Language as a business USP: What Gaelic can tech the world about brand and belonging, guest blog by Elevator CEO Rachel Ross

Scotland’s languages tell stories of place, people, and pride. We often reference them with a sense of historic nostalgia, places that time has forgotten that belong in family history and tradition.  Increasingly, however, they also tell stories of innovation. From global whisky giants to artisan creatives, across the Highlands, Gaelic is emerging not just as heritage but as a living asset, one that gives brands authenticity, emotional depth and market distinction.

Across the world, brands tap local language to convey meaning: Moët & Chandon’s French elegance, IKEA’s Swedish simplicity. In Scotland, Gaelic names have long graced global brands: Talisker, Laphroaig, Ben Nevis, evoking wild landscapes, craftsmanship, making something from our wild resources. For whisky, tourism and luxury sectors, Gaelic offers what marketing can’t fabricate: a direct sense of origin and a feel and sense of a real place.

But now entrepreneurs are pushing further: using Gaelic not just as a badge but as a business framework. The Cruthachadh Chothroman – Shaping Opportunities pilot, run by Elevator in partnership with Highlands & Islands Enterprise and Bòrd na Gàidhlig, has showed the business community that Gaelic can shape how Scottish businesses think and operate. All of the modules were delivered bi-lingually, but inclusive to those with different levels of Gaelic understanding.

With delivery and research participation from no less than three of our Scottish universities - Glasgow, Robert Gordon and Strathclyde - the interest in the Gaelic language as a business and brand USP couldn’t be clearer. As Professor Chris Moule from RGU’s Innovation and Business module puts it: “Cruthachadh Chothroman reaffirmed how cultural identity can be integrated naturally into professional business practice.”

One of the participants, Angela Macmillan from Wee Norrag, captured the deeper connection: “Gaelic is woven through all elements of my business… I take inspiration from Gaelic, the songs, traditions and stories used to ensure the language is visible in all that I do.” Her words suggest that for many, Gaelic is more than ornament, it is the heartbeat of their business.

Angela’s success was recognised at the Mòd Business event in Fort William last week, where she was awarded the top pitching prize for innovation and ambition. Wee Norrag creates original artwork and cyanotype prints inspired by nature and landscape, with Gaelic language and symbolism at their core. The award, part of a prize pot celebrating Gaelic enterprise, funded entirely by donations from 11 different Gaelic-led businesses including Skye Candles, Sonas Hotels and JansVans,  reflects a growing confidence in businesses that are culturally grounded yet globally relevant. Other winners of the prize money included Sean Macleod, Gaelic Arts Officer at An Lanntair, and broadcaster Choirstaidh NicArtair, showing the creative diversity now flourishing across Gaelic-led enterprise.

At the awards, I talked about how innovation in Scotland isn’t confined to cities or tech hubs, it’s emerging in communities where culture and language are catalysts for creativity and growth.

That insight has resonance far beyond Gaelic. In an era when customers crave meaning and authenticity, the language of community becomes a dimension of brand trust. To speak in someone’s tongue signals inclusion, respect and genuine roots. Marketing becomes dialogue rather than broadcast.

Which leads me to a timely and provocative connection. In recent press coverage, a proposal in John Swinney’s policy thinking was spotlighted: migrants who learn Gaelic might receive preferential consideration under a new “Live in Scotland” visa, a move intended to tie language and migration policy. While some see it as controversial, the idea underscores a deeper logic: language is being reimagined as both cultural capital and civic capacity. It raises a fascinating question for Scotland’s entrepreneurs: could language itself become an economic driver of belonging?

Elevator’s new Pathways project, taking place early in 2026 in low-income Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) areas in Edinburgh, will engage communities whose first languages may also not be English - Urdu, Punjabi, Arabic among them. Here is where the Gaelic-enterprise model offers a powerful lesson: language difference doesn’t need to be a handicap; it can be an empowerment tool. Helping entrepreneurs articulate identity, whether in Gaelic or Urdu, and embed it in business practice can be a huge benefit and differentiator for Scotland’s economy.

Scotland’s economic future will depend as much on imagination as infrastructure. Recognising language as a business asset, not just a cultural one, redefines innovation. It’s not only about tech; it’s about trust, tone and interpretation. Gaelic shows us that a brand can grow precisely because it speaks differently.

As Scotland moves towards a multilingual, inclusive and welcoming economy, the firms that thrive will be those that see difference not as a barrier but as a brand. In Wee Norrag founder Angela Macmillan’s own words, Gaelic is not just decoration, it is the heartbeat of her business.