A New Beginning

After yesterday’s long day, I expected my body to need more rest, but instead I woke up at five o’clock this morning. The sun was already shining, and I could feel a completely new energy in my body.

It is strange how the body restores itself and carries us forward, day after day, even after long hours, heavy thoughts and physical work.

Sometimes tiredness is simply proof that we have used ourselves,
that we have participated, created and moved something forward.

Then a new morning arrives and gives us another chance to begin again. Today, that was exactly how it felt.

Friday And The Summer Holiday

It is Friday, and I already know the weekend will pass quickly. Suddenly it will be Monday again, and I will sit down to write a new blog.

But before that, there is still a lot I want to get done.

Friday and the Norwegian summer holiday have arrived for some, but not for everyone. For many, offices become quieter, the roads fill with cars, families and luggage, and the pace changes. For others, the work continues.

For me, there are still things that need to be finished here in the south. Plans do not complete themselves, and dreams do not grow only because we believe in them. They require action, patience and long days.

So for now, we roll up our sleeves and deal with what is in front of us.

Longing For The North

Towards the end of the summer, I am planning a trip home to the north again. I always look forward to that.

We truly live in a beautiful country, and far above the Arctic Circle, where the midnight sun and the northern lights belong, that is where I come from.

I come from an island community, from an island called Langøya. A beautiful pearl on this earth, surrounded by sea, mountains and changing light.

In summer, the sun barely leaves the sky, and in winter, the northern lights can dance silently above the landscape. It is difficult to explain what that does to you, but the place we come from stays with us, no matter where life takes us.

The North Has Shaped Me

The north has taught me to adapt, to respect nature and to understand that plans sometimes change.

Weather arrives without asking for permission. Roads may close, boats may not leave, and life continues anyway. You learn to wait when you must and move when you can.

Oslo has a different rhythm. The city moves quickly and is filled with people, meetings, ideas and opportunities. I enjoy that energy, but I also need the stillness of the north.

The south challenges me to grow, while the north reminds me who I am.

When Marketing Becomes A Journey

Today also marks the premiere of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, and it is difficult not to notice how the journey surrounding the film began long before the audience entered the cinema. Tickets for selected IMAX screenings were released a full year before the premiere, while the format, the scale and the anticipation became important parts of the story being sold.

This is where trade marketing becomes interesting.
It is not only about creating a beautiful message and hoping people will notice it.
It is about making sure that the entire journey works, from the producer and distributor to the cinemas, ticket platforms, partners and, finally, the audience standing at the point of purchase.

In many ways, good trade marketing resembles an odyssey of its own.
You need a destination, but you also need the right route, the right partners and the ability to adjust when conditions change. A strong idea can easily become lost if it does not reach the market in the right place, at the right time and through the right people.

The Odyssey shows how a product can become more than the product itself. The film is the destination, but the anticipation, the IMAX experience, the early ticket sales and the feeling of being part of a cinematic event have all become part of the journey. The marketing has not simply told people that a film is arriving. It has given them a reason to care about how they experience it.

Perhaps that is the lesson for every brand. People do not only buy what we create.
They buy the story surrounding it, the trust built along the way and the feeling they are left with when the promise finally becomes real.

As Simon Sinek once said:
“People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.”

Home Is More Than A Place

Monday will come soon enough, but today it is Friday.

The sun is shining, my body has found new energy, and there is still much to do. I am grateful for the body that carries me, for the work that gives my days direction, for the country I live in and for the island I come from.

Home is more than a place. It is where something inside us becomes quieter. It is where the landscape feels familiar, the air feels different and we remember where we belong.

Soon, I will return to Langøya.

But first, life here needs my attention.

And that is perfectly all right.

Fun Fact

During summer, areas north of the Arctic Circle experience the midnight sun, which means the sun remains visible around the clock. For those of us who come from the north, the endless summer light is not only a natural phenomenon. It is part of home.

A Personal Motto From Nordè

Trust the energy of a new morning, remember where you come from and keep moving forward, one day at a time.

Buble hugs from Nordè