Nation Branding and Place Marketing - VI. The Sales Force and Marketing Implementation Oversight
Nation branding is a process of creating an identity for a nation. It is often considered an intangible asset, like the company name of a multinational corporation. Many countries around the world have started to invest more in national branding, but there are few cases where research has been done on which marketing initiatives work best with which type of nation brand and why.
In this article we'll be looking at what nation brands are, how they come into existence, as well as going over some key pointers for other researchers on this topic in the future. We'll also be exploring what types of marketing initiatives may work with each different kind of nation brand and why these marketing initiatives might or might not be successful with certain types of nations. Lastly we'll be looking at some of the most recent cases involving nation branding around the world, including Greece and China.
Nation branding is one of the most important concepts in marketing today. It is a concept that has come about in response to what some see as an increasing gap between the reality of a country and its image on the international stage. It is also an effort to lift nations out of these potential negative perceptions, which can affect their economies and their future success. Generally, nation brands refer to infrastructure for national image building, like tourism boards; however there are many other aspects to it as well.
Of course there are some people who have decried the very idea of nation branding. Many of these people seem to fear that the process will take away the individuality of a nation, or else dilute what they see as the uniqueness of their nation. Some say that this is just another attempt by outside nations to exert their influence on countries they view as weak and insecure; some say this is a way for "financiers" to profit from nations. Regardless of one's beliefs, it is hard to deny that nation branding has become highly popular in recent years especially in countries with strong leaders. In fact it is often said that leaders have put more emphasis into national branding than any other domain for country development.
The World Bank is one of the leading international sources of research on nation branding. They have done extensive research on the topic and have created a set of national branding techniques.
The methods in The World Bank's research can be classified into six main categories:
In this short survey, each method was viewed positively by all of the countries surveyed except for "Nation Brands". A majority of the respondents said that they do not yet see this method as useful to them in their current situation. To understand why most nations dislike Nation Brands, one must look at how some countries see themselves. To begin with, many countries view themselves as unique and different from other nations. Therefore, they dislike the idea of being classified as similar to any other country. For this reason some nations shy away from nation branding because it is an attempt to create an identity for a country.
The World Bank also defines nation branding in a broader sense than just image, or reputation: "Nation branding refers to the deliberate attempt by countries, governments and institutions to shape their identities in desirable ways and project these images abroad". So according to this definition, nation branding is not simply about how others see us, but how we wish others to see us. The emphasis is on the process more than on outcomes; in fact it can be argued that these outcomes are extremely uncertain. At the same time, nation branding can be defined as a process of communications.
Examples of nation brands in practice:
Korea is famous for being one of the most successful nation brands. During World War II Korea was divided into two countries, North and South Korea, formerly occupied by Japan and China respectively. For centuries Korea had been known as "The Land of the Morning Calm", but even during those times Koreans did not consider themselves to be a unified people. For all intents and purposes, Koreans were still considered by most other nations as independent countries; however one thing remained constant throughout history: Korea's natural beauty and rich resources with agriculture being its most important industry. Politically, Korea was always fragmented and divided: there was no central authority until the country was unified by a single leader in the late seventh century.
Korea started to fight in World War II on the side of Japan, but they eventually surrendered. After the war ended, Korea came under the occupation of both Russia and America until it became independent in 1948 (North) and 1950 (South). Some of South Korea's strongest industries during this time period were fishing and agriculture; however it did not have much international leverage or influence because it lacked a unified identity.
During the 1960s and 1970s, South Korea suffered from military regime after military regime. It was at this time that South Korea realized it needed to change its nation brand; however there were no precedents for such an exercise. There were very few examples of nation branding worldwide, and none of these countries had had a similar history to South Korea. The first step towards transforming the image of South Korea was to create a new name for the country—the Republic of Korea instead of just plain old South Korea.
The most important factor in nation branding is also the most obvious one: people's fondness for it, their perception, and their affinity towards that or a particular nation or country. There are many different factors that can affect these factors in both positive and negative ways. Some of these factors include:
There are several ways for a nation to engage with its image:
"Virtual branding": This happens when a country creates an online presence for itself that advertises its image to the world. Nations use virtual branding techniques by setting up websites that contain information about their country, entry forms to various contests, forums where people from the country can voice their opinions, and online stores where tourists from around the world can buy souvenirs. A good example of this is Switzerland's virtual tourist office: http://uk.myswitzerland.com/en/index.
Conclusion:
All the examples that were mentioned above are examples of virtual branding. This is a great way for a country to engage with its image and get international recognition for it's achievements. However, there is no proof that this can actually make a big difference in terms of people's perception of the country. Another example would be Jamaica's "Cool Jamaica" campaign; this is an attempt to show other countries what Jamaicans are like by posting pictures on their website, television, and cinema showing off the beautiful countryside and beaches of Jamaica. In essence, Jamaicans used virtual branding techniques in an attempt to build their national identity in order to increase tourism into the country, which in turn would eventually increase their economy.