Shakespeare Is ‘GREAT’

Abstract

While William Shakespeare has had over 400 years to nurture and grow his globally iconic and emblematic brand, the UK Government’s highly innovative GREAT Britain Campaign (‘GREAT’) has had just four. Yet, by showcasing the very best the UK has to offer the world in terms of trade, investment, tourism, education and culture, the impact that GREAT has had already on its target markets has been highly significant, in terms of both economic gain and soft power influence. At the heart of GREAT’s global message is its focus on promoting UK leadership and expertise in creativity as a way of differentiating the nation against key competitors such as Germany, France and Italy. To achieve this, the GREAT campaign has worked in close partnership with many of the UK’s most iconic corporate and personal brands including Jaguar Land Rover, James Bond, British Airways, Burberry, David Beckham and the Royal Family. Given Shakespeare’s contemporary relevance globally as a cultural and soft power asset for the UK, it was inevitable that he would also become part of the GREAT campaign and, with the ongoing global celebrations of his key anniversaries, the bard from Stratford-upon-Avon is taking centre stage. His cultural significance globally — indeed his ability to take stories from overseas, add creative value to them and then ‘export’ them again to the world — continues to have a resonance for modern-day UK business.