Brexit doom | Is NI projecting the right brand message?

I stopped by Ruach Music in Kilkeel yesterday, a business that hand makes beautiful, top quality music instruments and equipment from wood. Guitars, effects pedals, pedal boards, cajons, guitar stands – all world class products with top drawer sounds that compete in quality and cost with the best worldwide. Made right here in NI.

I brought an old school friend of mine with me, the Music Director for Jersey Boys which is currently touring in Belfast. He was astonished that products this good came from this tiny set up in a barn in the Mourne countryside.

Ruach business is booming, exporting worldwide. Founder Stephen Henderson (mid 20’s) will confidently deal with issues that Brexit throws at him - no fears, just problems he’ll find solutions for. Nothing will put him off his growth path.

Some would say the fearlessness of youth.

Others would say “These are the winners N.Ireland should be backing - small, aggressive, fast growth niche export businesses located in our rural economies [low rents, plentiful long term loyal workforce] run by talented entrepreneurs who aren’t afraid to compete in global markets … who will lead the NI economy forward over the next decade”.

Brexit fear, no Government, the border issue, reference to the past Troubles – none of this taints the growth of the Ruach brand. None of this appears on Stephen’s agenda.

Earlier this year, Lisa Cauldwell from Belfast City Council presented the new Belfast Brand to the world.

As always, the focus from many watching was on the logo, evaluated for aesthetic appeal, practical use and cost to produce. Missing the point entirely.

Brands are emotional, the feeling we project to the world – that Belfast has energy, it’s growing, open for business, exciting, the place to be, on trend, bold and fearless, new and undiscovered in a world where we’ve seen everything. It’s not dead, shrinking, lacking in ideas and a ‘been there, done that’ poor copy of Edinburgh or Cardiff.

Belfast Brand nailed it.

Ruach Music is a great example of a fast-growing NI brand that reflects Belfast Brand and the stance we need to take going through Brexit. The business has energy, it’s growing, it’s fearless, exciting and it taps into every trend going. It’s not built on excuses, it doesn’t look back. It’s all about the future and it ticks every box the global market wants to see.

As an entrepreneur I could take Stephen to London, New York, Sydney … he’d fit in, look right and be an incredible ambassador for the NI story that is told well by brandBelfast - the story we need to project to the world post Brexit to take us confidently forward and bring business back to our shores.

Jersey Boys finishes Saturday, so my friend departs on Sunday. In his mind his images of Belfast and NI will be similar to the brandBelfast video. Exciting, confident, undiscovered…

View their brand vid here: https://belfastbrand.com/

I gather Jersey Boys has been one of (if not 'the') fastest selling shows in Opera House history, sending a strong message to the world’s biggest shows that Belfast and NI is a serious market opportunity for them, very much a credible stop on the world circuit. Exciting, confident, undiscovered…

With less than 2 million people in a space roughly the size of the metropolis of New York with no natural resources to exploit we need to ‘find our thing’ to be able to stand out on the world stage. We need to be on trend and in sync with the pulse of the fast-changing markets.

Ruach Music and Belfast Brand are on trend and in sync. Let's do more of this and less fear and excuses.

Ruach and Belfast Brand are also intrinsically linked - let’s hope that when Stephen makes his millions he wants to stay here and build more businesses, and not feel opportunities happen elsewhere.