Scotland's economic development agency, Scottish Enterprise, created a special project called 'Scotland the Brand' in 1994, to explore the benefits of integrating the marketing of Scottish trade, tourism and culture. They had noted that country of origin can be a key factor in a consumer's purchasing decision, and that countries such as New Zealand, Ireland and Spain had developed successful branding initiatives. The challenge for Scotland was to capitalize on an existing awareness, and become more cohesive in its marketing efforts.