One Beer, 47 Different Tastes

Can Europe be sold like beer? In my opinion, the answer is no. Lets cozy on up to the bar to find out why. Look at that selection of brews on the wall…bottles of all shapes and sizes, filled with different shades of amber liquid, just waiting to be poured into a tall glass. How will you choose?
The choice isn’t so difficult for the handsome Italian man a few stools over. He immediately orders a refreshing Peroni and takes a swig from the bottle, adorned with a sophisticated label that exudes flawless Italian style.
On your other side is a chatty female student, visiting from Amsterdam. She finishes her first drink, and waves in the direction of the bartender, who soon returns with a second Heineken in hand. The bright green bottle with its unmistakable red star adds a punch of color to the bar, as does the girl’s bubbly personality.
Your conversation is suddenly interrupted as a group of Irishmen enter the room and noisily order a round of Guinness. One by one, shiny glasses embellished with golden harps are filled to the brim with the dark, cloudy beer and carried over to the table. The men seem to feel right at home as they sip their stouts and chat with their friends.
Each country often has a beer of choice, and that beer is carefully marketed using specific graphics, advertisements, taglines and words tailored to consumers in that particular area. Each beer has its own personality that is meant to appeal to a certain type of person.
Contrastingly, organizations such as the Council of Europe have the daunting task of appealing to an audience of a much greater scale: all of Europe. These organizations must also take into account the geographic distribution and mind-boggling range of cultures and traditions within this audience. Their job is to create an image that targets all of these people in one fell swoop. If we’re talking in terms of drinking, that’s the equivalent of creating one beer to suit the tastes of everyone on the continent. Needless to say, you’re gonna need a really great label to sell that one.