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February 5, 2010
Focus on engagement
Amir Gissin speaks on Brand Israel efforts.
REBECA KUROPATWA
Last month, Amir Gissin, consul-general of Israel in Toronto, spoke to the marketing classes at the University of Winnipeg (UW) School of Business and the University of Manitoba Asper School of Business on Branding a Nation: Israel.
After a brief introduction by UW marketing professor Dr. Diteeraj Sharma, Gissin took no time in getting to the point. “The focus of this talk is about branding and marketing,” he began. “Israel and the Middle East are politicized [but] I’m not here to talk about that.”
Gissin was there to speak about “place branding,” a process he defined as the branding of a country. He likened it to the process of an election campaign. “It’s a successful promise, a promise delivered. And the kind of promise a place can make depends on the place.
“When it comes to cultural differences, it’s not so much what you say, as it is what people hear. Israel, internationally, has an image problem and, therefore, must engage in public diplomacy,” said Gissin.
He spoke about two types of diplomacy – classic and public.
The classic approach is one where, “a sophisticated postman relays the message of your government’s country to others.”
The public approach, he said, “is the new trend, focusing on and engaging similarities between countries, and involves media and the elite as agents of change, helping to shape public opinion.”
According to Gissin, about 30 countries have branded, or reinvented, themselves in the recent past because of fundamental changes in how those countries are run, including Ireland and South Africa.
“The main reasons countries brand themselves is to boost their economies through increasing tourism, foreign investment and export by becoming more relevant and attractive abroad,” he stressed.
“Most branding campaigns fail, as people assume it’s easy,” he said. “For successful branding, you need to build a strong coalition and consensus – first in your own country, then abroad. Everyone in a given country should share ownership of their brand, not just politicians or power holders.” Also, he added, “You can’t brand something that isn’t true. It just doesn’t work.”
The method Israel has used to determine its brand was to ask people from all segments of Israeli society two questions – What does it mean to be an Israeli? and Am I proud of it?
Letting others define its brand is something “Israel has let others do for too long,” said Gissin. “Today, many people think of Israel as a place of conflict. Conflict is part of our country, but it’s not everything.”
While Canada is considered a cultural melting pot and America is a mosaic, Gissin described Israel as “somewhere in the middle – unfinished business. It’s hard to find consensus in a diverse society of seven million people – from Russia, Israel, Arab, ultra-Orthodox and secular.”
Research conducted has shown there are five common characteristics Israelis share.
“The first two aren’t marketable, as they’re us-against-you focused – that we all consider ourselves survivors and as having mutual social responsibility. The other three traits are essential to Israeli branding – we’re passionate, about love, politics, fighting, eating, everything; creative, with more start-up companies than anywhere else globally; and have fusion, where mixing tribes creates new hopes and ways of thinking.”
From this research, Gissin said, the best representative of Israel turns out to be “creative energy.”
It is not easy to change the world’s view of Israel, admitted Gissin. “Israel is all about innovation, but people buy into the common western [idea] that it’s a place of militarism, aggression and religious extremism – even comparing it to apartheid South Africa.
“This view is untrue. A militaristic society is one where the army controls society – the opposite of Israel. We’re only militaristic and aggressive to protect ourselves. We couldn’t have lasted this long otherwise. Also, religious extremism exists in Israel but it’s not the norm. It’s one of the more secular societies in the world. Living in peace with our neighbors is the long-term aim of the Israeli government and people – and the world.”
Rebeca Kuropatwa is a Winnipeg freelance writer.
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