Economically, Lithuania should identify itself more with the Northern region – such thoughts were highlighted at the meeting of the Government‘s Office and the representatives of the company Saffron Brand Consultants, chaired by branding expert Wally Olins. The meeting also examined the possibility of translating its national brand (associated with bravery) into economic and investment areas.

“It is important for Lithuania to find its economic exclusivity and decide towards which European regions it is willing to guide itself. The definition of the Baltic States is inevitable in the field of tourism or economy, but the three Baltic countries are very different regardless their close positions in the map. It is high time every of them formed their own distinct identity and regional associations. In the current situation, it would be more beneficial for Lithuania to have its Baltic nature reduced and identify itself more with the Northern region than the Eastern one. In this case, the society of economically strong Northern countries would be obviously valuable,” Jeremy Hildreth, Saffron’s head of place branding and Olins’ right hand, stated. According to him, new associations would help to supplant the postscript "former soviet republic" of Lithuania, still used in foreign media.

“The Northern region seems an attractive option for us. From the economic point of view, it is better for Lithuania to be associated with stable, advanced and socially responsible countries than with the Eastern region that is usually linked with unpredictable changes, uncertainty, and post-Soviet area. Nevertheless, these judgements are but preliminary and intuitive insights”, Laurynas Bučalis, Director of Government Communication, said.

On the other hand, Lithuania belongs to Northern Europe together with Sweden, Denmark, Estonia, Iceland, Norway, Ireland, Great Britain and several islands in the geographical list of the world‘s regions and countries compiled by the United Nations. According to Bučalis, the meeting identified certain priorities: seeking to facilitate the presentation of Lithuania as an attractive country with plenty of economic opportunities, it is vital for us to decide on the group of countries it would be most beneficial to be close to and our possible place among them.

During the meeting, the guests also pondered on the implications of the brave country concept and its development as well as application in the economic field. In the consultants’ opinion, Lithuania most likely needs a specific catchword, aptly defining the economic attractiveness of the country, since the terms “brave”, “enterprising”, “ambitious” or any other is a guiding path towards a set goal. The direct concept of courage would be applicable to use in the interior of the country, especially when boosting the Lithuanians’ confidence and pride in their country. Meanwhile, in the area of economy it should be translated into a different set of words – bravery and other related concepts could be expressed through many direct and indirect ways by avoiding using the keyword.

During the first visit, the „Saffron Brand Consultants“ collected information, talked to famous Lithuanians from the diverse walks of life. In a month, the consultants intend to return to Lithuania with more specific ideas. The pending Lithuania’s branding book will include a separate section on the ideas of consultants that will cover in greater detail the national image in the field of economy.

Lithuania’s bravery concept was approved at the sitting of the specially established commission on image creation on 24th January 2008. It was drafted to cover three major areas: tourism, export and investment. The latter field is the responsibility of the Lithuanian Development Agency that has hired the team, chaired by Wally Olins, to draft an action plan for a period of six years defining how the agency should to present the advantages of the economy of Lithuania on the basis of a general concept.