Page 31 - ICE BUSINESS TIMES March 2020

why the country should be seen in a would or could be the thread that to create a whole new face and is then consider the brands that of a management are less important engage with a nation brand as much
better light. And there was no real Bangladesh could stitch together it’s indeed putting in place some usually are seen as role models for than it’s output and that applies to as we think, what matters is ensuring
evident strategy as to what the brand brand around? Our discussion leading edge “green” facilities. country brands : Japan, France, forms of governments as well that the exports themselves are
is all about. highlighted that there is no doubt that We could argue for example that it has Singapore. Look at the way other up 8. Economy : a countries immediate managed in a way that enhances the
We discussed at length other countries Bangladesh has a lot of interesting been a center for true banking services and coming nation brands like economy is less important than the brand image
that have successfully changed their product features, by which we mean innovation, first with the idea of Thailand or Vietnam are acting and plans and the belief others have that So while we might think that the
brand situation. Japan’s effort on the elements that are offering some micro-banking and more recently you can see why these are all those plans can take place latter four areas are key foundations
1960-80s projecting itself as the new quality or newsworthiness that could agro-banking. It is a country that can important. The next four attributes 9. Reputation : the headlines on news the real image and positioning of a
technological wonder and establishing be used in a greater strategy : claim some world leading difference also matter, but our analysis found sites and the flavor of today’s country brand they are in reality more
it’s brands as the benchmark of - The fastest growing economy in makers with the likes of Dr Younus. Of that they have less impact on facebook posts can turn quickly, a support points. You need them to work
consistency. South Korea is using a Asia over the last few years course it has natural attractions like overall strength of the country reputation is built by consistency well to support the brand but the six
co-ordinated government and - A vibrant young workforce ready to the world’s longest beach which is brand : 10. Exports : the nature of exports attributes will drive what the brand is
business strategy to flood Asia with gear up in the digital era and with almost unknown outside the country. 7. Government : the form and actions does not affect the willingness to seen and understood to be about.
pop culture in order to change the the advantage of a high level of And yes at least at it’s given preferred
image of everything from the nation English speakers sport it is a rising star of the cricket
as fashionable. Singapore has been - Over 600,000 IT freelancers, world. There are stories to tell. Lot’s of
consistently pushing a message of apparently the highest number in elements. But not really a coherent
clean ( physical and process ) efficien- the world brand.
cy and service. And we wondered what - It’s garment industry is now trying
As we said building a nation brand is investigated and what matters more is and a Bangladeshi, might get about
like any good brand strategy and has
Bangladesh cricket the reality is that
how positive the narrative really is ….
OF COURSE A to start with understanding who your - Unfortunately the Bangladesh it is not a global platform for really
brand is targeting. At its simplest level
narrative is not seen as transforma-
improving brand image.
you could say there are two main
tive when the AI platform involved
audiences :
analysed all those mentions across
BRAND IS A BRAND - Your own citizens : what is it about the internet SO
the Bangladesh brand that can change
- The overall affect orientation ( a
A few months ago one of us, their lives? How can they be a part of measure of the degree to which the WHAT TO
Dave, being a regular visitor to the brand? How can they leverage the Bangladesh narrative stimulates an
the country wrote a column here brand ? Of course national pride and emotional response ) showed it to be
in the pages of ICE Business Whether we are talking about punching well below its weight. And a place to visit for work or pleasure flag waving and celebrating fallen active but also creative more negative DO?
Times that it was very strange Bangladesh or TATA or Colgate, the perhaps a good start would be to look just makes it feel more comfortable to heroes and new idols helps to make than good We can not answer that simply here.
that a country that housed one of rules are basically the same. We have at those six measures and focus on get things done. Is it easy to access, people happy with their country. But - The emotions most commonly We can, as the initiatives mentioned
the world’s leading garment to start with a strategy and that how to better position the country will things work, are people friendly to build a nation brand you need to generated by content about Bangla- above, work with ICE and others to
industries could not provide a means identifying who we want to against each. etc also make sure that all of the above is desh are “gravity” and “earnestness” generate ideas. And we can make a
T-shirt with a design that a impress with our brand, what we There are other ways to measure and 2. Shopping : a simple benchmark to done with the purpose of making sure as a reflection of concern few initial suggestions :
tourist would want to buy at the believe we offer that is differentiating, understand a nation brand. A couple understand that a country is offering your citizens are helping to make your - However there is also “surprise” and Bring business, government, academ-
airport. A t-shirt that projected an how our brand will behave and what of years ago we undertook a study of easy access to goods and things to brand more attractive too … “expectation” which offers hope and ics and brand builders together to
image of brand Bangladesh. The it stands for so that we can create an Thailand and some of its near buy. Yes maybe a T-Shirt, or maybe a - The rest of the world : how do people gives an opportunity for the basis of a more fully explore what is needed.
need for a new t-shirt was not the emotional connection of trust. neighbours in SE Asia using the mega order for IT off-site-support outside the country see, think, react to new brand Bangladesh strategy Build a consistent strategy, not a
real story. Rather, as some picked When you look at how country brands SignificanceSystems artificial intelli- 3. Tourism : a country with a the Bangladesh brand name ? Having - Maybe the real problem the research tagline, that the government,
up, it was a way of highlighting are measured it is pretty easy to find gence platform. That system analyses reputation of either “nothing to see” a strategy that let’s the world know highlighted was the same issues our businesses, the media can all work
that an amazing country like this some good guidelines. For example the all the content on the internet ( or bad experiences when you visit is what the brand is really standing for, Lead Talk participants raised - The toward.
one needs to do more to project global consultancy, FutureBrand has articles, websites, social media ) and just that much harder to trust for and ensuring all your products and content that best reflects Bangladesh Maybe ground the strategy behind
what its brand is and why people around the world would want to been running it’s Country Brand Index plots what are the strongest narratives other things, a country that people services live up to it. on the internet is that around some obvious attributes like the
have a piece of what it is offering. Fortunately the article did evoke for the last decade or more. They look around the subjects under investiga- enjoy visiting gains an aura that helps To figure out your strategy you need concerns about the garment industry, resilient, courageous, committed
some discussion and we hope to continue to help get more people at the World Bank’s list of the top 75 tion. foreigners build trust to do research. It is certainly far from natural disasters and cricket. Not character of the young Bangladesh
involved in thinking about the issue. countries based on GDP and then use We had the platform do the analysis 4. Stability : everyone wants a brand comprehensive but we decided to enough about the positive side of the population and it’s willingness to
Together with the support of ICE Business Times our group, Marketing six measures to understand a and select the 10 most important to be safe and secure and that applies undertake an initial analysis of the brand, or about things the world really adopt and innovate in the IT world ?
Futures has started something we call Lead Talk. These are informal country's brand offering: 1. Value attributes that drive “nation to nation brands as much as any Bangladesh brand using the Signifi- finds interesting. Perhaps reconsider how to use some of
dinners for groups of leading marketers in Bangladesh where we pick System 2. Quality of Life 3. Business branding” and rank them by their 5. Trade : a reputation of other canceSystems platform. It looked at all Of course we know that the garment it’s cultural, natural and historic
a subject and brainstorm ideas. Earlier this year we held such a Potential 4. Heritage & Culture 5. effect on the overall narrative of a wanting to buy and sell always helps mentions of Bangladesh across industry is working hard to change features to create some soft power
gathering in Dhaka with a dozen marketers from a range of compa- Tourism 6. Made In (Products & country's brand. Ranked from most and having rules and regulations that everything written in English on the it’s image. Natural disasters are support to make the country more
nies and asked them to discuss the “Bangladesh Brand Issue”. It was Services). All of which seem like important to least the top six are easy to comply with makes any internet, yes millions of items, and unfortunately not something that approachable and attractive to visitors ?
a very lively and interesting few hours. Of course everyone had their normal measures for any brand. How attributes are those that make the brand more attractive told us that the narrative around the Bangladesh can control. Though the A t-shirt is not the answer. However
own gripe as to what was not being done and ideas on what could be does Bangladesh do in their latest most difference in a country brand’s 6. Future : that there is a clear image country was : way Bangladesh has patiently helped we hope the desire to find one might
promoted. 2019 study? Not great. While the narrative building ( and if you think and story suggesting where the brand - Consistent or timeless in that it is a in the man made disaster of the have sparked a greater effort to build
The consensus though was consistent in highlighting that the world country was ranked the 45th economy, about it they make sense as the key is going is as important as what it narrative that is believed to be well Rohinga issue is something the the Bangladesh brand that we will all
just does not know much about Bangladesh, and what get’s headlines it’s country brand ranking from 71st attributes of any brand ) : provides now known…. but then again so are most country gets little credit for. And to be eventually want to wear on our
is usually bad. The group could list many attributes and claims as to out of 75. So as a brand Bangladesh is 1. Destination : the overall image as Think about those six attributes and established countries we have honest as excited as we, an Aussie chests.

25
www.ibtbd.net