TECH4GOOD
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr. led the recent launching of Bagong Pilipinas, a vital component of the country’s branding strategy. It is meant to project his administration’s brand of governance and leadership which will involve the fundamental transformation in all sectors of society and government and its commitment towards the attainment of comprehensive policy reforms and full economic recovery.
It is a development welcomed by most quarters but the usual cynics also came out with public statements expressing doubts about the real intent of this administration. A legislator even went to the extent of advising the government to stop its rebranding projects saying it was a waste of government resources and, instead, act on providing Filipinos with higher wages, decent jobs, and lower prices.
Having a strong country brand serves as an intangible asset that can significantly influence public opinion, dispel stereotypes, and create a positive narrative for the Philippines. It can impart confidence and help diminish perceived risks associated with investments. It also signals political stability, good governance, and an attractive business environment which are usually the areas that investors would look for when establishing operations in a country. Inflows of investments can then stimulate economic growth, create jobs, and foster innovation resulting in food on the table and decent jobs for more Filipinos.
Today, countries are adopting branding strategies to show the world their uniqueness. They use this essential tool to highlight positive images, accomplishments, heritage, culture, values, and reputation within and beyond borders. In doing so, it bolsters domestic confidence and a positive self-image thus fostering a sense of national pride and unity among citizens. It is this sense of pride that motivates citizens to work towards common goals and national development.
In 1996, Simon Anholt, the founder of the Good Country Index, coined the term "Nation Brand" to indicate that the reputation of a country behaves, rather like the brand images of its companies and products. As such, a nation’s brand can have a significant bearing on its prosperity, welfare, and effective administration. Anholt went beyond that, however, when he came up with the notion of Competitive Identity to underline the fact that a country’s image has more to do with national identity, politics, and competitiveness than with just branding strategies. Through this lens, the country’s image is not what it tells the world but more on how the global community sees its actions and behaviors. It is therefore important that the country walks its talk.
A catchy slogan like the Bagong Pilipinas can also serve as a rallying cry that encourages people to unite and act in support of a particular group or idea. Having a rallying cry is not exclusive to countries. The Rotary, the biggest service organization in the world, has Create Hope in this World as its theme for this year and it is galvanizing almost all the three million Rotarians towards achieving that.
The Philippines has had its share of catchy slogans before like the Philippines 2000 program of President Ramos, WOW Philippines and It’s More Fun in the Philippines of the tourism sector, and Experience Excellence, Experience the Philippines of the BPO sector. All of these resulted in having a common theme for the players to stand behind and set a vision for everyone to see what they can expect from the Philippines.
Many countries have implemented branding strategies that provided them with the most direct way to convey a positive image and to project their flagship products and services. South Korea has been very successful in branding itself as a leader in fashion, creative content, and technology which has helped the country attract foreign investment and tourists boosting its economy further. The same is true with Singapore which branded itself as a “global city” and a “business hub.” New Zealand’s “clean and green country” branding has also attracted more investments and tourists who are looking for a pristine and natural environment.
Other examples that really created global traction for their country are Inspired by Ireland, Vietnam Value, WOW Hungary, Explore, Choose, Taste, Experience, and Partner with France, Jamaica – the heartbeat of the world, Brazil – visit and love us, Incredible India, and Malaysia – truly Asia.
The use of logos would usually add to making branding strategies more effective. We do not need to pay millions to create meaningful logos. Even with the use of free versions of AI-enabled tools like Dall-E, one can create dynamic logos that embody the essence of the branding program. A graphical emblem can serve as a positive lever to get everyone involved in the project and have a sense of ownership.
The proof of the pudding is in the eating. If properly executed, the Bagong Pilipinas program can help shape a positive global narrative for the Philippines, increase its competitiveness, and foster national pride and unity. More importantly, it should inspire Filipinos to collectively work towards a brighter future. ([email protected])
(The author is an executive member of the National Innovation Council, lead convenor of the Alliance for Technology Innovators for the Nation (ATIN), vice president of the Analytics and AI Association of the Philippines, and vice president, UP System Information Technology Foundation.)