Today is the Queens birthday long weekend holiday (it always falls on a Monday, strange that) in a couple of Australia’s states, not all, and it is not even her real birthday. Obviously, someone failed to get the message about when the Queen was actually born, but then, there has been plenty of time to correct the inaccuracy if we chose to do so.

What the Queen does, or does not do has little to do with most Australians, so why do we celebrate her birthday, why is it that her photo, or that of one of her dysfunctional family on the cover of a magazine can give a huge boost to circulation, why do almost all young Australian travelers at some point wander down the Mall in London, watching the balcony window over the main entrance of the house at the end hoping for a glimpse?

Marketing.

Consistent, long term brand building, creating something that in a subliminal way we relate to, with all their foibles and eccentricities.

Brands are like friends, we give them personal characteristics when we think about and describe them, if we have a bad experience with a favorite brand, it is like being hit by a friend, but their contrition brings greater loyalty, because no-one is perfect.

The Queen and her brood, are the recipients of extended, long term brand building, probably without them even being  aware of it, the changing of the guard, the pomp around the opening of Parliament, the references to the Queens parents role during the Blitz, all add to it.

The loyalty may be eroding, as newer, more trendy offerings turn up, the demography of Australia changes influenced by immigrants with no brand awareness, and they continue to demonstrate they are irrelevant to modern Australia, but it still works a treat, after all, we have a day off to celebrate don’t we.