Regional Executive Forum 2002
Session 6 - Competitive Advantage and National Image – Is There a Case for National Branding?

The Issue: The building of national image is a key component of export strategy.  National branding is a proven means by which to reinforce the national image.  

The costs of national branding are high. The risks of failure are similarly high. This suggests that reinforcing national image through an active programme of national branding may not represent “best practice” for most developing countries. Indeed, very few developing countries have successfully launched a national brand. 

The Proposition: Despite the cost involved and the limited success to date, it is recommended that strategy-makers consider reinforcing national image through national branding. The question of whether or not to invest in developing and promoting a national brand should therefore be investigated as part of the national export strategy development process. 

The experience of those countries with successful national brands, suggests that there is a “best practice” way to decide on the relevance of national branding (or re-branding). This involves the following steps: 

• Confirm readiness: It is essential to make sure that perceptions and reality match. “If your reality is not worth talking about, do not start promoting. A poor low profile image (or brand) is better than a poor high profile brand”. 
• Set up a working group: This should include politicians, civil servants, industry representatives, media, educators and figures from sport and the arts. Decide who are you trying to influence and confirm how your nation is perceived by them. “You have to start by identifying and defining your critical audiences, both internal and external.” 
• Create a core idea: You have to create a core idea from which the entire branding programme can be developed. “Find out what you’ve got that makes you different, then create something around this. Sun, sea and sand is not a core idea, they represent commodities and there is no margin in commodities trading. Differentiation is more effective when it comes to food, architecture, and culture.” 
• Coordinate the message: Ensure that the same message is conveyed by those concerned with tourism, investment and export. 
• Differentiate the message: Once the core idea has been developed, modulate it for each priority audience. “Create a visual idea, which you can also put into words, which encapsulates what the national stands for in different circumstances.  
• Manage the message: Do not let the government run it. “You have to create a structure that is going to be there when this government falls and the next government comes.” Ensure that brand is promoted among local audiences “as an asset” and protect its credibility through establishing and managing standards for usage. 
• Establish a long-term time frame: National branding is a long-term initiative. A twenty-year time frame is realistic.