With corporate brands more powerful than country brands, there’s a lot of work out there for agencies keen to rethink a nation’s identity. Over the next 40-plus pages *Monocle* looks at the construct of countries.
Founded in 1932 by Ole Kirk Christiansen, Lego started life in the wooden toy business. Derived from the Danish words 'leg' (play) and 'godt' (well), the company's play-well concept has turned Lego into one of the most…
Editor-in-chief Tyler Brûlé welcomes Gildo Zegna, CEO of supreme Italian menswear brand Ermenegildo Zegna, to the Monocle HQ in London to discuss the brand's centenary in 2010 and its longer-term future.
John F Kennedy International Airport’s Terminal 4 is about to receive a happy facelift from global-branding agency Base Design. Known for its work with New York’s Meatpacking District and the Fondation Louis Vuitton in…
Audi’s reputation as the innovator’s innovator is born from a creative approach to complicated challenges. The Audi Design Center is filled with designers turning creativity into innovation. Once their ideas progress from…
As gatekeeper of illycaffè, one of Italy’s most famous coffee brands, CEO Andrea Illy faces some intense competition. He tells Monocle how he has kept the company not just above water, but thriving.
As the first Suntory president selected from outside the Japanese drinks firm’s founding family, Takeshi Niinami has needed all his creativity and management guile to help the classic brand reach beyond its home market.
On a map in the mind’s eye, Spain would be a kaleidoscope of vibrant colours while Poland would be various shades of grey. Brand pioneer Wally Olins gives an insight into how nation branding works and why every country…
As prime minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis is hitting play on his nation’s sunny ambitions and, after years in the geopolitical wilderness, he is seeking to renew the economy and refresh what ‘brand Greece’ means to…
It’s called the ‘art of inn-keeping’ for a good reason. If you’re not a natural host/designer/lighting director/logistician all rolled into one then you’ll need to spend years honing the craft of creating an environment…
When Raffaello Napoleone took over at Pitti Immagine, Florence’s Pitti Uomo was a moribund trade fair. Having revitalised both it and the city’s fashion business, he shares his wisdom on the leadership skills needed to help…
Perfectly capable of standing the heat, electronics manufacturer Grundig recently moved into the kitchen with a range of white goods. Director of brand management Christian Struck talked us through
his management style.
The global marketplace isn’t short of economic indicators but none’s a more rapid read than hotel occupancy rates.
With many predicting 2010 will still be tough going, we look at the managers, designers and concepts tra…
Sergio Ermotti, group chief executive officer of UBS, speaks to Monocle’s editor in chief Tyler Brûlé about what the bank’s new direction means for its customers: loyalty, long-term performance and impeccable service.