Baske, not Basque

Aske izan… Be aske… Be free… BASKE!

For many Basque companies, as well as Basque Government initiatives, English has become the language of choice in their naming, marketing and branding. Why?

Strategic corporate (and political) campaigns looking to attract foreign investment should not sacrifice the single most unique characteristic that distinguishes them in the world – the Basque language, euskara.

To reach a global audience, Basque businesses must do more than market their latest campaign using the latest English buzzwords. This serves only as trapdoor into the muddy swamp of global competition, where it is even more difficult to be set apart.

Offering ‘EN’ in the language selector on the corporate website is fine, but should a serious investment enquiry come from abroad, is the company prepared to respond to it professionally without calling in the translators? There has been a trend in recent years of young Basque graduates being headhunted by foreign companies. Perhaps it is time to turn the tables?

The Basque Country is a special land with a rich heritage and a strong national identity. It has a solid reputation built on core values such as hard work, honesty, innovation and excellence. Basque brands should not be afraid to embrace their identity, in particular their language, as a positive and valuable brand asset.

The surf company Pukas for example, claims to be proud of its Basque roots, but looking at their website, it’s not very obvious.

As a native English speaker living in the Basque Country since 2006 that began learning euskara aged 27, I can’t help but sense that Basque national identity, rooted in a language isolate that has held a nation together through the darkest of times, is being diluted in a huge grey vat of universal dishwater.

The threat of globalisation is both strong and subtle here. Language is fighting the front line for both sides – English on the offence, Basque in defence.

To be Basque is to “be free” or “aske” in euskara. In the Basque alphabet, there is no letter ‘q’ and so bothered by this threatening tendency to jump on the English “brandwagon”, I challenge you to be aske…