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FunCTIonalITY Means THaT FInns FInd soluTIons To proBleMs and puT THeM InTo eFFeCT. Mission Possible! Finally, in November 2010 the Brand del- egation’s work bore fruit in a report of more than 300 pages, which, instead of advertising jargon, contained a number of missions that Finns – citizens, companies and state – should carry out if Finland is to achieve its objectives. Which are..? Nothing more or less than to be the number one country to solve the world’s most pressing problems! One member of the team, fashion house Marimekko’s CEO Mika Ihamuotila, smiles when he recalls the media’s about turn when they saw the report. “For the whole two years we heard nothing but doubt and criticism, but they changed their tune completely as soon as the report came out.” Ihamuotila thinks the change in the attitude of the press reflects the fact that the report addressed the core of Finn- ishness – Finns are people of action, unafraid to roll up their sleeves and get to work. The huge final report came as a call for united action – what Finns call ‘talkoot’. Yes, action. If you are going to learn even one word of Finnish you’d do well to start with talkoot, which says much about the national character. ‘Talkoot’ simply means working to- 26 V I A HELSINKI gether – building a barn, a church or the welfare state, for no reward apart, perhaps, from a turn in the sauna in good company when the work is over. The Brand team’s noble idea is to turn attention away from the conventional targets of branding, the country, its history, its tourist destinations, and focus on the nation itself, the Finns and their culture in its various manifestations. The committee was supported in its ideas by Simon Anholt, the man who invented the country branding concept almost 20 years ago. He organised five brainstorming sessions for the team, and as the leading guru in the field, he was ultimately impressed by their attitudes and level of commitment. “We think this is the most ambitious brand report ever produced. And Anholt thought so too,” chuckles Ihamuotila. Plan for action. Jorma Ollila unveiled the report in November, calling it a model for the entire world. If people really wanted to move from talk to action, what could be a better solution than a practical manual? Ihamuotila agrees: “The Finland brand project will certainly be one important point
of reference for countries that will do the same thing one day. This is one way to grab the bull by the horns.” So what aspects of Finland and its people does the Brand team highlight? The mighty tome relates to three key words, functionality, education, and nature. Of these the last is self- explanatory – Finland is a land of thousands of lakes and green forests where people put a high premium on their re- lationship with nature. In education, Finland is buoyant and representative. It is the shining star of the PISA studies, which have promoted the Finnish educational system far and wide. But what about Finnish functionality? The CEO and owner of Marimekko, Finland’s most legendary design company, is definitely the right man to answer this. “In a nutshell, functionality means that Finns find solutions to problems and put them into effect.” Ihamuotila believes there are plenty of nations where creativity and ideas abound but things just do not get done. There are also countries that do not have a creative bent but do have the ability to carry out projects uncompromisingly. “Finland, however, is that rarity, a country with much creativity and capability to think about things from a new per- spective and, at the same time, the skills to make these vi- sions a reality.” Ihamuotila also mentions decorativeness, a hallmark of the design tradition in many countries, and often a value in itself. But decorativeness often means gaudy and flamboyant above all, whereas in Finland design has always rested on the notion that simple and functional are beautiful. “There is obviously a kind of asceticism behind this – we cannot afford to waste the few resources of a small northern country. So our designers quickly learned to concentrate on essentials.” As head of Marimekko, Ihamuotila obviously knows fashion and the world of design best, but stresses that he means design in its broader sense. “Design extends to all areas of planning – whether you’re designing an educational system or a single school, or an airport, say, which must also func- tion in the winter and doesn’t cause congestion,” he says. “The question is how beauty and functionality can be com- bined in the best possible way.” Durable attitudes. Ihamuotila thinks a Finnish design phi- losophy is more necessary now than ever. With climate change we can no longer afford to produce disposable products. Du- rability is just as important as serviceability among custom- ers the world over. “Durability has always been fundamen- tally important in Finnish design, but this is not so by any ‘TO DO’ LiST FOR FinnS MiSSiOn FOR COMPAniES: solve a global problem and make good business out of it. MiSSiOn FOR SCHOOLS: every year schools should hold a day of reconciliation, when pupils practise discussing and resolving conflicts. MiSSiOn FOR LOCAL AUTHORiTiES AnD THE STATE: Public procurement should favour energy-efficient products that can be serviced and repaired. MiSSiOn FOR THE MiniSTRy OF FinAnCE: Make gross national sustainability measurable. MiSSiOn FOR THE MiniSTRy OF THE EnViROnMEnT: a water meter, i.e. water as a populariser of international environmental policy. MiSSiOn FOR SPORTS CELEbRiTiES: go to a school once a year to teach. MiSSiOn FOR THE MEDiA: take the popularisation of science to a whole new level. MiSSiOn FOR GRAnDPAREnTS: share your manual skills. means in the traditions of other countries. Finns make lifts, drinking glasses and roads. No one can say these are disposable goods.” Ihamuotila had long pondered these matters before the country Brand team was set up. Three years ago the former banker made a great change in his life, abandoning the world of finance and taking over the management of Marimekko. The grand old lady of Finnish design, Kirsti Paakkanen, sold Ihamuotila an iconic firm she had once rescued from near death. Things were not easy for Ihamuotila either. When he took over Marimekko, Finland was gripped by economic crisis and the world was sinking into recession. Yet he was clear about the direction he would take the company in. “There may have been a recession but we wanted to continue with product development and open shops abroad,” he says, adding that the policy proved right. Marimekko has now built the foundations for a successful future, he says. Marimekko’s recent global triumphs recall the lines of a Leonard Cohen song; “First we take Manhattan, then we take Berlin.” Japan now has 20 Marimekko outlets and South Korea has just gained its first. Ihamuotila wants to bring to the world his sense of joy of life and his attitude through fashion and design. This year Marimekko is 60 years old. The company wants to cast off the “performance-centred theatre” and replace it with well-being. At 60 the firm does not want to be merely a ‘heritage’ brand, simply resting on its laurels. “Marimekko’s ideology has always been to shy away from any kind of pretence. When people have the courage to be themselves the world becomes a better place,” Ihamuotila believes. V I A HELSINKI 27
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