Comments

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  Paul Barnett January 27, 2010 at 5:48pm

  Alan, Do you knwo of particular examples where the private sector is taking the lead with the support of the public sector, and how those projects are working out. It would be interesting to hear of any case studies.
  
  Re-Brand Australia, the example incicates to me why it may not make sense to look for one "big idea" or a single "core essence" iwhen branding a nation, or even a nation´s tourism industry. In the days of mass and broadcast media such simplification may have been necessary, in the age of narrowcast new media rich and detailed messages can be delivered to various segments of the market: backpackers via some media channels and high-spending travellers via others.
  
  Granted, this is complexity that may be difficult to manage, but perhaps it should be the aim?
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  Alan 'Brand' Williamson January 27, 2010 at 1:41pm

  Rossitza & Paul
  
  Thanks for your insightful comments.
  
  I'm sensing a change, in some countries, where the private sector is taking the lead with support of the public sector in terms of destination branding and marketing - from country to region to city right down to street-level.
  
  Brand Australia
  Oz's public sector is trying to change their country's perception from 'backpacker's paradise' to 'sophisticated playground' - a marketing mission impossible when the cultural source code for Australia in many of its key markets - US, UK, Japan & NZ - is 'Crocodile Dundee'.
  
  They have failed to grasp, that the low-spending backpackers return as high-spending travellers and inward investors, provided Oz's sub-brands - its sophisticated wine regions and cities are powerfully positioned.
  
  You see, although Australia and its wine regions, states and cities are lumped together on the world map, in the influential mind map however, they are in very different places.
  
  Witness how the private sector-led wine brands clearly understand this, by co-branding product with place in the US market. Please see 30-sec video Wines of Oz.
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  Paul Barnett January 27, 2010 at 3:55am

  I think it is unfortunate that country branding is usually, if not always, government driven, and thereofore politically influenced if not motivated. This I believe to be the biggest threat to sustainability and a fundamentally important issue. In several countries now the central banks are independent of government for reasons that perhaps country branding programs should be run by an independent institution - for long-term stability, not short-term gain.
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  Rossitza Ohridska-Olson January 27, 2010 at 3:18am

  Australia is rebranding now, from what I have heard. I believe it is a wrong step, as it is for Peru. Peru needed a new logo, but not changing the tagline "Living the legend", which was perfect.
  
  I am starting to think that each time a gov or tourism office manager changes, they start a new branding program. In cases that the brand doesn't perform or doesn't communicate the essence of the country, it is OK, but rebranding for the sake of rebranding is stupid, at least in my opinion.
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  Paul Barnett January 26, 2010 at 11:26pm

  Alan, I hadn´t been aware that Australia was suufering from a declining numbers from its key markets and it is not a market focus for me. Initially I was quite surprised, but perhaps it is just that the long haul traveller is getting more and more adventurous and going beyond only English speaking destinations, and / or that having been there and done that, many are looking wider, or to other places such as South Africa which has, I believe, been acheiving significant growth, and offers excellent value for money. Just a few unconfirmed hypothesis I would be investigating.
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  Paul Barnett January 26, 2010 at 11:19pm

  David, I think you miss read what I wrote. I was making the point that I, and my brother as Brits, not Latin Americans, both automatically spelt it Andalucia. I asked several other Brits since as out of interest, ok not scientific, but not one so far has spelt it with an S. And, I am damn sure they don´t change the spelling when they look it up on google. So it is a marketing issue.
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  David Paul Appell January 26, 2010 at 9:28pm

  We don't give a flying hoo-ha how Latin America spells Anda, the discussion is how we spell it in English...and most media outlets still go, correctly, for "Andalusia." Marketing be darned! Nobody has still given me a valid reason why we should change our terminology anyway.
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  Alan 'Brand' Williamson January 26, 2010 at 9:24pm

  The Brand of Oz
  
  Australia's Big Day: After its national celebrations, could Brand Australia find its future-focused big idea to reverse its decline in visitor numbers from its key markets?
  
  Discuss and debate please...
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  Rossitza Ohridska-Olson January 23, 2010 at 8:21pm

  Thanks a lot to everybody to update me with the fact that Andalucia has a new national campaign. I hope it is a success, since the advertising is very nice. I don't agree with the generic "Andalucia loves you", and the logo approach. I also don't know if there is a research made about how the Spaniards for the rest of the country think about Andalucia - a place for tourism? A place for business? Etc. Because, 12 years ago when I left Spain, the Andalucians were considered by rest of the Spaniards lazy, gypsies, not speaking correct (understand "Castellian") Spanish, left behind in economy and progress. Only the culture (monuments and sites such as the Alhambra and Cordoba, Flamenco dances and songs) had a positive image - the rest was very negative among all other provinces. If this had changed, I will be very happy. I love Andalucia, its passionate and exaggerated way of communication, its deep roots in the past, and the friendly people, who really love you, no matter where you come from.
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  Rossitza Ohridska-Olson January 23, 2010 at 8:08pm

  Regarding Andalucia: it is very important to spell it with C, because in Castillian Spanish there is a difference in the pronunciation. For the Latin American countries there is not difference, that is why it's often misspelled.