When starting-out, the fate of your start-up is largely decided by the number of people you’re able to connect with. This could be by old-style networking, branding, marketing, etc. But what resonates with people is not the medium. It is the idea, the message or the very feeling they experienced after consuming the product. One easy to way to create such impression is by localising your services and marketing according to the geography.
Think about this, Europe is the centre of culture. A theme called as “cowboy” that stemmed from Spain proliferated like anything, either as an aesthetic or a name or a way of life. Very recently, a Brussels-based startup cowboy, known for its e-bikes and an associated app for managing related services, secured $80 million in a Series C funding round. On the other hand, the space cowboy era created a new segment for itself in the garment industry.
Another such example would be ‘couture’ from France. Couture literally means dressmaking or needlework. A part of their culture that the French were loud about has created an unimaginable revenue and employment all around the world. For entrepreneurs, this means two things. One, that art rushes through the veins of European fabric smoothly. As long as your idea has the idea of connecting enthusiasts of art and culture in any way, you’re less likely to not make it work in this continent. This could mean getting involved in the business of logistics like Paris based Convelio, or e-learning from known faces of the industry like Barcelonan based World Mastery, etc. A wild idea that could also really sell is a dating app that connects people with the same cultural interests and availing special coupon codes to some art galleries subject to subscriptions.
On the other hand, for people in fields of technicality, this means integrating culture in your company by way of a theme. More often than not, you realise that your ethos is similar to that of an artist of yesteryears, you bring his face, work and quotes into your office. One thing European start-ups certainly do better than US start-ups is catering to consumers by delving deeper into their choice of taste. Given this very nature of Europe, start-ups must definitely consider defining their own avenue of cultural value that they bring to the table, that resonates well with their clients and keeps them coming back.
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