Stage set for Nation Branding ... continued from Monday

Rohantha ATHUKORALA

Set objectives

Once the basic architecture has been sketched out based on selection of target markets and then understanding the issues in each market amongst its target customers and what strengths the Nation posses currently the next task is to clearly shape an objective that the country wishes to target.

For instance South Korea decided to set an objective of being the value for money technology provider that will make a global consumers life more convenient.

The country being featured in every possible tourism opinion forming magazine as a must visit destination gives us an idea of the strength of brand Sri Lanka

Today they have outsmarted Sony with the Samsung Brand.

Latest estimate is that the Samsung brand value is estimated at 18 billion dollars and Sony trails at twelve.

In fact South Korea has set a numerical target of where 70 percent of their exports to be with branded products by 2010 and they want ten brands to be among the top 100 brands of the world. This is the ruthless targeting that is required if we want to pursue Nation branding as a country.

The stage is set

But the good news is that being an Island nation this task of quantifying the target is an easier challenge. The latest information reveals that almost 55 percent of the tea that is being exported is done in value added form.

The apparel industry is in the process of developing a logo for its ethically manufactured positioning.

Ceylon Cinnamon branding will be fully fledged shortly. We are already in play for four patents being registered globally, that is been powered by top four companies in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka will become a Financial hub, Maritime Hub, Aviation Hub, Tea Hub and Shopping Hub in the near future for the South Asian region. We can become a Knowledge Hub, Energy Hub and Commercial Hub in the more medium term.

Sri Lanka has been pegged 17 places to number 62 in the Global Economic Forum rankings for this year.

We are poised to be a top 50 country in the near future. S&P has graded us B+ from a financial outlook. Hence it is very clear that the stage is set for Sri Lanka specially post the recent media splash at the 65th UN General Assembly. The challenge is do we have the discipline to practice this or will internal issues come in the way.

Way forward

An National Marketing committee must be set up to develop an architecture for Nation Branding under a powerful Ministry.The targeted markets must be selected with objectivity taking into account the political economy that we live in.

A eight pillar Nation Branding game plan must be architecture with a detail action plan for three years. Its almost like a road map. The action plan must be agreed by at the highest level by the relevant Government Ministries and agencies. There must be a quarterly monitoring system so that corrective action can happen. This Nation Branding strategy must be webbed to all other forms of communication that happens from the country.

We must identify the risks associated that can harm the strategy. For instance when Columbia wanted to change the perception people had as the 'Kidnapping capital of the world' then it had to ensure that such occurrences will not happen once the Nation Branding campaign breaks out.

The good news is that we have already started the campaign. Now it's the people of the country that must take it forward. The onus is on each and every citizen of the country and not just the policy makers. (Concluded)