CRST receives Country Brand Index

Sara PATHIRANA

FutureBrand’s CEO for South East Asia, Sarah Reiter was in Sri Lanka to officially donate the FutureBrand 2012-2013 Country Brand Index (CBI) which is valued at US $ 80,000 to the Centre for Research and Sustainable Studies in Tourism (CRST), as part of their commitment to Sri Lanka’s nation building.

“FutureBrand has been conducting the global Country Brand Index for the past eight years and we were delighted Sri Lanka achieved entry in the last round of research jumping into the rankings for the first time at such a respectable placing of 67th globally out of the 118 countries that were analyzed,” Reiter said. FutureBrand is a global brand consultancy built on an peerless focus on originality and the future. Spanning 26 offices across 18 countires, FutureBrand’s capabilities cover everything a brand needs to stay ahead.

CRST is a non-profit, industry based, organization which is dedicated to contributing to the industry with a regional resource centre not just with data and statistics but market intelligence and trends, crucial for decision making and planning. “The donated data will support the centre and the country invaluably. FutureBrand has in-depth knowledge of country branding throughout Asia Pacific and predicts that Sri Lanka has an even brighter future,” CRST Founder, Dileep Mudadeniya said.

Nation branding is a hot topic among marketers. Research and data on nation branding is a recent development and having researched information is the basis of developing a sustainable nation branding strategy. The Country Brand Index is a paramount global study of country brands. FutureBrand annually measures and ranks global perceptions around the world’s nations, from their cultures and industries to their economic vitality and public initiatives.

The index is a result of development reportage, expert findings, data-rich analysis and future-positive prophecy. Sri Lanka is off to a flying start with attributes such as a stable legal environment, history, authenticity, natural beauty and arts and culture that resonate with visitors just as much ‘value for money’ or accommodation.

Sri Lanka had achieved highest rankings in attributes such as ‘Natural Beauty’, ‘Art and Culture’, ‘Attractions’ and ‘Resort and Lodgings Options’ and whilst comparing ourselves to our neighbours in ‘Art and Culture’, ‘Attractions’ and ‘Authenticity’, Sri Lanka outranked Bangladesh, The Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia. Sri Lanka also outranked Bangladesh, The Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia in ‘Safety’ and ‘Most likely to live in’ and outranked the Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia for ‘Job Opportunity’ and ‘Standard of Living’.