week 15, post 1, packaging and nationalism

Amidst many products at the grocery stores in Sweden, there were some that were notably celebratory of being from their homeland. Knäckebröd is a great example of this, and its packaging reflects the authentic Swedish background of its history. This staple food item lasts a long time, packs and ships easily, is low in price, and dates back all the way to the Viking era. Being a historical, economical, and established local product encompasses several aspects that Swedes look for when choosing what to purchase- whether it is in the food category or not. The knäckebröd area of the store was one of the easiest places to know that I was buying 'Swedish' food when tourists like me were trying to locate authentic food to try. The branding strategy behind the knäckebröd marketing lies within its physical packaging and naming. By naming the products with Swedish towns and putting nationally recognizable images such as dalahasten on them, it becomes an edible souvenir and a way to celebrate Swedish culture. This occurs in America, less frequently by country but more popularly by geographic location. 

312 bottled beer uses the Chicago phone dialing area code in its brand name and label to present itself as an authentic Chicago product. Also on its label is the highly recognizable Chicago skyline so that even a person who has no knowledge that 312 is the Chicago area code can recognize its geographical importance. The same can be said for several other beer brands across America, with the notable difference between the instance of Swedish nationalism and American being that American packaging focuses on a smaller geographical area rather than covering the entire country. With that observance, a trend can be seen between smaller countries and larger countries when it comes to marketing and there is a clear difference in their tactics.