The Viking Manifesto

The Scandinavian approach to business and blasphemy
Claes Andréasson & Steve Strid

How the Scandinavians took a civilization based on pillaging and plundering and gave us the Nobel Prize and Ikea.

The Viking Manifesto is a call to arms for a new way of doing business. It’s about having an original idea and a different way of making it happen. The ancient Vikings got rich with swords and fast ships; the modern ones with safe cars and sippable vodka. Both broke the rules. Both came from nowhere to take the world by storm. Viking brands are trendsetters, yet all have living ties with the past. These brands speak softly, yet all have a story to tell and have succeeded on their own terms. And, they have two virtues that have long ago fallen into disfavour in marketing circles: courage and a sense of humour.

The Viking Manifesto explains why biggest isn’t best, why advertising doesn’t work and why this is good news; why competition is nonsense; why reward and punishment are an inferior form of motivation and why money doesn’t make the world go round. As if this isn’t blasphemous enough, The Viking Manifesto tells you which gods to blaspheme, how to create effective PR that no one sees, and why lawyers should wait outside.

As the North American area director for The Absolut Company, CLAES ANDRÉASSON played a significant role in Absolut Vodka’s legendary marketing story. Today, he has his own consultancy company and works with a number of Swedish multinational corporations.

STEVE STRID is a copywriter and brand consultant who has been behind the scenes in building some major brands. He writes regularly for the Guardian, Sunday Times, Los Angeles Times and Reflexions.

978-0-462-09905-7
£9.99 HB
Rights: All
Sales territory:World ex. Asia & ANZ
Asia & ANZ sales: MCL*
June 2007