Finest Of Kenya

Branding & Marketing

Your County (Creating a Positive Perception Around a Place)

We judge ourselves by our intentions, others judge us by our actions.

By

Victor Ndiema

FinestOfKenya.com

A Destination Management Consulting Company

What is a Place Brand?

It is the places

reputation or image or

impression or perception

among those people that care about it,

such as citizens, potential investors

and visitors

Perception

= Reality

A Place Brand?

A place Brand is something that resides in the minds of its stakeholders eg Visitors, residents, business community etc.

Branding involves creating mental structures and helping consumers organize their knowledge about products and services in a way that clarifies their decision making and, in the process, provides value to the destination (county)

YOUR BRAND

A brand is an experience living at the intersection of promise & expectation

BRAND PROMISE what your county commits

to the people who interact with it

its a mission; its how the county creates and delivers value

EXPECTATION What is it for me

(wiifm)? Does the brand care

about my needs? Does the brand

promise deliver?

Why Brand a Place?

The key to branding is that

consumers perceive differences

among brands in a product category

Accordingly, COUNTIES can benefit

from branding whenever consumers

are in a choice situation.

Branding a Geographic Location

The brand name is relatively fixed by the name of the

location

The power of branding is in making people aware of the location and then linking the

desirable associations

Increased mobility of both investors, and businesses and growth in the tourism industry have contributed to the rise of

place marketing

Mission

To

ATTRACT

The goal of this types of

campaigns is to create awareness and a favorable

image of a location that will entice temporary

visits or permanent moves from

individuals and businesses alike

Why Brand Your County?

Attracting new investments has become more strategic.

Investors want to know the strengths and opportunities in

your community before speaking to you.

Cities, Counties, regions, and

countries are now actively promoted

through advertising, word-of-mouth, and

other communication

tools

Examples of Branded nations/places

Nations can be branded, and governments and their institutions can use the principles of branding to add to the value of their industries and

the brands they represent

Branding a Geographic Location

Region/

County

Nairobi Mombasa Lamu Nakuru

Perceived

Attributes

Big nature,

outdoors, city

life

Fun, diversity,

active,

adventure, live

it

Surprise,

undiscovered,

culture, lifestyle

Activity,

relaxation,

intriguing,

enriching,

diverse,

powerful,

memories

Campaign

Let the magic begin

Holiday

The sooner you go the longer

the memories

County of surprises

Message

Excitement,

shopping,

nightlife

Take a break

from work and

discover people

and islands

Emotional,

appealing,

unique, travel

now

Fast-paced,

sophisticated,

cosmopolitan,

modern

Branding Philosophies

DNA of Branding- A Places Intellectual Architecture

A places intellectual architecture has been a critical

element in constructing the brand of a place (e.g., Germany)

NATIONS Brand

Tourism

Exports

Governance

Investment &

Immigration

Culture & Heritage

People

Branding Philosophies- How A Brand Value Is Influenced

The living brand enhances the perception that community members, investors, and potential tourists, have of the place

Any strategy to manage a places brand must also manage its intellectual architecture

BRAND VALUE

How we are perceived

What we do

What we say

What we think

FOUNDATION:

Intellectual Architectural Elements

A strategy is knowing where you want to play and how you want to win. A brand strategy is

playing in the right customers mind, and winning with a brand promise, personality and

position that are compelling, credible and competitive

Rather than artificially branding a city or county, a place brand strategy requires

governments to:

Develop a political and social process that allows constituent actors to identify and then put into

practice a (relatively) constituent social, economic and political message that accurately

reflects the place in question

Branding Philosophies- Place Brand Strategy

County Branding Influential Map

Natural

Resources

Nature

Resources

Culture

Education Industries

Economy

Geography

Urban Centres

Politics

Economy Political Structure

Soc. System

People

History Education

Culture

Etiquette

Character

County

Brands

1994

Genocide Ends

1998

Regional Instability

2002

Reforms

2006

Integration into regional trading blocs

2010

Leading Investment Destination in Africa

2014

Continued Stability

Rwanda, as a Case in Point 1994-2010

Introduction

In the case of Rwanda the most important challenges include coordination between organizations responsible for and influencing country branding, collaboration between private and public sectors as well as between particular territorial units, financial backing and finally the fulfillment of the Rwanda brand by the people of the country

Why Does Rwanda Need a Brand?

Globalization of the economy

Challenges relating to Rwandas accession to the East African Community(EAC) & COMESA

Growing competition primarily from neighbors in the region and the related need for Rwandan companies, people and products to be competitive

Positive & Negative Stereotypes

After Branding

Positive Associated with a successful

transformation of the political system

Thorough and courageous reforms

Developing democracy & Good Governance structures

Membership of EAC, Common Wealth and COMESA

Before Branding

Negative Ignorance

Corruption

Crime

Cunningness

Crudeness

Dishonesty

Poor

Lazy

Common Image Rwandans being stubborn and suffering

people throughout history

Elements of the Rwanda Brand

In searching for sources of Rwanda brand identity it is necessary to analyze hitherto perceptions of Rwanda and Rwandans (as well as neighboring countries) to find out what will constitute the key to the nature of the brand

Rwanda is a country that is relatively small in size, Agriculture being the main economic activity with many attractive areas of nature, some of which are exceptional and not available across other African countries

The Core Brand Identity of Brand Poland and the Possibilities over which it could be extended

Nature, natural,

naturalistic, naturalism

Tourism

Historical

places, sites

and building

Natural

monuments

Hospitality

Restaurants

Tourism Tradition

Traditional foods

Health

specialists

Dances

Commercial

products:

furniture,

ceramics

Natural

environment

Health

Resorts, spas

Relevant industries

(e.g.. Agri-industries)

Natural

Resources

Raw

materials

Folklore

Rituals

Cultural

Events

Handicrafts,

arts and

crafts

Extreme sports

(canoeing trips,

climbing)

Hobbies

(hunting,

gliding,

sailing, etc.)

Professional

products

(boats,

bicycles)

Nature

reserves

Agrotourism

Natural foods

Nature trails

Traditional foods

The Rwanda Brand Issues & Challenges

The most important challenge was the fulfillment of the Rwanda brand by the people of the country

Specialists can work out the brand concept, but in this instance, it is the Rwanda who had to make it work (hosts)

An important assignment for the brand ,therefore was the shaping of a strong identity from within and its changes inward

Rwandan Brand Conclusion

History has proven that Rwandans are ambitious and able to meet national challenges

The actual timing of Rwandas entry to the EAC, Common Wealth & COMESA was particularly propitious for a change in the countrys brand image, because Rwanda for many no longer belonged to them on the fringe, outside these blocs, but advanced to us, a member of the *EAC, COMESA, Common Wealth ] family

The Republic of Armenia, as a Case in Point

Introduction

Armenias place branding means requalifying the habitat and designing a distinct country

image, replacing the popular perception of its remote and

trouble-prone ex-Soviet-client status and making a clear case

for its distinctive qualities, human capital, landscape, and

cultural heritage

Armenia = Negative Images

Little land-locked country in a rugged high plateau prone to earthquakes

A weak and marginalized player in the geopolitical game No petroleum reserves, exclusion from the Caspian pipeline

routes

A young state with fragile democratic institutions An ancient Central Asian Christian nation nearly encircled

by large Islamic countries and prone to inter-ethnic tensions

The debris of defunct Soviet-era industrial plants Tense relations with Turkey

Armenias Options

Unlike much of the rest of the Tran Caucasus region, Armenia enjoys a high level of social stability and internal cohesion, attributable in particular to its educated population and ethno-linguistic homogeneity

For the world market, most of what Armenia has to offer consists of materials that become unprofitable if transported over long distances (or even shorter distances) if done exclusively by aircrafts: Tuff and other useful stones

Machinery components

Art and crafts

Some mineral and metal products

Food Products

Bottled water

Wine and liqueurs

Armenias Options

Exporting and Importing is not as simple of a strategy as it is thought to be because: There are no good links with

two major neighboring markets (Turkey and Azerbaijan) due to poor inter-state relations (ethno-territorial disputes, historical antagonism and resentment)

Armenian Conclusion

Armenias success (perhaps even survival) in the global market is guaranteed by enhancing the quality and value of local production and, at the same time, by protecting its environmental resources

In Armenias case the environment, landscape and identity represent the attractions Otherwise, Armenia is no match for the mass holiday resorts which trade in

climate, fun and comfort

Place branding for Armenia means requalifying the habitat and the human capital through comprehensive environmental and social policies (and investments) with a clear design in order to achieve a high ranking in the world in environmental health, quality of life

and sustainability

Resolving its conflicts with Turkey on a the pattern with German-French friendship

Branding of Your County???

Q & A