> Hi Elizabeth,

> Hmmm.... It does sound strange. Do the US
> companies put their own brand on the
> products?

Yes, the US companies do trade under their own brands. I think this is very commmon. And when I set up my own line, I too will have my own brand. And I'll have to come up with something real 'good' or else my product could risk being perceived as 2nd class!!

Maybe some Canadians assume a
> US-sourced product will be better quality
> than a Canadian product?

Unfortunately, you are right on this as well. We feel Canadian perception wins hands down.

> Or perhaps the US companies in this case
> simply have stronger (and better known)
> brands in that industry?

Don't know enough about the major/big players to comment on this.

> It's hard to know without a few more
> details, but there are a few possible
> guesses as to what might be happening.... I
> could be completely wrong too though....

> There are about 10 times as many Americans
> as there are Canadians, so the US market is
> clearly the bigger market. Maybe that's
> partly why her US client base is bigger than
> her Canadian one? I don't really know - just
> some more guesses as to what might be going
> on....

And you are right again re size of the US vs. Canada. A key factor worth considering.

> Another factor could be culture. US culture
> and Canadian culture are not identical, so
> there might be some differences in demand
> for different things due to this.... The
> economy might also be another factor too.

> Anyhow, I don't know if I helped but at
> least there are a few possible guesses....

> - Dien Rice

Dien you've touched on many key reasons. I've been doing a mini phone survey among those I know in the industry, mainly associations. It seems culture plays a big role here. Canadians, no matter what industry, always seem to have to prove their worth in the US before they will be accepted and recognized at home. This is very evident in the arts. Many of our now 'famous' artists, too many to mention here, had to gain recognition in the US before we recognized their talent at home. But it's also very interesting how many Canadians will still buy in the US, even with our weak Cdn$ when they could just as easily get the same product locally.

Many of us want to suppport our local industries and have that unique Canadian identity, but when we get down to really 'walking the talk' we don't practice it.

Many economists and experts are also telling us that it's no longer 'if' but 'when' will Canada and the US share the same currency, like many European countries now do with the Euro. Perhaps when this happpens, commerce between the two countries will become less of a challenge and Canadian goods and services will be perceived by Cdns. just as good as those from the US.

Thanks for your comments.

Eliz.