EU – Baltic States, Lithuania, Markets and Companies

Dainius Rutkauskas came up with a novel way of rebranding his little country, as the paper points out.

Developed by Rutkauskas and two other Lithuanian entrepreneurs and produced by the French perfumery Galimard, Lietuvos Kvapas – literally, "the scent of Lithuania" – is an attempt to create a positive national brand, as The Guardian admits.

"If I say chocolate and watches, what do you think? Switzerland. If I say Guinness and leprechauns? Ireland. Fish and chips? England. But here in Lithuania we don't have an internationally recognised symbol of our identity," said Rutkauskas.

Since the 25 punds worth scent went on the market earlier this year, 1,000 bottles have been sold – mostly, said Rutkauskas, to local tourist offices and businessmen keen to improve Lithuania's image abroad, writes LETA/ELTA.

The scent is a heady mix of bergamot, wild flowers, ginger, raspberry and grapefruit, with base notes of amber, cedar, sandalwood, patchouli and, intriguingly, "tree moss and tree smoke".

An accompanying range of scented candles have just come on the market – 15 euros (13.20 pounds) for a big candle and eight euros (seven pounds) for a set of tea lights. And a set of soaps and other toiletries are likely to follow.