Brand Canada

I was looking at the NBI (Nation Brand Index) recently and something on the list jumped at me, Canada is rated as having the second best nation brand in the world. It even surpasses arguably the most well known country in the world, America, which now sits at number eight on the list. This was kind of weird to me as I have known Canada to be the subject of a lot of degrading jokes in a string of American films and TV series. Anyway back to the Canadian brand and what makes it tick. Canada’s image got reworked back in 2004 by CTC (Canadian Tourism Commission) in order to change the outdated perception people had about it. The brand’s logo is basically a stylised version of the leaf found on the Canadian flag. Them using the leaf as their symbol makes perfect sense to me as it is what comes to mind when someone mentions Canada to me. The catchphrase they went with is “keep exploring”, this phrase ties in with their brand’s selling points perfectly.

The Canadian brand has five selling points which it emphasises in its marketing campaign in order to appeal to a domestic and international audience. These selling points are:

1.       Vibrant cities on the edge of nature

2.       Personal journeys by land, water, air.

3.       Active adventure among awe-inspiring natural wonders.

4.       Award winning Canadian local cuisine.

5.       Connecting with Canadians.

Although they are nothing new (even they admitted it on their website), the angle at which they are marketing them is refreshing. This leads me to think that if the Canadian brand can be ranked second on the list after only nine years of having established itself, bear in mind that it wasn't even on the top ten list when the NBI started out in 2005, then why can’t South Africa do the same? Especially after knowing that South Africa had a two year head start on Canada with Brand S.A. being in business since early 2002. I would love to hear your thoughts on Canada taking the second spot on the list, are you as shocked as I was?

Refference:

http://www.globalbydesign.com/2005/06/22/whats-your-nation-brand-index/

http://www.fastcoexist.com/1680768/the-15-leading-country-brands-of-the-future

http://en-corporate.canada.travel/resources-industry/canada%E2%80%99s-tourism-brand

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/marketing/what-is-canadas-brand/article4327235/

NBI (Nation Brand Index)

Countries are constantly in competition with each other to attract investors, tourists and build up an image for themselves to inspire support from their respective citizens. The success of a country in doing so is measured using the NBI (Nation Brand Index). The NBI was developed by Simon Anholt a world leading specialist in creating strategies for countries, cities and regions. When it was launched in 2005 it was referred to as the ‘Simon Anholt Nations Brands Index’ and it was fielded four times a year.

Nation branding is practised by many states including South Africa, America, Europe, Canada, France, Japan, China etc. In these countries it is officially referred to as public diplomacy. These Countries Governments have resources dedicated to nation branding. They do this in hopes that it will improve their global standing, as a well put together image of a country can influence its success in attracting investment, tourism and increase its political influence in the world.

The NBI is also parent to another survey known as the ‘Monocle Soft Power Survey’ which was established in 2009. This survey ranks nations according to their attractiveness and level of influence on the world. The following elements of a country are evaluated: Diplomatic infrastructure, cultural output, level of governance, appeal to business and capacity of education. The list is then calculated with the use of an estimated fifty factors which indicate the use of soft power. These factors include but are not limited to: Olympic medals, cultural missions, business brands and the quality of country’s architecture.

South Africa is not doing too well on either of these surveys. On the NBI it is sitting at number thirty six and on the Monocle Soft Power Survey it is at number twenty. South Africa did not make it to the top ten of either survey. This essentially means that South Africa has very little influence globally despite the fact that it is the largest exporter of gold, other minerals, and has and internationally revered political icon in the form of Nelson Mandela. South Africa has all the potential to make it to the top of the rankings yet it lacks what it needs most at this point; a carefully articulated and successful brand image.

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nation_branding

http://mountainrunner.us/2011/01/bruce_gregory_reading_list_54/#.Ue0srNL-HTo

http://www.southafrica.info/business/investing/anholt-241012.htm#.Ue0paNL-HTo