CAN COUNTRIES BE BRANDED?

CAN COUNTRIES BE BRANDED?

CAN COUNTRIES BE BRANDED?

There are many reasons why a country should be branded. Although many have raised questions concerning branding a country, many advantages come through branding a country. People, for example, talk of how France can be without a fashion brand. Others ask how Germany can be without automotive excellence brand. Further, people imagine of Japan without a brand for electronics. With globalization, many countries have emerged to manufacture goods that are even similar to other countries’ goods. For a distinction too be noticed, it is goo to brand. For a country to market its exports with efficiency, branding can help. For a country to compete internationally in marketing their tourism and culture, branding works miracles. Further, it is notable that promotion of consumer goods by a country promotes a country itself. This would be very advantageous for the country in terms of marketing its consumer goods. In lieu of this, this paper is going to argue that countries can be branded, and that it is very advantageous, and important to brand a country.

Globalization in the whole world has come up with its advantages and disadvantages. For example, as much as globalization can help a country in branding and marketing a country, its effects can also be used by some malicious, fraudulent people to copy the brand product of a country. Kotler and Gertner (2002 P. 249) argue that branding a countries product enables the goods and services of the particular country to be distinguished in the market. Globalization has come up with competition in the export market. Counterfeit goods are being produced with the brand of a county’s famous brand. To protect its product, quality and image, a country needs to brand its products. This will give the buyers in the market easy time to identify the commodity they want. At the same time, this will give the country an opportunity to guard their product that they believe is of a high quality.

Motivation to consumers for consumer goods is very important in achieving sales and promoting country’s goods. According to Kotler and Gertner (2002), branding of a product helps to motivate customers in the market, and promotes competitiveness. They argue that; even though differentiation of products can be differentiated through other features like quality, branding comes out as the best way to promote a product in the globalized economy.

The power to incite emotions and to promise value comes in the name of a brand (Kotler and Gertner, 2002 P. 250). A brand identifies how a commodity is different from the others. It incites a customer’s decision making and processing speed. This explains why a manufacturer may extend a successful brand to a newly introduced product. The argument here is that branded items are perceived to be of high quality than items that have not been branded. Therefore, they will attract more customers than items that are not branded. In addition, branded products communicate about a country of origin. In lieu of this, branding countries products is equivalent to branding a country, and this leads to promotion of the country.

In supporting the concept of branding a country, Kotler and Gertner (2002) argues that branding products of a country leads to associations being created about that country. The emotional value that appeals to consumers about the brand of a product reflects in their perception about the country and the other goods. In this case, the names of these countries act as if they were brands, and in this case they affect customersprocessing of decisions. On the same issue, it has been postulated that industrialized have a greater appeal to customers in terms of customer goods. For example, people tend to be attracted to goods from a country that has been known to be producing high quality goods for a period of time.

When a country is branded, it can be used directly to promote a product (Olins 1999). For example, the famous Toyota cars from Japan have been marketed as Toyota-Japan. In such a case, when the branded country name gains ground, integrated communications can be used to promote other goods from the country. This promotes consistency in marketing of a product’s goods. Further, the image a country creates in the international for a is likely to influence its power to attract investors, as well as, tourists. This translates directly to economic development in the whole country.

It will be remembered that a countries image, which translates into a brand is a result of its art, music, famous citizens, history, geography, as well as, famous citizens (Dennie 2007). Further, items of different types such as electronic and other types act to shape the country’s image. On the other hand, negative ills like civil wars, political instability, poverty, violent crime and economic turmoil all act as a symbol representation of country. They are associated with the locale of the country. The inherent subjectivity of mental processing dictates that consumers can from mental stereotypes about a particular country, which will dictate their decisions to buy products from those countries. When these perceptions are widespread, they affect a wide range of a population including citizens of the affected country. For this reason, it is important for a country to work on a brand name and image and promote it, to avoid losing taste even among its citizens.

The effort that a country uses to form a brand name and promote it, are paid by the results of the same (Anholt 2005). This is because once consumers have formed their mind about a particular brand; they are usually resistance to change. The attitudes and perceptions of the consumers too, are influenced through simple pronunciations of the brand name in foreign language. For this reason, branding structures or places, and in this case a country, serves to increase the speed with which customers process decision-making about buying the product, especially after the brand has established its base in the market. The resistance of the consumers to change what has satisfied them before is natural, a feature that can be utilized through country branding. Further, this can be taken as an opportunity by a country to diversify its product. Once a brand name has been promoted through a product, the consumers may tend to associate other products from the same country with the same product. This will help to increase sales in exports.

The tourism sector is a very important sector in the economy of any country. According to Kotler and Gertner (2002), the one best way to promote the tourism of a country is through branding that particular country. This is because different paces attract different people. For this reason, a country must come out clear in terms of what it is exactly marketing, and to which particular people it is marketing. In essence, natural, rich, cultural history of a country, beauty and culture, are likely to attract more tourists than a country without. Further, a country has to invest in marketing in order to inform the targeted people of its rich tourist attractions. This will be even more relevant to a country that has less tourists’ attraction sites. Investing in a brand name will see such a country make tremendous moves in terms of the number of tourists.

Attracting investors and new business ventures in a country is one of the best known ways to keep the economy of a country growing. The marketers of a country need to adopt strong systems of feeding the investors with information about their country. The process of branding a country comes about with these benefits (Olins 1999). Reliable and accurate information is passed on to the potential investors through the process of branding. In this case, branding and promoting a place would be beneficial because investors look for the characteristics of a place before making the decision to invest. In lieu of this, it is very vital for countries to decide which industries they target, and set out a plan to hunt them.

Branding has been known to add value to products and services. Anholt (2005 P. 10) argues that many developing countries have been able to make it in the world market through making of finished goods and selling them. He argues that branding a product of a nation is equivalent to branding the nation itself. Through branding, poorer countries have been able to secure markets in both third world countries and also the developed world. This has had very many positive impacts back to their mother countries. It has transpired to rapid economic development and industrialization, since the exporting industries expand when they realize an increase in sales. In addition, Anholt (2005 P. 11) points out that the success story of a particular industry as a result of branding, is an inspiration for the other companies in the same country, and this counts as a motivation for the other companies.

The public perceptions that people all over the globe have about a particular brand are changed through branding. Anholt (2005) gives some examples of world countries that have recently gained ground in the international market as a result of branding. This has resulted from the efforts and the commitment on the part of the exporting companies, and the governments of the respective companies. For example, the Mumbai chemicals company has mushroomed its products all over the world through branding. Another example given by Anholt is the Czech furniture business. It is marketed through art. Through this, the company has been outdoing multinational companies. Therefore, with a fully collaborating political resource, it is possible to develop a brand and make a country a success story.

In supporting the concept of nation branding, Dennie (2007) argues that; the reasons behind adopting the strategy of branding South Africa were a negative perception about the country by the other people of the world. Dennie reiterates that; many negative information was being spread about South Africa, and with this, the country had to correct the problem with speed. To make the correction, the country found a solution in nation branding. Given the effect of globalization on competition in both domestic and international markets, Dennie (2007) agrees that a good solution is a country and its companies to participate in branding. Dennie outlines three major aims as to why countries must engage in nation branding: attracting tourists, boosting exports, assuring investors, as well as, attracting more.

With the rising rates of globalization and industrial competition in the world, countries are at a pressure to attract, and tap skilled labour and talents, as well as, academicians. Dennie (2007) connotes that; capturing such skilled pool, is an advantage for a country in terms of competing internationally. The countries that have participate in branding with such targets; have succeeded in tapping giant brains from other countries. These countries empower these people, who in turn give back by rendering their skills for economic development. The result is success in international competition in terms of trade, and investment.

Branding a nation brings with it many positive results, apart from the three core main aims of trade, investor and tourist attractions. Dennie (2007) observes that countries that have engaged in nation branding with commitment, have not suffered instabilities with their currency. Apart from this, investor confidence and investor credibility has been boosted, and this results to more investors expressing interest in investing in the country. Through such, the international ratings of a country shoot. In addition, the international political influence of a country gets boosted, and the country assumes an advantageous position in the international arena. Further, branding promotes international partnerships, and enhances nation building since the citizens of that particular country will have confidence with their country.

Redefining and reinventing a nation can be achieved branding. In essence, branding a nation gives identity to the nation. Olins (2002) gives the situation of the nations that were affected with the collapse of communism. After the collapse, most of these nations were left in confusion and identity crises. In order to demonstrate their tourist potential, develop brands for both domestic and international markets, these countries have to identify themselves first. The solution to doing this has been found in nation branding. In this competition, Olins (2002) presupposes that; the nation that wins the prize is the one that makes itself the most attractive. On the same issue of re-inventing and re-discovering a nation, Gilmore (2002 P.283) gives the example of Spain, and argues that; branding a country, gives it an advantage over the other nations. Spain too, is a success story that has been realized through branding.

International recognition in the present world is fought for through branding. The works of Gilmore (2002); Olins (2002); Morgan, Pritchard and Piggott (2002), and Martinovic (2002) agree on this issue, and point to countries that have made steps to gain space in the international for a, as a result of branding. The republic of Croatia for example, Martinovic (2002) has resulted to adopting branding to correct its image in the international arena. Having been labelled a country of wars and negative idioms, the republic could not find space internationally, due to shielding by the giant nations. Therefore, adoption of branding came out as the best platform of telling the world that it has some good side.

REFERENCES

Anholt, S. 2005. Brand new justice: how branding products and places can help the developing world. Oxford: Butterworth Heinemann.

Dennie, K. 2007. Nation branding: concepts, issues, practice. Oxford: Butterworth Heinemann.

Gilmore, F. 2001. ‘A country: can it be repositioned? Spain-the success story of branding a country’. Journal of Brand Management, Vol 9, no. 4-5, pp: 281-293

Kotler, P., & Gertner, D. 2002. ‘Country as brand, product and beyond: a place marketing and brand management perspective’. Journal of Brand Management, Vol 9, no. 4, pp: 249-261

Martinovic, P. 2002. Branding Hrvatska-a mixed blessing that might succeed: The advantage of being unrecognizable. Journal of Brand Management, Vol 9, no. 4, pp: 315-322

Morgan, M., Pritchard, A., & Piggott, R. 2002. ‘New Zealand. 100% pure: The creation of a powerful niche destination brand’. Journal of Brand Management, Vol 9, no. 4, pp: 335-354

Olins, W. 1999. Trading identities: why countries and companies are taking each other’s roles. London: The Foreign Policy Centre.

Olins, W. 2002. ‘Branding the nation: the history