2.6 Nation Branding Strategy
2.6.5 Strategy Implementation
61
C. Achebe; Austin Jay Jay Okocha, the late Nelson Mandela, Justin Trudeau, John F.
Kennedy, Julius Mwalimu Nyerere, Kwame Nkrumah, and Oliver Mtukudzi could be used as nation brand faces.
62
strategy work. Without a vigilant and deliberate implementation mechanism, strategic objectives are difficult to achieve. Formulating strategy implementation coherently can be a daunting task for brand project managers. Several issues, including political play, apathy, and resistance to change often impinge on implementation (Perry, 2008:3).
According to Flack (2010:21), the brand strategy execution process entails driving all touch points to ensure that the strategic imperative adopted works to achieve its intended objectives.
The implementation task is largely activity-driven, operational and crosscutting (Kaplan and Norton, 2004:34). Kirkpatrick (2005:56) notes that the main administrative issues associated with strategy implementation include designing a capable organisation to drive the strategy.
Temporal (2015) opines that branding countries need to design appropriate structures to ensure that brand strategy execution is done consistently in line with the global market changes, changes in national priorities and competitive dynamics. He further cautions that nation brands are very important for their economies, implying that nation brand management should be handled at very high levels.
The strategic blueprint needs to be anchored by leadership, policy and control environment that carries an appropriate consciousness and commitment (Johnson and Scholes, 2010:24).
According to Grant (2008:78), effective execution of a nation brand strategy considers making a ‘strategic fit’ between the internal environment and the strategy. The most effectual of the ‘strategic fits’ occur between nation brand strategy and institutional capabilities, between strategy and policy and internal support and control systems, and between strategy and the nation’s value and culture. Strategic fit is essential for successful nation branding, uniting stakeholders towards pursuit, and attaining brand objectives (Lehner, 2004:45).
63 2.6.6 Institutionalisation of Strategy
Strategies, in whatever context, business organisation or nation, are institutionalised and operationalised through structural review, cultural alignment, and leadership. Owing to the multi-faceted nature of a nation brand, Joseph (2016:5) recommends the adoption of the Strategic Business Unit (SBU) framework to institutionalise nation branding strategy. The implementation of the SBU structure entails that each subordinate brand develops its image that dovetails into the entire nation brand image. For effective brand leadership to take place, a well-designed and credible organisation or harmonising task force could be established by the government. The composition of the coordinating team should reflect the inclusivity of multiple stakeholders around the nation branding undertaking. Members could be individuals with intercontinental exposure and involvement in exports, tourism, public diplomacy, sports and political and civic leadership (Molanen & Rainisto, 2009:87; Giovanardi, 2015:598). The team then assumes the responsibility of creating a nation brand vision and coordinating activities across the different sub-brands including reporting to the presidency.
In developing a nation brand, interest is paid to the internal branding process, which should ensure the necessary acceptance and support from the broad spectrum of nation brand stakeholders. During the process, due consideration should be paid to urban-rural bipolarity, cultural and ethnic diversity, political and religious differences (Dinnie, 2008a:162). The vision and the underlying aim of the nation branding process should be clearly communicated to internal stakeholders for their contribution or information. Drawing from the French experience, triumphant stories and confirmations from appropriate sources need to be publicised, and challenges should also be communicated to stakeholders from time to time.
Socio-cultural approaches that could be considered for adoption to institutionalise the nation brand include celebrating national days and historical personalities. National day celebrations are probably the best platforms for promoting national interest, national pride and social cohesion. National day celebrations may also be held in foreign countries to rally a country’s Diaspora community to nationhood (Nworah, 2007:45). The promotion of indigenous fashion;
preservation of cultural values and customs; development of positive attitude towards work, foreign visitors, and local products; ethics in business practice; consistency in policy administration and constitutionalism are possible levers for nationhood.
64 2.6.7 Strategic Control and Evaluation
Nation brand strategies should be monitored and controlled with the passage of time.
Conventional management tools can be deployed by nations to monitor on-going branding activity to measure brand against set performance indicators. Performance measurement is vital for timely corrective action to improve overall brand performance. For a nation brand, performance areas and standards could focus on the quality of and consequent attitude towards local products, tourist arrivals, length of stay and spend; the level of direct foreign investment, inflation, lending rate; the calibre of university graduates; power supply;
infrastructure development; GDP or GNI, technological innovation; media image and criminality, Nworah (2007:34). If a nation performs well in any of the set parameters, then communication should be made to concerned stakeholders to encourage even higher performance. Similarly, poor performance in any parameter should be communicated to encourage corrective action.
Johnson and Scholes (2010:67) also opine that it is during review that emergent strategies arise to deal with realities on the ground. New conditions always develop and arise that demand realignment of strategic initiatives. Performance metrics may need to be revised in keeping to new dynamics and outlook (Flack, 2010:78). The quest for a more effective nation branding strategy is an on-going process (Lynch, 2006:89). Admittedly, at times, some aspects of the strategy implementation do not go as planned or progress may be faster in some areas than in others.
Budgetary reviews, policy reforms and alignment, restructuring, human resource changes, are some of the forms of reorganisation and reorientation that often follow strategic monitoring and review. Since nothing in brand strategic management is cast in stone, evaluating performance, assessing vicissitudes in the environment, and effecting changes are normal and essential aspects of the strategic brand management process (Flack, 2010:79). Finally, the seven stages presented in preceding paragraphs should be followed when a nation is coming up with a nation branding strategy. There is a need to project a positive image of a nation in the media, especially on the international scene.
65 2.7 Nation Branding Challenges
Despite the growing popularity of nation branding amongst economic development practitioners, it remains a case of both the good and ugly world in terms of policy approach to business attraction, (Cleave, 2016:220). Nation branding has its own challenges. It was condemned by local and regional administrations as a total remedy for a range of issues A number of governments have been condemned for abusing nation branding, particularly when attempts are made to use graphics and mottos to gloss over issues as a way of creating a progressive brand image (Braun et al., 2014:66)
Anwar (2018) avers that nations should ensure that they do not treat nation-branding exercises as mere creation of logos and slogans. Rather, they ought to regard the process as a strategic, comprehensive and inclusive undertaking by major stakeholders of a nation. Building a nation brand is much more than creating and communicating a garland of claims in the hope of altering the perception of individuals across the world. Most of the failed nation branding projects are largely propaganda efforts. Propaganda only works with total control over the minds of the target audience but does not work across the digitally connected global village.
Information is readily available and travels much faster than advertisements. What is required is comprehensive strategic planning and implementation to change perceptions towards a desired image status.
Malcolm et al (2017) contribute to the discourse on failed nation branding projects, opining that failure may be attributable to (a combination of) several factors, which include:
1. Failure to create a unitary and clear nation brand purpose;
2. Confusing marketing communication with strategy;
3. A politically driven, short-term approach;
4. Failure to recognise the complexity of crafting an effective and lasting strategy;
5. Failure to achieve true consensus on strategy and a future vision for the nation through meaningful consultation and engagement;
6. Poor or non-existent management of coordination and assessment of the project; and 7. Lack of appropriate funding for strategy formulation and implementation.
In an interview with The Guardian, Jose Torres (2017), an expert of nation branding practice, observes that most nation branding strategies fail mainly because governments lack the
66
capability to manage these strategies. Political expediency often interferes with practicality and long-term nation brand objectives. Torres further submits that in some cases, newly elected governments roll back on the ideas of their predecessors or rely on superficial advertising. At worst, citizens feel disenfranchised because of a nation branding campaign, or may even rebel against it.