Truth about nation brand building campaigns

People within and outside the country must talk good of Sri Lanka 

There has been much discussion recently in the media that Sri Lanka will be developing a ‘Unified Campaign’ that will be based on the core values of the country. The campaign will cut across tea, exports, Sri Lanka cricket and tourism and each of these items will reflect the core values of Sri Lanka. The media reports also shared the benefits that such a campaign can bring into a country. It’s great that the current administration, who has educated policy makers, is thinking of such game changing strategies.

 Test market

 When I was chairing Sri Lanka Tourism around 10 years back at the World Expo in Italy, we test marketed this Unified Campaign strategy. Sri Lanka Tea Board coming in with Ceylon Tea, Sri Lanka Tourism, Sri Lanka Gem and Jewellery with Ceylon Sapphire, Sri Lanka Export Development Board with Ceylon Cinnamon. The positioning of Brand Sri Lanka as the ‘Ethically Sourced Destination’ made the country unique. All products under each sector were available at the Sri Lanka stall and each of the agencies manned the stall for a week during the six-week World Expo. I think it was the first in Sri Lanka and the feedback was encouraging. 

Thereafter we coined the idea under the term ‘Nation Brand Building’ that got us the opportunity of meeting the global expert on Nation Brand Building – Simon Anholt. The brilliance of this gentleman who actually taught us the real essence of this concept, we realised how much we had to learn. To be honest, I am yet studying the case studies done in different countries and what lessons we can pick up.

 Sri Lanka today

 Let’s accept it, we have a country to be proud about. Economy is growing at 5.2% in the last three quarters and poised to cross the 6% barrier. The stock market is booming at an all-time high with the ‘Business Confidence’ index being very strong as per Pepper Cube Consulting. Foreign reserves at 6% plus and the people of the country kicking out the corrupt regimes and asking for a new political culture to be set up. Tourism arrivals crossing a two million number sure gives confidence to the world. Our task as a nation is to support the Government to come out of the economic challenge.

 Truth – nation branding

In this backdrop, if we examine this strategy that is to unfold in 2025 – nation branding. The naked truth is that there is nothing called nation branding. The real essence of nation brand building is a series of actions over a long period of time that will result in the people of the country talking well to the outside world and also Sri Lanka becoming more relevant to a global consumer by way of the products and services we supply to the world. In other words the country brand is built from within and not externally. Simon Anholt says this brilliantly, “If God so decides one day to delete Sri Lanka from the face of the world – how many will miss it is the acid test of Nation Brand Building.” 

 Essence of nation branding 

 What this means is that developing sexy advertising is not the way forward for nation brand building. Meaning taking Sri Lanka Tourism or Ceylon Tea and launching global advertising campaigns with catchy slogans like ‘Sri Lanka – a land like no other’ or ‘You will come back for more’ are not what nation brand building is about. 

We must learn to behave well on the global stage as a good citizen and then what people talk about Sri Lanka (inside the country and outside globally) is what adds to the equity of a ‘Nation Brand’ advocate the guru Simon Anholt. This requires depth and breadth in thinking and it must be done at the highest level of leadership is what he advocates. The logic being that a single minded idea must turn to behaviour. There are many countries that have achieved this. Croatia and Estonia are classic case studies.

 Nation branding next steps 

 Very simply, a nation's brand will be measured by the power and appeal it has as a country globally. The Anholt-Roper Nation Brand Index computes a country’s image by examining six dimensions of a nation’s competency. A point to note is that all attributes have an equal weightage but one must examine the current imagery issues that a nation brand before embarking on such a program. 

For example, we know that Sri Lanka over years has earned an imagery for poor governance. Be it the SriLankan Airlines Airbus deal that resulted recently in the US court banning two individuals from entering the United States or for that matter the IMF Governance Diagnostic Analysis which brought out a finding that Sri Lanka is very poor on governance. Hence, Sri Lanka will have to work harder on the ‘governance’ aspect in the global stage to be seen as a good citizen.

As mentioned, research reveals that there are six pillars that a country must analyse in its engagement to the world in its thrust of building a sharp brand identity.

1) Exports: an analysis must be done on products and services that Sri Lanka engages the world and why a global consumer buys our products or avoids it. 

For instance we say that Ceylon Tea is ethically produced as certified by the Kyoto protocol. But the question is if bulk tea compromises a majority of the exports then how does a Ceylon Tea consumer identify us and select us at the point of purchase. These are the insights that help build a strong equity building strategy. 

To explain this point, in the 1940s people hated German products due to the many people that were killed by German forces during the 2nd World War. But the insight was that on the aspect of ‘quality’ people made a conscious choice to buy German merchandise as it was durable. On this premise Brand Germany once again fought back in the world of commerce to become a super power nation brand. We have to find this insight in the case of Sri Lanka too. 

2) Governance: Public opinion regarding national government competency, fairness and beliefs about a country’s governance comes to play. This drives the commitment by a government to concepts like Democracy, Justice and Environment. On this front the NPP Government’s ‘zero corruption’ positioning is very strong. But the recent ‘educational qualification’ fiasco that led to the speaker resigning left a bad taste. It created a bad share of voice (SOV). Which is why Simon Anholt advocates nation branding is what people talk about a country (in this case governance) and it is not the sexy advertising that one does. 

3) Culture: this reveals the global perception of a nation’s heritage and appreciation for its contemporary culture, film, music and art including sports. 

Sri Lanka Cricket – namely the Women’s Cricket team led by Chamari Atapattu can contribute to this equity of brand Sri Lanka. The typical Sri Lankan cuisine of rice and curry can also help build a sharp identity globally, similar to Chinese food that is globally demanded by an international traveller. As Simon Anholt says, nation brand building is a series of interventions globally that builds this equity over a long period of time. There are no shortcuts or glitzy advertising.

4) People: Explores the population’s reputation for competency, education, openness and qualities that make a ‘person’ from a country unique. This attribute also examines aspects such as discrimination. 

On this front Sri Lanka is seriously challenged due to the very aggressive and vocal diaspora. The diaspora share of voice globally is so strong it can ruin the brand imagery of Sri Lanka. Let’s be honest – it has already been done. Brand AKD can change the wave on the premise of the ‘zero corruption’ tag. Whilst we have some outstanding Sri Lankans globally that can be engaged to show the relevance of Brand Sri Lanka, we also must address the issues of the diaspora – meaning the 13th Amendment. Hence we see the depth of thinking that has to be strategised in a typical Nation Brand Building initiative. 

5) Tourism: This captures the level of interest in visiting a country and draws the natural and manmade tourist attractions of a country. 

Sri Lanka has earned many accolades on this front and can engage the world very strongly – be it Yala National Park, the Seven Arch Bridge, and Pekoe Trail. But we must be cognisant of the overcrowding (over tourism) of Yala park and the negativity issues of Pinnawala Elephant orphanage that have got global share of voice. If one is serious about a nation brand building campaign there are no quick fix options, cautions Simon Anholt. There has to be a scientific approach followed for long term results. 

6) Immigration and investment: looks to attract people to live, work, study in a country and how people perceive a country’s economic and social situation.

On this front Sri Lanka is severely challenged by the bureaucracy associated with investment approval. A typical tourist hotel construction requires 27 approvals which takes a minimum three years duration which is poor equity to brand Sri Lanka. In fact, we are way down the pecking order when it comes to the ‘Ease of Doing Business’ index. 

Hence we see the depth of thinking that needs to go in for us to make Brand Sri Lanka sharp. Meaning there are many angles to the series of actions required for a credible statement to be elicited by people within a country and the outside world. To give a framework for planning the six pillars can be used is what Simon Anholt advocates. 

Sharp brand Sri Lanka

 The above science that has been practiced by countries like Croatia after the war and Estonia are cases in points where we can justify that the efforts are not in vain. But we can see the depth and width of engagement that must exist between the public, private and people of a country if we are to fast track a sharp identity of Brand Sri Lanka. 

A key point to note is that glitzy ad campaigns or employing PR agencies for damage control won’t work in Nation Brand Building. The current Government must be alert on the ‘shortage of rice’ issue and ‘fertiliser issue’ that is gathering momentum on local media in the last two weeks. It is denting the brand imagery of Sri Lanka for sure. The whole Government machinery has to pull in one direction for Nation Branding to work. Communication only will not work.

The next challenge that will hit the media in the near future is the implementation of the detailed “NPP Manifesto”. If one really analyses the contents it is a very tough challenge that brand NPP is up against. We already see the cracks that the Opposition is making. While these actions can make life exciting, we must not lose focus on the NPP manifesto and its delivery. We have to convert the manifesto into the 2025 national Budget. Then we can get the total Government machinery to work in one direction so that people within the country talk positively about the country. This is the essence of Nation Brand Building architecture by Simon Anholt.

Study competition 

 If we examine the work of Brand Building done by competitor nations like Singapore. The policy makers began the journey by first identifying what the people of the country thought of them as a nation. Thereafter they evaluated this ‘position’ as against what competitors offer to the world. For instance France was associated with romance, Japan for convenience due to superior technology, South Koreans for the value for money technology with brands like Samsung and KIA, Switzerland for precision due to the watch business and the United States for liberty and opportunity that gave teeth to the ‘Land of Dreams’ brand USA campaign. 

Thereafter Singapore developed a single minded position that they wanted the world to remember Brand Singapore. Post that the total machinery of the government was moulded to the National Council for Economic Development with the best brains joining the public sector at the best remuneration strategies. Today, the identity of Brand Singapore is a result of a series of initiatives that has happened over a period of time. Nation Brand building at its best. 

Conclusion

 Latest data reveal that there is a 10% reduction in the five-star and four-star traveller in 2024. Meaning we need to have a quality tourist coming into Sri Lanka. We also need to attract quality customers to buy Sri Lankan merchandise like tea, apparel, cinnamon, sapphires and handicrafts. This can only happen if we up the brand identity of Sri Lanka. 

It’s great that this discussion has started by policy makers. But again a word of caution is that ‘depth and series of actions over a period of time’ will help build the brand and not just multi-million dollar advertising campaigns on all social media channels. Let us not get into the trap of playing the media game of Tik Tok, Instagram SOE optimisation of the websites and get lost in the media buying war. Many nation brand building campaigns have gone this route and wasted valuable time. NPP has only a five-year window. Already 100 days are gone. Let’s hope that Sri Lanka has rice to make kiribath on 1 January.

 

(The thoughts are strictly the writer’s personal views and do not reflect the organisations he serves in South Asia or globally.)