Gin, Shamans, and Broken Traditions

This article was presented and workshopped during a Science Communication Seminar at ONHs
Institute of Psychology in the Fall 2024.

The Branding Crisis of Norway’s Monarchy

The Norwegian monarchy, from a marketing perspective, is a brand. They represent entertainment and status, and embody the national identity. When the royal family makes commendable decisions, we – the public – feels pride. When a brand mess up, we distance ourselves by disliking the brand, avoiding it, and behaviorally by boycotting its products.

The main difference is that the royal family isn’t selling us anything, or at least that used to be the case. Yet they are indirectly dependent on popular support as they could otherwise be rewritten out of the constitution and placed on the large trash heap of history, alongside many other monarchies before them.

Though I am generally positive towards the monarchy, as a researcher in branding theory and consumer psychology, I cannot help but see the Norwegian monarchy through this lens. Strong brands can shake off scandals more easily than weaker ones. This is true for businesses and royalty alike. But even strong brands have limits. And when values clash, as we see in the case of Norway’s royal family, those limits are tested.

The Monarchy’s Brand Extension Dilemma

At the heart of this controversy are two major branding missteps. First, the royal princess married Durek, a self-proclaimed shaman selling alternative therapies, and they allowed the commercial press to buy the camera rights for the event. Second, they are now promoting of gin under their own label. These moves clash with the core values of the monarchy’s brand: inclusivity, continuity and tradition.

When brands act unexpectedly it is called incongruency. Done well, incongruency generates attention and admiration. Consider Princess Diana—who broke traditions in the British monarchy, but in ways that aligned with her brand as a compassionate, modern royal. Her actions, like visiting AIDS patients and challenging stigmas, reinforced her authenticity and generosity.

Incongruency done poorly, however, generates negative attention and raises the question of long-term effects. For a brand like the Norwegian monarchy, the promotion of gin—a product neither party genuinely endorses—feels inauthentic and capitalistic. It’s not the product itself that’s problematic, but the lack of sincerity behind it. Had the couple been genuine gin enthusiasts, even creating a product they truly loved, this venture might have been viewed differently. Their lack of authenticity makes the effort feel hollow. A charitable component might have mitigated some of the backlash, but the overall execution still feels far removed from the monarchy’s brand values. The monarchy is funded by taxpayers and meant to represent the nation, so this brand extension carries a significant risk of reducing overall credibility.

Had the couple been genuine gin enthusiasts, even creating a product they truly loved, this venture might have been viewed differently. Their lack of authenticity makes the effort feel hollow. A charitable component might have mitigated some of the backlash, but the overall execution still feels far removed from the monarchy’s brand values. In fact, numbers speak for themselves; in a nationwide survey conducted by Norstat, support for the monarchy as an institution dropped dramatically from 81% supporting it in 2017 to 62% in the fall of 2024. This is a huge loss in brand equity , or the overall value of a brand, which can appreciate or depreciate over time.

Brand Identity and Value Clashes

The introduction of values like alternative medicine and the promotion of commercial products dilutes the essence of what the monarchy is supposed to represent, and aligns it uncomfortably close with TikTok and Instagram influencers. Selling alternative therapies that lack scientific support not only risks financial harm but can divert people from legitimate treatments. While this may attract new followers who appreciate novelty or rebel against tradition, it alienates others, particularly in a Scandinavian society rooted in Protestant work ethics and scientific rigor. 

Shifting Brand Perception and Cognitive Dissonance

It’s not uncommon for brands to shift their identity over time—sometimes transitioning from luxury to mass appeal, or from mainstream to niche. However, introducing incompatible values leads to cognitive dissonance — a psychological discomfort that occurs when familiar ideas and thoughts clash. Strong brands are defined by consistency, not by trying to be everything to everyone. A car can’t be both a luxury brand and a mainstream option at once. If the royal family’s actions align too closely with social media influencers, who tend to have a short term, money-making, attention-grabbing business model, they risk undermining the very identity and its traditional values that makes them unique.

How Will the Story End? Balancing Tradition and Innovation

The story has two possible endings:

1. The royal family could strengthen their brand by innovating tactfully, staying aligned with core values while gently modernizing.
2. Or, they could fully embrace the world of celebrity and influencers, becoming successful in that space—but at the cost of their role as a national symbol.

One of the final and fundamental lessons in communication is that it always happens on the receiver’s terms. No matter how well-meaning the royal family’s intentions may have been, what matters is how their actions were received. If the audience responds negatively, the only solution is to try something different—either change the actions or convince people by justifying them better.

Even the strongest brands, like the Norwegian royal family, must respect the psychology of branding and the reality that some brand extensions will dilute the brand and destroy its equity. Rebuilding trust can be a long and difficult process. Time will tell how this story ends, whether a frog turns into a prince, or a black sheep in proximity of the family goes to jail, or if there can be a happily ever after
taking this branding lesson to heart.