OCTOBER 2024
The power of public and territorial brands
In every region of the world, there are many public and territorial brands. They are important because they can promote local resources, raise public awareness and create value for assets that need to be exploited. There are many ways to promote a public institution or a territory: the creation and extension of a dedicated brand is one of the most effective. Creating a brand can highlight attractive features and establish a more interactive relationship with the people who visit these institutions or regions. Some of these brands are not only of interest locally, as their aura is resolutely international and the values they convey are universal or even statutory.
REDWHITE is an agency of the MARKEYTERS Group, which manages trademarks for towns, places and monuments in France and Monaco. The MARKEYTERS Group is a leader in trademark licensing in this field.
Bruno Guillen, its director, has very clear ideas about this sector and how to make the most of these brands:
“Even if the entertainment industry continues to dominate the licensing market, there are now a number of different brands that want to position themselves in the licensing market and that are listening to their customers’ needs. They offer a real alternative because they are able to provide original brand content in a wide variety of unique forms. Our specialist companies, Markeyters and Redwhite, were historically created in this segment of institutional and public brand licensing. This is a niche market that has seen real growth in recent years. The desire of cities and institutions to have greater control over their image, and to find new sources of income in the face of a growing need for self-financing, has fully validated our positioning. These brands are carefully managed and require a specific approach, which we use every day to promote properties associated with the Principality of Monaco, French heritage, and the cities of Saint-Tropez and Lyon.
We have succeeded in creating profitable agreements for our brands, giving life to successful operations. Take fragrances, for example. Created by leading perfumers and sold under licence for several years in Europe, Monaco fragrances have enjoyed significant success in Eastern Europe, available for both men and women.
In addition, the collaboration between the Monte-Carlo brand and the car manufacturer Skoda has been a great success for the Brands of the State of Monaco in several countries. Following the licensed launch of the Skoda Fabia Monte Carlo in 2012, the brand has since decided to extend the partnership to its entire range. Monte-Carlo has also teamed up with Gucci for some very popular mini-collections of accessories.
On a different note, for the famous Arc de Triomphe in Paris, certain products have been developed under the brand name Le Fabuleux Shaman, aimed at the public who visit the Arc the most, the under-40s. For the Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel, a licensing agreement has been signed with Saint-James, which is well known in Europe for its high-quality sea-themed products made in France.
We can see that the association of these brands with certain product categories and leading economic players is natural and can resonate strongly in certain markets.”
Redwhite, brand licensing agent ·