A hot topic these days is so-called “Country Branding” or “Nation Branding” … a/k/a “Destination Branding.”  Basically: how do you change or enhance the image of a country so that more tourists go there?

I remember a few years ago being introduced to some Spanish government officials who wanted to make their city the new Barcelona of Spain.  They were seeking counsel on how to use the same principles of marketing that Barcelona used to such great impact!

Three years later … I’m still waiting!!!  And to my knowledge, so is that town’s brandover!

But time waits for no man or woman, and I see Croatia (pictured above) is one such place undergoing a major and successful brand re-adjustment!  In just a few years it has gone from being seen as war torn to the gem of the Mediterranean.  And by all accounts with 6,000 islands and a pristine coastline, it really is a gem!  Simon Anholt, the man behind the image transformation, rebrands countries for a living –he’s the guy who coined the term “nation branding!” 

He’s come up with a great tagline that positions Croatia beautifully: The Mediterranean as it once was!  Thanks to this kind of repositioning, The Today Show has dubbed the country the New Riviera.  Imagine, the new Europe using the proven principles of marketing!

But sometimes branding types can forget the basics.  In my humble opinion, this guy risks doing exactly that when he discounts traditional tourist promotion –boots (or, more likely, sneakers) on the ground here.  He says that simply getting more tourists to visit a country will do less than having everyone (government, business, and the population) sharing and supporting the branding vision!   

I couldn’t agree LESS!!!  Sure, it’s important to get as much of the leadership and population on board the brandwagon, but fact is, it will be the tourist’s experience in the country that will build tourism over the long run.  Tourists tell other tourists what’s hot and what’s not!  They figure out if brand image is the real magilla or just hot air!  And, by the way, no number of meetings or initiatives will change a country or a culture’s fundamental brand –its character, its weather or its coastline!!!  Sure, it would be great to have every single Croatian understanding that they were in the business of promoting their country’s brand, but realistically it will be the tourist’s experience with the “real” Croatia that will be the deal breaker … or the deal maker!!!  But then again, Anholt sounds like a very bright guy … Maybe he knows something specific about the Croatian psyche that we don’t know. 

Maybe it’s easier when you have psychology (and marketing) in mind!!