Literature on nation and destination branding focuses predominantly on Western and Asian nations, although we do have African case studies of undocumented national branding activity. The South African government is credited with having managed to establish and resourced an International Marketing Council in 2000 that helped reconstruct Brand South Africa. This study sought to review established theory and models on nation branding to help develop a practical branding framework for a nation such as Zimbabwe, which has a very negative brand image.
15 1.5.1 Value to the Nation
Brand Zimbabwe went through a rough patch for nearly two decades and has lost much ground in development and global economics. The nation therefore needs to recover its lost position in relation to global markets, international travellers, foreign investment and entrepreneurs, scholars, global cultural and sporting event opportunities. The nation has had considerable adverse international media coverage, which has eroded its nation brand equity (NBE) over a period of over fifteen years. The researcher of the present study is of the view that there needs to be perceptual convergence on Zimbabwe’s image problem and on how it could be resolved. Questions that arose on the challenges facing Brand Zimbabwe were: Is Zimbabwe’s image problem perceived and defined the same way by all Zimbabweans? Can the image problem be resolved through branding? How can Zimbabwe rebrand to effectively to compete for global markets and resources?
The motivation for the research was to find solutions to the nation branding challenge faced as the nation re-launches the image of itself as a worthwhile source market, investment, and tourism destination. Different nations formulate diverse approaches to deal with their specific image situations. The research sought to usher in a new paradigm in nation branding from a Zimbabwean perspective. The researcher understood that the effort of branding needs to be done holistically to be effective. It is therefore imperative that the research solicits the participation of all the stakeholders in defining the nation’s international image. If the nation’s brand is successfully repositioned to change the nation’s image, it should help to revive the economy and return it to its former glory. The research could contribute significantly to remoulding national identities and creating a unifying point. The study could also help to improve Zimbabwe’s international economic performance and advance its industry, trade, and political interests.
The research aimed to develop strategic insights and knowledge for branding Zimbabwe. The nation requires significant tourism traffic, attract the Foreign Direct Investment, promotion of exports, attract international capital and skills required to propel industrial activity. Industry is a key role player in the branding of the nation as it ultimately influences perceptions held of Zimbabwe, especially where international trade is concerned.
16 1.5.2 Contribution to the Body of Knowledge
This study contributes to the body of knowledge in three ways. Firstly, it provides a narrative of the understanding and debate among researchers about the applicability of branding the image of a nation and its subsequent position in international economics and geopolitics.
Thereafter, it examines and describes the complexities associated with branding and marketing a nation such as Zimbabwe, whose reputation has experienced a long period of erosion.
Thirdly, the study provides guidelines key Zimbabwean role players in the form of a home- grown branding strategy on how to improve the nation’s branding and marketing programmes.
Nation branding is becoming a dominant trend in global economies. Nation branding efforts have been undertaken to attract tourism. In scholarly research, there is considerable pressure for harmonisation of concepts from international relations, public diplomacy, and destination marketing. It is observed, however, that there is slow progress in developing a conceptual understanding of the field and the practice, which is very essential to the development of the field of nation branding. Research on destination branding on Zimbabwe for tourism development include that conducted by Ndlovu (2009:45) and Mirimi et al. (2014:78). The present study is a departure from previous research in that it seeks to bring out the intricacies of nation branding in promoting Foreign Direct Investment. The findings from the research are envisaged to significantly influence policy on nation branding and communication about the nation to enhance the national image building process. It is anticipated that through this research, the nation will become well-positioned to attract significant foreign investment (FDI), reduce capital flight, and promote private sector competitiveness, securing geopolitical and economic influence for Brand Zimbabwe. The study also sought to develop a more appropriate and viable nation-branding model to help address the international competitiveness challenge.
17 1.6 Research Hypotheses
This study sought to test the following hypotheses:
• Hypothesis 1: It is difficult to characterise key role players for the development of Brand Zimbabwe.
• Hypothesis 2: Zimbabwe is a competitive nation based on several competitiveness and differentiating indicators.
• Hypothesis 3: Zimbabwe is a high-risk nation based on certain social, economic, environmental, geopolitical, and technological factors.
• Hypothesis 4: Zimbabwe has a coordinated response to nation brand erosion and the international media onslaught.
• Hypothesis 5: Zimbabwe has major policy inconsistencies that negatively affect the nation brand equity.
1.7 Theoretical and Conceptual Framework