Europeans occupy a naturally defined space in which people share values and attitudes anchored in a common heritage. From Socrates to Camus, from Leonardo da Vinci to Jules Verne, from the merchants of Genoa to those of Flanders, Europeans are proving that they belong together.

Although most Europeans have developed the maturity to focus on their common ground rather than on their differences, marketers still have to deal with individual markets. Even if a majority of laws and decrees are being made in Brussels, marketing is still shaped by local language and cultural specificities.

With the help of its translators, the EU's website is more than a mere portal: it is a virtual bridge between European nations. Unfortunately, the EU's representatives have often had difficulties communicating much passion and enthusiasm for their cause, and this website is just another reflection of that fact. Similar to its offline image, the EU's cyber presence is institutional, bureaucratic and insipid. Nothing here to make one’s heart beat.

Overflowing with information, data and statistics, the website is laid out to be everything to everybody – i.e., a regression to the average – while offering the great advantage of downloading fast, even with a dial-up modem. This is a fantastic tool that is as exciting as a campus library on Friday night.

Nevertheless, the site is a technical marvel. Its usability is remarkable, considering its up-to-date coverage of EU affairs. Among other features, it includes legislation currently in force or under discussion and links the websites of all the EU institutions. Current EU affairs such as the Enlargement and the Constitution are prominently displayed on the right. It is a textbook approach to portal design.

As a brand forum, our conclusion is, however, downbeat. Rather than finding valid reasons not to make the website more exciting, perhaps the EU should radically revise the processes that led to the current bland results. Moreover, the beliefs that this website connotes might reveal a more profound communication issue. Passion is a powerful force that is in everybody’s heart. As far as Europe is concerned, the EU would benefit to channel this passion in a positive direction before reactionary forces capture it to feed their respective ideology.