今日吃瓜

In 2018, I made a case for why the Philippines should invest in its nation branding. I said then that we needed one powerful enough to draw in more investors and create a positive impact on the economy and the lives of all Filipinos.

 

Four years later, in the aftermath of a pandemic and on the precipice of another global recession, that necessity only becomes starker. A solid nation branding not only raises a country鈥檚 profile in the international market during the best of times. In times of crisis, it also positions a country better for recovery.

 

Sadly, we鈥檙e far from being in such a position.

 

How do you brand a country like the Philippines?

 

While the world has known that it鈥檚 indeed more fun in the Philippines, a successful tourism campaign isn鈥檛 quite the same as nation branding. Neither is it the grocery list of traits that we tout as distinctly and admirably Filipino: being hospitable, resilient, creative, and family-oriented. Nation branding also isn鈥檛 a whitewashing campaign to turn around the country鈥檚 reputation into something more positive.

 

I鈥檝e always maintained that a strong nation branding comprehensively covers and presents a country鈥檚 assets鈥攊ts people, its culture, and its uniqueness鈥攏ot just in a positive but also an authentic light. Because of the amount of work involved, it can鈥檛 be carried out solely by the government, the private sector, or a group of communication consultants. Rather, it demands multi-sectoral cooperation, the investment of time, labor, and money from everyone involved, and a realistic and informed view of the country鈥檚 circumstances.

 

Because at its core, nation branding is about building trust in the international community.

 

It starts with a central idea as the foundation. This would be the Filipinos鈥� shared vision of the future that鈥檚 based on an understanding of our history and a clear view of our present, including the complicated dynamic between our identity, culture, and society.

 

Given our country鈥檚 current state, this is undoubtedly an uphill battle. Yet as contentious as our political differences are, we鈥檙e at least learning more and more how deeply rooted the Philippines鈥� Gordian knot of issues is. We learn of the perspectives of those whose backgrounds and experiences differ vastly from ours. We鈥檙e tired of being praised as 鈥渞esilient鈥� yet offered no reprieve. Slogans and catchphrases that used to easily catch the public鈥檚 imagination ring hollow now with our growing awareness of how systemic socio-economic problems can鈥檛 be fixed by individualistic measures.

 

Non-negotiable tools for nation branding

 

As painful as it is to face reality, it鈥檚 the first step in finding lasting solutions.

 

Think of it as research 鈥� a necessary tool in nation branding. Taking stock of different perspectives rarely yields a clean-cut picture, especially with the Philippines鈥� long-standing problem of regionalism exacerbated by severe economic inequality. But audits, interviews, and surveys across stakeholders from all levels will always present insights into the values we share underneath our differences and what we envision national progress to be. From there, we can glean and develop a truth-based central idea that would resonate with us Filipinos even as it is intended to connect with the international audience and compel them to experience it firsthand.

 

This is where communication comes in. Each stakeholder must be willing to engage in constant dialogue to make the development and implementation of nation branding as smooth as possible, especially when circumstances call for quick pivots and adjustments. Effective communication is also essential in presenting our nation branding to the international community, where the right message is crafted with the right tone, accompanied by the right visuals and shared through the right information channels.

 

We must also be willing to listen to feedback so we can properly measure our nation branding鈥檚 impact and adjust accordingly. There must be an effective system in place to keep the exchange of information and ideas clear every step of the way.

 

Filipinos at the heart of the PH brand

 

I鈥檝e highlighted the importance of authenticity in nation branding because the last thing we need to do is misrepresent ourselves to the world. And authenticity comes when Filipinos are at the heart of our branding.

 

Our citizens have been great ambassadors of Filipino culture wherever they may be that we鈥檙e now recognized for certain traits and practices. Although reputation doesn鈥檛 constitute nation branding, leveraging our cultural strengths by supporting Filipinos both here and abroad can enhance it.

 

Support means citizens have reliable social services so Filipinos don鈥檛 need to seek greener pastures elsewhere, and local industries and communities would no longer suffer from 鈥渂rain drain鈥�. It means investing in local talent to create products and services that reflect our uniqueness and excellence and offer solutions to local issues. It means taking care of our human capital so Filipino workers earn livable wages, find purpose in their work, and feel valued. It means building on Filipino ingenuity, diligence, and collaborativeness to make international financiers keen on pouring investments into the country.

 

A strong collaboration between the government and the business sector can deliver on this support, one where transparency, accountability, and efficiency take precedence over bureaucracy.

 

Finally, to keep all the stakeholders on track, there must be a national branding council of research, communications, and branding professionals to oversee this massive undertaking, guiding everyone involved in the nuances of building trust in the Philippine brand. Have experts do what they do best and teach everyone how to raise standards and consistently meet them.

 

Defining our nation branding is a tall order because it must represent Filipinos鈥� minds, hearts, and souls 鈥� no more, no less. It鈥檚 a worthy endeavor, though, because in the process, we strengthen the country against the next crisis. We make progress more attainable not just for a few individuals but for every Filipino. We make the Philippines a place worthy of investment not just to foreigners but, more importantly, to ourselves.

 

(The author is Chair of the Tourism Committee for 2023 of the 今日吃瓜 (MAP), and Chair and CEO of The EON Group. Feedback at <map@map.org.ph> and <junie.delmundo@eon.com.ph>.)