I like their societies...but good grief!! All day darkness, bitter and extreme cold.....yikes! But the article does have a point. With their basic needs met, their focus is on performance and productivity. The high tax rates may be a major turn off for some, though.
http://www.brandchannel.com/start1.asp?fa_id=486 "How did this small geographic area in northern Europe, comprised of countries with little political capital, become such a branding powerhouse?" "With this concept in mind, it is useful to take a look at modern Scandinavia. Each country has a unique culture, of course, but they are all bound by their Nordic roots and their belief in socialist democracy. Scandinavian countries support their citizens from cradle to grave. A high standard of living, free health care, free higher education and government-supported retraining in the event of job loss are all components of the social system. It comes at a steep price, however: personal tax rates can reach 50 percent or 60 percent. What does this have to do with brands? Since people are essentially taken care of, the countries can focus on commercial issues. Corporate tax rates are low, and Scandinavian governments encourage investment and foster business growth. Scandinavian companies aggressively export their products, and that means they need to compete effectively on the world stage." "Scandinavia itself has not been unaffected by the worlds economic ills either. In fact, while the United States has dominated headlines, Iceland had its own version of a banking meltdown recently. The other four Nordic countries came to their brethrens aid with a US$ 2.5 billion loan, which was added to a US$ 2 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund. Iceland got some much-needed relief. It is apparent that even in the face of a catastrophic crisis, Vikings stick together." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Want to reach the ColdFusion community with something they want? Let them know on the House of Fusion mailing lists Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/message.cfm/messageid:299931 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.5
