Ten years ago, I co-founded a small brand, manufactured in London, and set about selling it into Europe and Scandinavia. I learned quickly how much “Made in Britain” could do for a sale, sometimes opening a door before I’d said a word, sometimes raising a question I hadn’t expected. That experience is what led me, eventually, to the research I’m doing now.
I’m currently writing my MA International Relations dissertation at the University of Plymouth, looking at how Brexit and the rise of nationalism have affected “Brand Britain” and, more specifically, what that has meant for the commercial viability of British SME exports. We have plenty of trade figures and soft-power indices telling us what has shifted since 2016. What they can’t capture is how it happened on the ground: the moment a change in perception becomes a change in an order, a relationship, or a decision to buy.
That’s where I need your help. I’m looking to speak with people who have lived this firsthand:
- SME owners and exporters who traded internationally both before and after 2016
- International distributors, agents and buyers of UK goods, particularly in Germany and Scandinavia, the US and Japan
- Professionals working in trade bodies or export support
Crucially, I want the full range of experience. If Brexit made trading harder, I’d like to hear it; if it made no difference, or even opened up new opportunities, I’d like to hear that just as much. The honest picture is more useful to me than a tidy one.
Each conversation is a relaxed 45–60 minutes, by video call or phone. Everything is fully anonymised and confidential, participation is entirely voluntary, and this is purely academic research, independent of any commercial activity.
If you’d be willing to take part, or know someone who might, I’d be genuinely grateful if you got in touch: jake.paget@postgrad.plymouth.ac.uk
With thanks to International Trade Matters for the introduction and to anyone who can spare the time.
Jake Paget
MA International Relations, University of Plymouth
