advertising
executives say the task of rebranding will not be easy.

"It’s much more complex than branding Coca Cola," said Eberhard
Beutler, managing director at Saatchi and Saatchi in Frankfurt.

"We have an image problem but there is a lot of potential. People
need to stop being so pessimistic. There are lots of strong points about
Germany,
people just need to wake up to that."

from
Reuters