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
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