Destination Branding: Giving a Place a Face

In many respects, branding a place is not all that different to branding a pair of shoes or a jar of pickles or (insert product/service here) for that matter. 

Dig deep.

Find the unique value proposition

And off you go.

Destination branding is how we identify a destination’s most compelling assets and build a story around them in a way that is differentiated and memorable to the ‘consumers’, and which we then share through relevant communications. It is also known as “place branding,” “geo-branding” and “destination marketing”.

Why brand a destination?

The decision to brand a destination is typically centred on a desire to promote it (as with footwear, preserves and most other categories). And as with all marketing activities, it helps to have an idea of the audience – to whom are we promoting the destination in question?

The default assumption is that destination branding is inextricably linked with tourism: we promote a place so that people will visit. This explains why so much of what we see and hear about places focuses on a geographical or man-made landmark (think Table Mountain or the Eiffel Tower). And while this may be the most common reason for branding a destination - to enable the spot to achieve recognition so that people will be aware of what it has to offer, and surely make plans for a trip – there are other good reasons too.

Taking a narrow focus excludes the role that destination branding plays beyond tourism, in the worlds of culture, politics and economics. And what a shame this is, because the bottom-line value that exists in these less common arenas is likely far greater to any location than a few planeloads of foreigners who come and go.

For love of country

Consider the benefit of encouraging residents to love their country. Patriotism is an expression of brand loyalty; it is the feeling of pride we have in our place when we identify with the its proposition. It is expressed through love and dedication, concern for the well-being of the country, and in some cases the willingness to self-sacrifice for the greater good (think of soldiers). It is widely believed that patriotism is a critical ingredient in the positive growth of a country. The country brand is held dear by patriots. Interestingly, true patriots are few and far between, and if just 4/10 countrymen consider themselves to be patriots, that’s a lot. It seems that most countries have work to do when it comes to branding themselves as an ideal destination for locals.

South Africa surely has its work cut out in this area, with immigration a real threat to the national skills base and many consumers holding the opinion that local is not always “lekker”. Attempts have been made over the years to address this challenge through various initiatives such as Buy South African and Proudly SA, but their success has been limited by the inability of these programmes to deliver real and/or relevant value to the audience.

Show me the money

The International Marketing Council sought to market South Africa to both in- and external audiences through the ‘South Africa Alive with Possibility’ campaign. There was a certain patriotic underpin which encouraged the public to support local, and extended to ex-South Africans with an appeal to retain an interest in their former home with the hope that keeping the candle burning might encourage some to return. The campaign hoped to encourage investor interest as well. 

In a nutshell, the campaign aimed to represent South Africa as a positive country; suitable to play host to the interests of any of these target audiences. Live here? Focus on the good. Already left? Remember what was great. Looking for somewhere to park your money? SA offers a great return!

The campaign’s narrative tried to steer the focus away from all the top-of-mind negatives about the country through highlighting  all of the good – presenting South Africa as a country with hope, opportunity and great potential. I won’t comment on the campaigns success; the level of immigration and regular summits, envoys and drives to push for foreign investment are sufficient evidence.

A destination brand must share its truth

Perhaps the limited success of the aforementioned example is down to the fact that the campaign all but ignored the concept of brand truth. It’s certainly preferable to focus on the upside, but the inconvenient truth is that the majority of locals and foreigners alike could reasonably be expected to associate brand South Africa with crime and corruption more so than the skewed representation.

The brand truth in the case of this specific location is all that which is already evident and well-known about SA. And sadly, it’s not all sunshine.

But, perhaps there is a silver lining. Consider Las Vegas’ seedy reputation. It is well known as “Sin City,” owing to the array of vice and indulgence on offer. The city doesn’t seek to sugar-coat its reality: “What happens here, stays here” was a slogan first initiated in 2003 at a brainstorming meeting for the Las Vegas tourism department – fully embracing the location’s brand truth.  The popular saying “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” communicates the freedom sought by its visitors. Guaranteed, had the city tried to present the destination as wholesome and pristine, it would’ve failed. The allure is squarely positioned on the guilt-free release; the desire to max out on pleasure without consequence.

Finding the unique value proposition

Back to local shores. Yes, it’s a little tougher to find the glimmer of hope in violent crime and poverty. But surely we have enough fodder in the rich culture, natural beauty, and insanely good value for money when paying in Pounds/Dollars/Yen that we need not manufacture half-truths that we are entirely unable to deliver upon? To successfully brand South Africa as a destination to all potential audiences, we need to reinforce what is both good and true.

A key difference in the branding of a place versus those gherkins, is that whereas a product’s success is measured by sales, a destination brand can define winning in a number of ways – how patriotic the locals; how frequent the visitors; how generous the investors.

And when the brand experience is good – the anticipated brand truth is delivered expertly in the experience – the loyalty to location pays dividends too.

PS When can we travel again? Vegas is calling.

While Jack Be Nimble hasn’t had the pleasure of contributing to the strategy for any country brands (yet), we have been involved in the branding of various physical locations. We firmly believe that the core principles of branding are universal and should be considered equally relevant when developing strategy for a box of crayons or a boutique lodge (and yes, even for a jar of pickles). If you’d like to chat about how Jack Be Nimble could contribute to developing strategy for your brand property, get in touch today.

Image Credit Emiliano Bar of Unsplash