SESSION 6: COUNTRY BRANDING AND

Transcription

1 SESSION 6: COUNTRY BRANDING AND PROMOTION Mr. Sean M Duggan Director, ILSA Consulting 25 June 2012

2 Successful locations excel in multiple dimensions. Characteristics of successful locations Key elements to generate sustained location development Location promotion Brand Visibility & sense of place Information & promotion Business activity & investment (sectors & clusters) Critical role of investment promotion necessary but not sufficient Hard infrastructure Land Transport Telecom Utilities Supporting infrastructure Regulatory infrastructure Policies Legislation/regulation Systems Delivery Soft infrastructure Taxation Labour Education/ training Environment MDAs - BMOs Vision & strategy Governance & management Partnerships The location offer 2

3 Branding is a core part of overall investment promotion. Investment promotion components Components Purpose Selected tools Brand building Investment generation Investor servicing Aftercare and advocacy Improve location brand identify, position and image Turn awareness interest, leads and enquiries Meet needs during entry, start-up and operation Maintain relationships, update knowledge and enhance the location offer General information provision Media copy placement Seminars and exhibitions Networking investors, advisers, BMOs Tailored information provision Cold calling Investment missions Specific sales propositions Business case information Investor visit programmes Assistance licenses, approvals Counselling, problem solving Location improvement identification, diagnosis and solution development Partnership dialogue and coordination 3

4 Location branding building Key consideration in brand building Brand identity, brand positioning and brand image are related There are major challenges in getting the brand right its not just a logo It means challenging and positively influencing the perceptions of audiences (residents, businesses and tourists) both internal and external Brand identity How locations might want the brand to be perceived: Policy Clusters (activity and investment) Culture People Tourism Brand positioning Promotion of the location value proposition demonstrating location competitive advantage and benefits to specific target audiences Brand image How audiences recognise and perceive the brand 4

5 All about audience perception not reality. IS THIS A A TRIANGLE? 5

6 All about audience perception not reality. 6

7 All about audience perception not reality. A B C 7

8 MENA locations will need to compete. The successful locations of the 21 st century will be those that gain control over their competitive position and create and deliver an appealing brand In our new world economy, every place must compete with other places for economic advantage every community has to transform itself into a seller of goods and services, a proactive marketer of its products and its place value. (Kotler et al: Marketing places, Free Press, 1993) Locations that hope to prosper in the international economy need to plan as carefully as the smartest corporations. They need to decide what they re good at and seize their comparative advantages. They have to keep on strategizing to stay afloat in the volatile world economy. (Peirce, Johnson & Hall: Citistates: How Urban America Can Prosper in a Competitive World, Seven Locks Press, 1993) 8

9 The locations market is a congested and noisy place! 9

10 Although one location is (possibly) the best. 10

11 Responses to congested and noisy places. Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons: The Invisible Gorilla Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons: The Monkey Business Illusion Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons: Try it for yourself Polly Dalton and Nick Fraenkel: Auditory Gorilla 11

12 Examples of place branding abound. Place branding examples Image Proposition Objective Constant Discovery providing a Kaleidoscope of Possibilities Unique diversity and endless richness of experience London offers to everyone who visits, lives and works in the capital Differentiate and highlight the unique blend of the city s diverse offerings Sydney is a world city clearly distinct from others with an exuberant spirit China s World City: A Major City in China Unlimited potential of Toronto as a city of Tourism/Business/Meetings To inspire, motivate, exhilarate, entertain and captivate a location that is efficient, effective, friendly, yet not subservient. Increase tourism and visitor numbers, length of stay and daily spend value and increase investment No other place combining east and west that is dynamic, modern city and multidimensional Create a single brand and develop a fresh new way of communicating the city s 12 strong and dynamic identity

13 Examples of good place branding are rare: South Africa. 2002: Brand South Africa Creating a single positive and compelling brand image : Raising awareness of the South Africa offer investors Missions abroad promoting investment and exports Mobilising influential South Africans Developing local pride and patriotism 2012 Space the final frontier Square KM Array, in partnership with Australia 2011 Most valuable nation Use of a diversity brand on the continent of marketing, campaigns, (Brand Finance), joins BRICS materials and channels 2011 Refreshing the brand Innovation Possibility Sustainability Living the ubuntu dream Beyond 2010 engagement World Cup as a development tool 2010 World Cup Football Fridays Events as amplifiers 1995 Rugby Diski Dance World Cup, World Summit 2002 Our National Anthem 1994 Post apartheid pariah International isolation, Low growth, High unemployment, Economic inequality, Black poverty, Segregation, Squatter camps and shanty towns, Endemic violence and crime, Social unrest, strikes and riots 13

14 Examples of good place branding are rare: Wales. Since 2006 Values Adverts Exhibitions Sponsorships Successful Welsh Case examples Brochures Networking Challenging perceptions Events Sector postcards 14

15 Key features of a place branding venture. Be careful too often sales campaigns with limited sustained impact Built on research and understanding Promises Part of a coherent yet flexible programme Tailored to audiences and targets Sustained and persistent application Wide-ranging and deep analysis of research with audiences and stakeholders Deliver clear promises to core audiences (residents, businesses and tourists) and targets, which are kept over the long-term Integrated and consistent with a wider programme approach investment, tourism, education, research, arts, meetings etc. Preparation, use and sharing of proposition based sales and promotional materials for use with audiences and targets Long time engagement with networks and ambassadors for co-branding and marketing Regular monitoring to assess perceptions and Apply learning principles performance across wide set of indicators 15 Differentiation is critical