Branding

“If we see a paid advert for a country, we don’t believe it. But if we hear someone saying it, we believe it”— Simon Anholt, British government adviser on public diplomacy

Creating the right image has never been more important than today in a world of slick mass media and massive commercial markets. Aware of this, more and more countries have joined a chase to burnish their images on the consciousness of people around the globe in the pursuit of major spin-offs.

Recent examples of the trend include the marketing efforts of the nations competing to host the 2012 Olympics and President George W Bush’s 2004 re-election campaign to project a particular image of the United States.

“Branding the image of countries, and for places like Kazakhstan, can be crucial for their future,” said Riz Khan, the EAMF conference chairman opening the session chaired by Tyler Brl, the Chairman and Creative Director of Winkorp UK.

Brl said: “Brand is the DNA, the very essence that drives a company such as Samsung from nowhere to be major player in the mobile phone market. It is the quality that propels Airbus to be a major player ahead of companies such as Boeing.

“What is essential in a brand is relevance to its market place and respect. For national branding you want to focus on the idea of building a country as a brand. We are sitting in a country (Kazakhstan) that has considerable potential,” Brl said.

Simon Anholt, chairman of Earthspeak, UK, said: “In a global world every town and city, region and country has to compete with every other town and city, region and country for tourists, investors, trust, reputation and the respect of the world’s media and other countries.

“That image or identity represents the competitive advantage of that place…
Where am I going to have a holiday for sun, good living etc? I will choose the one with the best reputation,” said Anholt, the British government’s advisor on public diplomacy and an adviser to governments of other countries.

Anholt said branding was a strategic approach for sustaining a development advantage, a vision of where that country might go. Without that vision, a country will probably be unable to compete in the world today.
How are our impressions of countries formed? “By the company it keeps, such as allies, the things other people say about it and what the country says about itself. Advertising does not really work. If we see a paid advert for a country, we don’t believe it. But, if we hear someone saying it, we do believe it,” said Anholt.

“Developing countries have to be famous for something such as integrity and values. It is the genius of the people, which is never properly expressed. In a market place model, countries can find a niche… If they can find an identity and keep it, then they can sustain this indefinitely.”

An example is Mongolia, a country which cannot compete in economic or military ways but can compete culturally. “Its particular genius is people, culture and landscape. I like the idea that Mongolia can compete culturally,” Anholt said.

Dariga Nazarbayeva, chair of the Eurasian Media Forum Organising committee, said the forum started as an image project for Kazakhstan, then tapped into the East-West agenda. “Today, the forum carries with it the image of a state with all of its contradictions and complications.”

Sergey Kudasov, deputy director-general of the Russian news Agency Novosti, said Novosti was given a few years ago the task of trying to create a positive international image for his country.

“In Soviet times Novosti was involved in propaganda…. So, we had to develop tactics and a strategy. We did this because of the stereotypes and the poor image that we had -- vodka, black caviar, AIDS, the Kremlin, crime and Chechnya were the images,” he said.

Igor Panarin, political science professor at the Diplomatic Academy run by Russia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, said: “Corruption is something through which most of our countries are going. If we say ‘yes there is corruption’ and we will fight against it, that will be taken positively.”

Asked to list Russia’s leading brands, Panarin said: “They include protection of national values and self-respect, which is equally applicable to all CIS countries.”

Anholt said an immediate association with something such as caviar was not a bad thing. It means the country exists in people’s minds.

“When New Zealand first started to brand itself, the country spent one million dollars to find out what people knew about the country. They did not know about it! So, clichs can be comfortable and convenient,” he said.

“I am still waiting for the first country to appoint a minister for brand. I am rather hoping that Romania will do this.

“A national brand is like a magnet – it attracts other things such as tourism and investment which in turn confer magnetism on to other items. It also creates order out of chaos… and harmony in a nation. It is to do with good leadership, not advertising,” Anholt said.

Asked for the leading ‘magnet’ offered by Kazakhstan, Dariga Nazarbayeva said: “Branding of the republic started with folklore, camels, herds of sheep, wonderful horses, the beauty of its girls and the many religious groups.

“Freedom of speech and human rights are important. Today, they are the main theme,” she said.

Anholt said: “What stands out for me in Kazakhstan? One of the things that struck me when I arrived was its geographical position. So many countries believe they are ‘the centre’.

“The world is a ball and which ever way you put it, they can be the centre. This is all very vain and subjective. You must learn to see yourself as others see you.

“Kazakhstan’s strategic position did not strike me until I flew over it… It can really claim to be at the crossroads of the world,” he added.