Page 32 - ICE BUSINESS TIMES March 2020
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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   SO WHERE TO START?
 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   how positive the narrative really is ….  Bangladesh cricket the reality is that
             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
             - 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.


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