Country branding for unity and growth

Whereas we had reached a point where Kenya was seen as a case study in political tranquility and economic stability, we are now being showcased in the international media as a war torn economic time bomb. One solution to counter this is to create a strong country brand.

Why brand a country

Much has been said in the past about Brand Kenya but not much has been done, possibly because only a few people could understand the power of branding for a nation like Kenya. A strong focused country brand strategy not only strengthens the international image of a nation, but it also realigns the citizen's mindset about their country and speeds up healing and reconciliation.

Currently Kenya is experiencing strong economic growth of approximately 7% and this is projected to continue growing, especially if we rapidly upgrade our road network. However, the upgrade of infrastructure will provide only part of the desired growth. It will get us to double digit growth but may not keep us there. Countries like Singapore and South Africa that have been through similar situations also realised that one way to enhance their growth beyond what will be provided by improved infrastructure, is country branding. Just like in the world of product brands, country branding can position a country way above its peers, even though both may have the same offering. Ireland and Scotland are widely acknowledged as having created country brands that punch far above their natural weight.

Principles of country branding

The principles of branding apply in equal measure to countries as they do to corporations; the only difference is the methods applied. Countries compete daily with neighbouring countries or block regions for tourism, inward investment and export sales. Due to the limited amount of business available in the global market those countries that do not develop and hone a competitive edge will find it difficult to boost their commercial success beyond a certain level. Countries that have an unknown or poor reputation will find themselves limited or marginalised. Consequently they will always languish at the bottom of the influence ladder at regional economic summits.

Germany, a country that has been at the centre of two world wars, today has a clear and positive reputation, whereby products made in Germany have a certain aura of meticulous engineering. The added brand equity they possess by originating in Germany opens door and wins contracts. According to statistics on the European car business, the vehicle of choice for the mass market in each country is largely indigenous brands; for example Citroen and Renault in France and Seat in Spain. However, when a second car is required, more often than not it's a German brand.

Creating a branding programme for a country requires an integration policy that most countries do not possess. This entails the ability to act and speak in a coordinated and repetitive way about themes that are the most motivating and differentiating for a country.

The benefits of consistent and professional country branding can be observed in every region, including the ability to win more investment business because the country image says the right things about taxation, labour skills, safety, the environment and political stability. It also gives weight to the “made in” label because it will positively aid the sale of products in foreign markets. Furthermore, it builds up patriotism and pride that goes far beyond personal political opinions and inclinations.

Developing a country brand

To develop a country brand you require having the cooperation and involvement of representatives of government, business, the arts, education and importantly the media. Usually the media will be keen to be involved because it gives them the opportunity to objectively settle some scores on unfair attacks by foreign media. The media also enable fast and uniform dissipation of the country brand message to the general populace.

Using qualitative and quantitative research methodologies you also need to find out how your country is perceived both internally by citizens and externally by people abroad who you want to influence. You should also consult with opinion leaders on the countries strengths and weaknesses and compare their views with the research information gathered.

Similar to how brand strategies are developed for corporations; the research information is collated and analysed using professional brand strategy models. This enables the development of a brand idea and positioning that positively and clearly differentiates the country from any other. The brand idea enables the development of messaging to the various audiences previously identified. The message created for tourism will be different from that created for investment; however they will both portray the same overall brand positioning.

The most difficult part of country branding is on the ground roll out. You should work out a programme to make the strategy tangible through improvement projects. For example, people want their country to have the best physical impression at ports of entry, city centres, entertainment venues etc.

A major challenge is to create a system that links together the different organisations and departments that drive implementation of your brand strategy, without making it look too governmental, because people will instinctively avoid working with it. In addition to this the government needs to drive support for the initiative but shouldn't try to take all the accolades, otherwise all you will end up with is a number of re-branded ministries and government bodies.

Most of all, to be successful, it is actions that really count. You cannot impose branding on a country, but you can find out the aspects that appeal to the widest group of people and which are different and special. The execution of the strategy takes time but you have to be consistent, building an integrated picture and always backing it with quality. The consistency in execution should not be affected by the day to day changes in the political atmosphere.

These same principles and methodologies of country branding can be applied to a city or an economic region. Two great examples of city branding are New York and Jo'burg. Visitors to these cities tend to state the name of the city as opposed to the country when they are discussing their trip. The same can be done for Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu cities.