What’s in a name? If it’s Brooklyn, a lot

Posted on 02. Dec, 2010 by Alana Casanova in Uncategorized

From wine to pickles, new products bearing the Brooklyn name are capitalizing on the borough’s brand and business community.

And besides, entrepreneurs say, Brooklyn just isn’t Manhattan – and that’s a good thing.

“The cost of doing business in New York City is always high,” said Carl Hum, president of the Brooklyn chamber of commerce. “But doing business in Brooklyn is a lot easier.”

Business owners who are adding the borough’s name to their new products say they see themselves as part of an expanded neighborhood. Cooperation among businesses is easier, they say, and Brooklyn stands as a more united brand than Manhattan’s disparate neighborhoods.

While Manhattan is a center for large corporations, the Brooklyn’s image is more welcoming to small businesses started by those who live locally.

The Department of Small Business Services did not return calls for comment about the growth of Brooklyn-branded industries in recent years, but entrepreneurs say borough’s reputation as a strong residential community is key to branding.

Shamus Jones, owner of Brooklyn Brine, a pickling company which distributes nationally, said Brooklyn’s status is recognizable in other states.

And equally important is how the group of entrepreneurs who are starting new small businesses feel about the borough most of them call home.

When John Spires, owner of Brooklyn Winery in Williamsburg, was looking for a location, he chose the borough where he lives.

“When you’re branding based on location, it all comes down to pride, and if you’re proud of the location you want to show that,” he said.

“Manhattan doesn’t have the same feeling, it’s not as inviting,” he added. “People work in Manhattan, they live in Brooklyn.”

The New York State Department of State could not provide figures on how many businesses are named after Brooklyn, and the borough’s chamber of commerce does not track such data.

Kombucha Brooklyn, a carbonated tea beverage company, has expanded from their Williamsburg roots. Two years ago, Eric Childs was producing 30 cases a month under the named Brewed in Brooklyn. Today, the company produces 600 to 800 cases a week.

When he found that the name was taken, he decided to keep Brooklyn and “the energy” from the brand in his company.

Despite the draw of Brooklyn, Child’s goal for 2011 is still to expand to a neighboring market: Manhattan.

[The Brooklyn Flea attracts several local vendors who sell hand-made goods. Etsy, the DIY ecommerce site, produced this video about the Brooklyn-based crafts at the Brooklyn Flea.]