How is Belgium doing?

In our blogs, we talked a lot about other countries and destination branding in general. So, how good is the brand Belgium doing?

We should do great right? Ten-million people, over 500 kinds of beer, the best chocolate in the world, The Atomium, Bruges: The Venice of the Nord. Great, we are golden!

Nevertheless, the brand Belgium isn’t doing a magnificent job I’m afraid. The conflict we have on a political level: Flemish politicians striving for greater autonomy or independence, the inability to form a government and the quarrels about little things that don’t really matter (‘yellow and black are to Flemish to be the colors of the new license plates’), give Belgium the image of a country that we are a bunch of little kids who can’t solve their problems like grownups should. The divide between Wallonia and Flanders is continually hampering the development of a strong nation brand. By acting on their own, the regions weaken the image of Belgium. For example: Last year, a federal trade mission to China was immediately followed by a totally separate delegation from Flanders.

Even Simon Anthol, the godfather of destination branding, says: "Belgium branding is a global scandal. As a result of divisive politics, Belgium's brand equity is being squandered." And we can’t blame him. If a country can’t agree on the colors of the new license plate without problems, on what can we agree?

After reading the article and other information I searched for, I hate to say I agree on it. We have assets, a lot of them. But we are throwing them away with the division of our country. I won’t go political in this blog and state who is right and who is wrong, but viewed from the perspective of destination branding, we are doing a horrible job. I think a country should stand united to the rest of the world. If we don’t understand each other, how do we expect the rest of the world to understand us? If we have to fight about every little thing, why do we expect from the rest of the world to work together with us? If we can’t be on the same page in our own country, don’t expect the rest of the world to judge us positively.

Christophe Parrein

                                         

http://www.brandchannel.com/features_effect.asp?pf_id=322

                                                   

Do we buy stereotypes?

In my previous blog, I described how stereotypes define a country. The individuals living in a certain country make the image of that country. But it goes both ways.

Individuals invent products; individuals start firms, individuals apply knowledge. So, we buy from those individuals? No, we buy from countries: watches from Switzerland, chocolate from Belgium, wine from France. If we had the chose between a car with no brand from Japan or a car without a brand from India. We would choose the one from Japan (unless we have a death wish). Is the car from Japan better? Is it more reliable? You don’t know that. The person behind the cars is unknown. But we associate the product made in a specific country with that specific country. Many brands have tried to evade the ‘made in china’ label, and some have succeeded. Why? Because if we think about the quality of product made in china we don’t have a very good image of it. It has a negative connotation.

I personally don’t care where my product is made. We study economics, we know that companies will go to the place where costs are low and laws are flexible. I know that a lot of ‘top’-brands are made in emerging countries. And I know if I don’t pay a lot for a product, I will probably not be the best product. It’s all depends of the perspective of the customer. Do you want a Swiss watch because it sounds good? Buy one, but know that there are probably equal or better watches for less money in the world. Do you want Belgian beer because it is the best in the world? Buy Belgian beer, because you won’t find any better!

Christophe Parrein

http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=194922

Russia: mafia, vodka and dictatorship?

As Elien stated in her previous post, stereotypes can be very important for the image of a country. The gourmet French, the sturdy Russians, the annoying Dutch and, maybe, the stupid Americans.

I believe that stereotypes can be very good for a country (France for example, who doesn't like good food?) but if you have a bad image, like Russia, you should try to change it.

And Russia tried this with the creation of a committee to manage its image abroad, for political and diplomatic purposes. they say that stereotypes aren't always there to be corrected, some are good and some are just too established to be changed, also, like in Russia, most stereotypes are still very real: The alcohol abuse, hostile weather, the power of mafia, an aggressive diplomacy and press censorship. If they are still real, it will be impossible to change or erase them. Destination branding can't change facts, it only gives relief to the more attractive aspects of a place.

I like Russia’s approach on this matter. Like I mentioned in my first blog, you can’t make a country perfect, no country is perfect. But with destination branding you emphasize the positive qualities and hide the negative ones.

Christophe Parrein

http://nation-branding.info/2009/06/27/interview-with-ukranian-magazine-on-russia-image/

Behave, your reputation is your country's!

What Sonny said about representing your country when traveling abroad got me thinking a bit. Most people indeed associate your individual actions with how they see your country. At least I know I do, and it feels kind of weird knowing that to some people, my behaviour represents that of the entire Belgian population. I only hope I left a good impression.

Actually we don’t always have to know someone in person before we connect them with other, barely related stuff, do we? Think about the president of the United States. According to a GFK study, the election of president Obama made America the most admired country globally in 2009. He’s just one person, but his charm and intellect make his country rise so much in the world’s opinion.                                                                                                                                                                  Too bad there’s a lot of movies and comments on the internet proving the opposite, because this election almost made me believe Americans had gotten smarter too. Which they have not because believe me, if the chats I had with some of them are a good random sample survey they’re quite self-centered and short-sighted. Or could I be generalizing and stereotyping too much here?

Elien Van den Berge

GFK study: http://www.gfkamerica.com/newsroom/press_releases/single_sites/004729/index.en.html

Sports tourism key to destination branding

Sports tourism is the sleeping giant in the tourism industry, and why not promote a country with it? South Africa has done it by hosting the 2009 British & Irish Lions Tour, which was followed by the 2010 FIFA World Cup. This has been a tremendous promotion for the brand South Africa.
Kenya has also become a destination for sports tourism. Especially by having high profile visits by celebrities. By example Usain Bolt, who travelled to Kenya to adopt the world's fastest animal, a cheetah. But Bolt's visit was just the start of a sequance of visits to the country. World champions Serena Williams and Fernando Alonso and the Brazilian soccer team also visited Kenya. Jake Grieves-Cook, the chairman of the Kenya Tourist Board, announced that the visits have given Kenya a massive boost.

Sonny Selhorst

http://www.bizcommunity.com/

Destination branding: a relay race.

Destination branding, it's not just about a good logo or the development of a slogan, it's about creating an image for a city, country or destination. Slovenia by example hopes to build awareness and sympathy for their destination by sports performances, such as Petra Majdic's Olymic performance or the appearance of the Slovenian Football team at the world championship in South Africa. But these are just events, destination branding is somewhat more, it's a process.

"Brand Ambassador", a term that struck me in the article. It made me realise that I myself am a Brand Ambassador for Belgium. The thought that while on vacation, people that might have never heard of Belgium, would determine their thoughts on Belgium on my behaviour struck me.

Sonny Selhorst

http://www.sloveniatimes.com/

Bye bye, Dubai?

As Nick stated in his latest blog, Abu Dhabi wants to catch up with Dubai. Suffering from the crisis, Dubai hasn't got the right approach to get out of it, while Abu Dhabi has.

Dubai World, the investment company that manages a host of businesses for the Dubai government, has announced heavy debts. While in times of crisis, when consumers want value for money instead of just costs, Dubai comes up with concepts as a man-made island in the shape of the world. Abu Dhabi in the contrary is trying to brand their destination by giving it a cultural bent with plans to build museums as Guggenheim and Louvre.
This proves that Abu Dhabi is setting itself as a destination brand which is able to last through the crisis.

The Louvre in Abu Dhabi

 Sonny Selhorst

What for brand Dubai now?

Abu Dhabi wants to catch up with Dubai

Everyone knows Dubai, it’s a city in the United Arab Emirates  with 1.2 million inhabitants. Dubai - with its shopping malls, luxury hotels, and even a skiing hall in the middle of the desert - is a popular travel destination among the rich and famous. And next to Dubai lies Abu Dhabi, which is now attempting to lure people away from Dubai, and in to Abu Dhabi.

In order to lure tourists to Abu Dhabi, they have already invested a lot (hotels, an F1 racing circuit, golf courses, …). Abu Dhabi also invested in a new logo for the city, a logo into which there has gone a lot of thought. The logo is designed so it would look authentic, with the Arabic style handwritten “Abu Dhabi”, but at the same time inviting for tourists, with sweeping curves and soft colors.

For now Dubai still is number one when it comes to tourism in the UAE, but they’d better be watching out, because Abu Dhabi is hot on their tail.

Nick Van Beversluys

http://www.logodesignworks.co.uk/blog/destination-branding-around-the-world

More is less.

As we read in Nick’s blog, the Maldives wants to show it’s more than just some long beaches with nice temperatures, but will the rebranding of this already popular destination really be to their advantage?

I actually think that the new strategy of the Maldives might not be a very good move. Being all-round is good but won’t necessarily bring in the expected extra tourists. The whole point of branding is to make your destination stand out from the crowd and focusing on your strong aspects which you are obviously not doing by generalizing.

On the other hand, if the expansion of what the brand stands for makes a more attractive, interesting and cohesive whole, there’s no reason not to do it. Unless, of course, you can’t live up to the expectations and lose your tourists and -even more importantly- your credibility.

Elien Van den Berge

Logo vs. Slogan

In our previous blogs, Christophe and I both stated that branding a destination isn’t just about the slogan. It is nevertheless a part of it that isn’t to be underestimated, for it plays an important role when it comes to remembering the product (or place in this case). Or would a logo be better for that job?

According to Peter Simone, ex-Senior Advisor of the Mekong Tourism Office, a logo is the most useful.  Among his pro-logo arguments, there’s the complexity of slogans:  DMO’s are trying to incorporate way too much of their destination’s features into it plus wordplays usually don’t translate well. He is also a big fan of the visual strength of logos, which he believes will make a longer lasting impression on customers.

I personally think logos and slogans are equally important in the representation of  your destination. It is true that logos are universal and don’t need to be translated, but on the other hand I’m often more impressed by remarkable or clever taglines than by a nice drawing. What matters most to me is originality, simplicity and honesty, in words as well as in images.

Elien Van den Berge

http://tourism101.org/archives/26

New destination branding strategy for the Maldives

The Maldives is an Asian nation in the Indian Ocean, which consists of about 1600 islands, of which over 200 are inhabited. It’s a country of year long sunshine and high temperatures and very popular with tourists. But still the Maldives is ‘rebranding’.

According to Thoyyib Mohamed, Minister of State for Tourism, the campaign aims to “unite all of the country’s unique natural, cultural and historical attributes and enliven them with fresh dynamism to position the Maldives as the must-see destination of our time for all travelers”. So whereas the Maldives used to be mainly ‘a lazy vacation on the beach’, they now want to position them as an all-round tourist destination. They hope to achieve this with a global campaign which features a new logo, new slogan and advertising.

Nick Van Beversluys

http://www.traveldaily.co.uk/AsiaPacificNews/Detail.aspx?Section=20974

Incredible India

Nowadays India is a popular tourist destination, but it hasn’t always been that way. Few people went to India 10 years ago, but now it’s more popular than ever, why is that? The answer is simple: ‘Incredible India’.

Incredible India is an advertisement campaign set up by the Indian government in order to increase the countries popularity with tourists. The campaign was started in 2003, and it still runs today. Last summer there where the Incredible India commercials, which ran on Discovery Channel. On the Incredible India website you can learn about the country’s history, the geography, the culture, the cuisine, and so on… When you like what you see and learn about India, there is a trip planner on the website and you can go right ahead with planning you trip. No wonder India was voted to be 2^nd in the world when it comes to destination branding, just after New-Zealand.

Nick Van Beversluys
http://www.incredibleindia.org/

Why branding your destination isn't such a bad idea

Discover Wallonia. Turkey welcomes you. Does ‘What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas’ sound any less familiar?

Who hasn’t noticed the many logos, slogans and taglines every self-respecting country, city or region presents itself with lately? Well if you have, you’ve already experienced some nice destination branding. These places are doing their very best to portray themselves in the best possible way, but as Christophe says, just a nice slogan won’t do the trick. After all, the image we have of countries, cities and suchlike is influenced by some other factors too. Factors which DMO’s (Destination Marketing Organizations) can’t control, like media coverages and cultural perceptions.  

Unfortunately, these other factors don’t always contribute to the positive image these places try to create for themselves. And no positive image means no tourist attraction, no disproof of bad sounding prejudices and no interest in its culture nor its products. Result: a less prosperous region, losing to others that may have less to offer but are more competitive. Let the branding begin!

Elien Van den Berge
http://www.onecaribbean.org/content/files/Destinationbrand-Tom-Buncle.pdf

Ghent is one of the top ten cities to visit in 2011 according to Lonely Planet

In Lonely Planet's top ten cities for 2011 list, Ghent is placed seventh. Lonely Planet states that Ghent is "a secret within a secret: Ghent might just be the best European city you’ve never thought of visiting, in a country that continues to be criminally overlooked". Lonely Planet furthermore says that Ghent has a lot to offer, with both centuries-old grand houses, spires and great panoramas of water and one of Europe's most dynamic festival scenes. In 2011 Ghent will have finished a mayor program of rebuilding, so it will be at its best next year. Lonely Planet's list is topped by New York, because of the reopening of the WTC-site, with a memorial park. Numbers two and Three on the list are Tangier in Morocco and Tel Aviv in Israel.

Nick Van Beversluys

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/usa/new-york-city/travel-tips-and-articles/76165

I Love NY

"I Love NY" a quote seen on T-shirts, sweaters, cups and many other things. People love to be seen with the quote, it's delivering one message: ""I was in New York city, the most exciting city ever built by men."

The "I Love NY-logos" are famous around the world, it's one of the most successful cases of destination branding ever. It isn’t easy, destination branding. You aren't selling a product or service with a specific formula or description. You are selling a country, region or city. Places full of unique individuals with their own habits, beliefs and relations. Just inventing a new slogan and logo won't sell a city. Sure, it could help, but to really make a place more attractive for tourist, residents or other group you are targeting, you need more. You need to change the key characteristics that make your city unique, you need to find those key components that differentiate you're city from other cities and enhance them, you need to make sure that your destination has qualities other cities don’t have and make sure that the people notice those qualities.

New York has implanted this to the max. Is the city perfect? No: poverty, subordinated neighborhoods, crime and other flaws. But New York focuses on their strong point: being the centre of the world, being exciting, vibrant and always awake. The City That Never Sleeps. And that is what destination branding is all about.  


Christophe Parrein