Presentation # 19 Branding a Country (Creating a Concept Around an Idea or a State of Mind) By Prof. Dr. Zafar U. Ahmed President and CEO Academy for Global Business Advancement Texas A&M University at Commerce, Commerce, Texas, USA
Dec 14, 2015
Presentation # 19
Branding a Country
(Creating a Concept Around an Idea or a State
of Mind)By
Prof. Dr. Zafar U. AhmedPresident and CEO
Academy for Global Business Advancement
Texas A&M University at Commerce,Commerce, Texas, USA
What is a Place Brand?
It is the place’s reputation or image or impression or perception
among those people that cares about it,
such as citizens, potential investors and visitors
Can A Country Be Branded?
• Brands are something that reside in the minds of its stakeholders
• Branding involves creating mental structures and helping consumers organize their knowledge about products and services in a way that clarifies their decision making and, in the process, provides value to the destination (country)
Can a Country Be Branded?
• The key to branding is that consumers perceive differences among brands in a product category
• Accordingly, marketers can benefit from branding whenever consumers are in a choice situation
Branding a Geographic Location
• The brand name is relatively fixed by the name of the location
• The power of branding is in making people aware of the location and then linking the desirable associations
• Increased mobility of both investors, and businesses and growth in the tourism industry have contributed to the rise of place marketing
Branding a Geographic Location
• Cities, states, regions, and countries are now actively promoted through advertising, direct mail, and other communication tools
• The goal of this types of campaigns is to create awareness and a favorable image of a location that will entice temporary visits or permanent moves from individuals and businesses alike
Branding a Geographic Location
Nations can be branded, and governments and their institutions can use the principles of branding to add to the value of their industries and the
brands they represent’
Branding a Geographic Location
Region/Country
Asia United States
Japan Europe
Australia’s
Attributes
Big nature, outdoors, city life
Fun, diversity, active,
adventure, live it
Surprise, undiscovered, culture, lifestyle
Activity, relaxation, intriguing, enriching, diverse, powerful, memories
Campaign “Let the magic begin”
“Holiday” “Country of surprises”
“The sooner you go the longer the memories…”
Message Excitement, shopping, nightlife
Take a break from work
and discover people and islands
Fast-paced, sophisticate
d, cosmopolitan, modern
Emotional, appealing, unique,
travel now
Branding Philosophies
Supranational Brand
Nation Brand
Sector Umbrella Brands
Regional and City Brands
Corporate Brands
Product Brands
Nu
mb
er
of B
ran
ds
Intellectual Architecture
A place’s intellectual architecture has been a
critical element in constructing the brand of a
place (e.g., UK)
Branding Philosophies
• The living brand enhances the perception that community members, investors, and potential tourists, have of the place
• Any strategy to manage a place’s brand must also manage its intellectual architecture
Place Brand Strategy
• Rather than artificially branding a city or country, a place brand strategy requires governments to:
– Develop a political and social process that allows constituent actors to
identify and then put into practice a (relatively) constituent social, economic and political message that accurately
reflects the place in question
Place Brand DNA
• If a place brand’s heritage is of negative attributes, the terms ‘re-branding’ or repositioning apply
• Jewish and global tourists visit the sites of holocaust across Germany. Why???
CRM and Country Branding
‘in the case of a country/government deploying CRM, it would need to ensure
that every communication channel through which it communicates with its citizens and investors is funneled
through a strategic CRM infrastructure’
The Interconnection of brand identity, brand positioning and
brand imageBRAND
IDENTITY
How the owners want the brand to
be perceived
BRAND POSITIONING
That part of the value proposition communicated to a target group that demonstrates competitive advantage
BRAND
IMAGE
How the brand is perceived
Nation Branding Influential Map
Natural Resources
Nature
Resources
Culture
Education Industries
Economy
Geography
Cities
Politics
Economy Political Structure
Soc. System
People
History Education
Culture
Etiquette
Character
Law
s/R
egul
atio
ns
Nation Brands
Introduction
In the case of Poland the most important challenges include coordination between organizations responsible for and influencing country branding, collaboration between private and public sectors as well as between particular territorial units, financial backing and finally the fulfillment of the Poland brand by the people of the country
Why Does Poland Need a Brand?
• Globalization of the economy• Challenges relating to Poland’s accession to the European Union (EU)
• Growing competition primarily from neighbors in the region and the related need for Polish companies and products to be competitive
Positive & Negative Stereotypes
Positive• Associated with a
successful transformation of the political system
• Thorough and courageous reforms
• Developing democracy• Membership of NATO
and the EU
Negative• Ignorance• Corruption• Crime• Cunningness• Crudeness • Dishonesty
Common ImagePoles being religious and suffering people throughout history
Elements of the Poland Brand
• In searching for sources of Polish brand identity it is necessary to analyze hitherto perceptions of Poland and Poles (as well as neighboring countries) to find out what will constitute the key to the nature of the brand
• Poland is a country that is relatively industrialized, with many attractive areas of nature,some of which are exceptional and not available across other East European countries
The Core Brand Identity of Brand Poland and the Possibilities over which it could
be extended
Nature, natural, naturalistic, naturalism
Tourism
Historical places, sites and building
Natural monuments
Hospitality
Restaurants
Tourism Tradition
Traditional foods Polish sausage, bigos, Bison vodka)
Health specialists
Fashion
Commercial products: furniture, ceramics
Natural environment
Health
Resorts, spas
Relevant industries (e.g.. Aluminum works, but also amber jewelry)
Natural Resources
Raw materials
Folklore
Rituals
Cultural Events
Handicrafts, arts and crafts
Extreme sports (canoeing trips, climbing)
Hobbies (hunting, gliding, sailing, etc.)
Professional products (boats, bicycles)
Nature reserves
Agrotourism
Natural foods
Nature trails
Traditional foods (Polish sausage, Bison, vodka)
The Poland Brand – Issues & Challenges
• The most important challenge is the fulfillment of the Poland brand by the people of the country
• Specialists can work out the brand concept, but in this instance, it is the Poles who have to make it work (hosts)
• An important assignment for the brand therefore will be the shaping of a strong identity from within and its changes inward
Polish Conclusion
• History has proven that Poles are ambitious and able to meet national challenges
• The actual timing of Poland’s entry to the EU is particularly propitious for a change in the country’s brand image, because Poland for many no longer belongs to ‘them’ on the fringe, outside the Union, but advance to ‘us,’ a member of the European family
Introduction
Armenia’s ‘place branding’ means requalifying the habitat and designing a distinct country image, replacing the popular
perception of its remote and trouble-prone ex-
Soviet-client status and making a clear case for
its distinctive qualities, human
capital, landscape, and cultural heritage
Armenia = Negative Images
• Little land-locked country in a rugged high plateau prone to earthquakes
• A weak and marginalized player in the geopolitical game– No petroleum reserves, exclusion from the Caspian pipeline routes
• A young state with fragile democratic institutions
• An ancient Central Asian Christian nation nearly encircled by large Islamic countries and prone to inter-ethnic tensions
• The debris of defunct Soviet-era industrial plants
• Tense relations with Turkey
Armenia’s Options
• Unlike much of the rest of the Tran Caucasus region, Armenia enjoys a high level of social stability and internal cohesion, attributable in particular to its educated population and ethno-linguistic homogeneity
• For the world market, most of what Armenia has to offer consists of materials that become unprofitable if transported over long distances (or even shorter distances) if done exclusively by aircrafts:– Tuff and other useful stones– Machinery components– Art and crafts– Some mineral and metal products– Food Products– Bottled water– Wine and liqueurs
Armenia’s Options• Exporting and Importing is not as simple of a strategy as it is thought to be because:– There are no good links with two major neighboring markets (Turkey and Azerbaijan) due to poor inter-state relations (ethno-territorial disputes, historical antagonism and resentment)
Armenian Conclusion
• Armenia’s success (perhaps even survival) in the global market is guaranteed by enhancing the quality and value of local production and, at the same time, by protecting its environmental resources
• In Armenia’s case the environment, landscape and identity represent the attractions– Otherwise, Armenia is no match for the mass holiday resorts
which trade in climate, fun and comfort
• ‘Place branding’ for Armenia means requalifying the habitat and the human capital through comprehensive environmental and social policies (and investments) with a clear design in order to achieve a high ranking in the world in environmental health, quality of life
• and sustainability• Resolving its conflicts with Turkey on a the pattern
with German-French friendship
Introduction
• People’s perceptions of African countries derive from media news as civil wars, malnourished child asking for aid, AIDs epidemic, starvation, drought, famine, and genocide
• African countries lag in the pursuit of investment, tourism, exports and human capital– They have to find a way to attract FDI competitively
– Country branding is now a necessity rather than a choice; it is ‘about making people want to pay attention to a country’s achievements and believe in its qualities
The Case to brand African Countries
• African countries suffer from ‘continent brand defect,’ where the entire continent is considered as a single brand
• The need for African countries is to escape that image and get a separate perception that is recognized
• Mauritius, as a Case in Point
Why Brand African Countries?
• Africa is widely perceived as a large homogeneous mass, hence the negative issues such as Aids, civil wars, genocide, drought, famine, and political corruption are too often considered to be applicable to the entire continent
• If African countries are able to carve strong brand identities, thereby differentiating themselves, African countries will also improve their creditworthiness– Which will, as a consequence, stimulate an increase in international relations, tourism, exports and investments
Rationale for Branding Africa
• The initiative should be led and driven by the head of the state
• Noble Laureate, Dr. Nelson Mandela, African statesman, as a Case in Point
• A working party composed of representatives of culture, industries, education and the media, etc., should also be in place, along with the brand owners in the private sector who will play a key role in the making of the brand
Advantages of Branding
• Tourism– Branding African countries, global tourists would be alerted about the existing attributes, tangible and intangible
• Investment– African countries are realizing that they cannot develop and become competitive while relying solely on donor aid
• Diaspora– Brain drain is putting a strain on the continent. Greatly needed skilled professionals, such as scientists, engineers, doctors, IT specialists and university professors have exited the continent in search of greener pastures in the West
CRM in Africa
Does CRM have a role in branding African countries?
In order for CRM to work efficiently and help African countries in becoming
competitive, ‘visionary leaders’ need to be targeted constantly…
CRM in Africa
• The government involved should act as a corporation, aiming to manage relationships with selected target groups– Investors– The Diaspora– Tourists – Foreign Talent
African Conclusion
• Once an African country has an attractive image, it will also inspire the Diaspora to speak of their country with pride as well as help to engage them with the country’s development
• South Africa, as a Case in Point
Branding of a Nation Conclusion
• A nation’s brand to a large extent is shaped by its history, culture, heritage, location, customs, achievements of its citizens and vision of its leaders ….;
• A nation needs to compete over its customers’ hearts and minds inside the country, regionally, continentally and globally
Branding of a Nation Conclusion
• Due to the complexity and sophistication of competition between nations, mostly derived from globalization, countries are tirelessly leveraging their desired brand images through communicating their advantages, attitudes, history, culture endowments and assets