By Junie Del Mundo

Nation branding has been an advocacy of mine for a number of years now. Even before the pandemic, I was already calling on government agencies and business leaders to collaborate and lay the groundwork for a strong and defined Philippine brand that could raise our profile in the international community, strengthen our position, and make us a viable global player. I have also always maintained that a great brand for the Philippines should have Filipinos at its heart, lending it soul, purpose, and authenticity that will resonate with and appeal to investors and tourists.

Nation branding

That belief has only gotten stronger as our country continues to struggle with its pandemic recovery. Unfortunately, with so many Filipinos currently feeling the economic crunch, making the development of a nation brand hasn’t been a priority. Had we not been set back by the economic repercussions of the pandemic, which was quickly followed by the inevitable volatility that an election year brings, we could have had a bigger chance to build on the efforts that began in the previous decade, particularly in our tourism sector. All is not lost, however. With nation branding a long-term goal that also calls for a capacity to adjust to changes, our current circumstances are as good a second-best starting point as any. We just have to start doing the work now. This is the message I also imparted when I presented a lecture to a group of FEU college students in February. With the Filipino youth tech-savvy and passionate about social issues, thanks to their early exposure to the internet, I see them as worthy stakeholders in the nation-branding process. They may not be in a position to do much in an official capacity yet but they will be the Philippines’ future decision-makers. It’s our responsibility as older generations of Filipinos to provide them with the resources and opportunities to recognize their full leadership potential.

Cultivating our soft power

To illustrate what a nation brand is and what it can do for a country, I presented two solid examples of successful nation brands that resulted in their respective countries having massive global influence. My young audience immediately grasped the concept. After all, they’ve experienced firsthand Japan’s and Korea’s irresistible pull through the soft power they wield. A concept introduced by political scientist Joseph Nye in the 1980s, soft power can help a state influence others by appealing to their ideals. Its currency, according to Nye, includes culture, political values, and foreign policies. In the case of Japan and Korea, both of them leveraged their respective arts and culture sectors to foster a defined image in the international market. While they each have their own strategies for doing so, they have a few things in common that make their respective nation branding endeavors successful and sustainable.

Government support

Support from both the government and the private sector is the biggest factor. Government investment, in particular, fostered a mutually beneficial connection between the tech and entertainment industries. With both sectors receiving funding for research and development, they’re able to bolster each other when it comes to branding: Technology has raised the output quality of the film, TV, and music industries and, in turn, celebrities and J-pop and K-pop stars serve as perfect endorsers of tech brands. Youth culture has also been key in Japan’s and Korea’s soft power. In appealing to an international audience, both countries knew that an image “revamp” was in order. Youth culture provided an opportunity, especially in Korea’s case. Since its government had lifted the travel ban for locals just a few decades ago, more citizens, especially younger ones, have developed a global perspective through travel and education. They were able to apply this to local industries, resulting in more diversified and sophisticated cultural exports. For both Japan and Korea, cultivating the youth-oriented arts and culture scene helped create a more progressive and forward-looking image for each country in the international arena. When we look at the case of the Philippines, there are some similarities and also a lot of differences between where we are now and where Japan and Korea were prior to developing their nation brands. We definitely have creative talents and a rich tradition of arts and culture that we can be proud of. Our youth are also very connected to what’s happening internationally, thanks to the internet. The biggest hindrance, though, is the lack of support for culture and the arts, particularly from the government.

Educating the youth

Still, as I’ve told the students of FEU, while the initiative may never come from the top, young people can use their mastery of social media to create a bigger and louder discussion on how the diverse Philippine arts and culture can be supported and nourished to become a strong pillar of the Philippine brand. Cultural organizations such as the CCP must definitely pitch in too. It isn’t that our cultural institutions aren’t doing enough to nurture and promote Filipino arts and culture; as it is, so many Filipino creatives are already stretched thin from having to generate their own funds to continue producing and promoting artworks, books, music, stage productions, films, and more. But their approach to the Filipino audience can be improved further. During the pandemic, when we had to forego staging and attending live performances, community-building happened digitally. Through it, cultural institutions got to tap a new sector of the audience—young Filipinos from all over the country who had lacked either the exposure, resources, or both to support Filipino artists pre-pandemic. By producing content that spoke to them and appealed to their ideals, artist groups and organizations were able to build a bigger support base through the youth even during lockdown and helped raise their awareness of what our arts and culture scene is capable of doing. That engagement with the youth must be continued as we navigate the new normal. Our young people are passionate about arts and culture, and organizations like the CCP must leverage that passion to educate them about our rich history, the issues we currently face, and how arts and culture can lead the way to national progress.

Team Philippines

Creatives and cultural workers must also lead the way in developing the audience’s standards for what they consume. They must share with the youth their courage to consistently pursue perfection in their work so the public realizes that they deserve to enjoy, be moved, and be provoked by great works of art too. In turn, creatives must listen and learn from the cultural products that catch young people’s imagination. What messages resonate the most with them? What approach works best for them? What can the youth teach them about navigating the world of content creation and digital marketing amid increasing globalization? As I reminded the FEU students, arts and culture have been integral to our country’s development. Not only do they provide us with entertainment, information, and inspiration but they have also been agents of social change throughout history. This makes them key in creating an authentic and powerful nation brand for the Philippines. When we strengthen the connection between the arts and culture industry and the Filipino public, when we lower the barriers to access to great art, and when we elevate our standards for our cultural products, I believe we can make it impossible for the government and the private sector not to recognize the power that the Filipino arts and culture scene hold. And when we build on that soft power to create our nation brand, it won’t be impossible for the Philippines to become an inspiring influence on the rest of the world too.