Trade liberalization and economic integration are inevitable and they
will become a way of life. In fact, the Asean Economic Community (AEC), of which the Philippines is
a part, is set to become a reality by 2015.
The AEC envisions a single market
and production base characterized by free flow of goods, services, investments,
capital and skilled labor. It aims to build on the collective strength of the
Asean, which boasts of a total consumer base of over 600 million and a GDP of
over $1.13 trillion. The Asean brand
will be our banner, its collective strength magnified by the distinct offerings
of each individual nation under its umbrella.
Real risks
Although this is obviously a
promising proposition for the Asean members, it also portends some very real
risks for the Philippines. With the playing field now flat, the Philippines,
our country, will be competing even more fiercely with the country branding
campaigns of other members of the Asean, and can easily get drowned out by a
strong Asean branding campaign. Just as AEC emphasizes the strong suits of each
country, so does it stress the generic nature of these countries’ offerings,
including that of the Philippines.
If you think about it, those
endless swathes of beaches, handicrafts and exotic delight that we are so proud
of and which are part of our marketing campaigns, are in fact Asean generica.
Certainly, we do not want the
Philippine country brand to get lost in a sea of strong country brands.
Just last week, while watching
CNN, I saw the “Invest in Remarkable Indonesia”—a very well-executed campaign,
and a permutation of its omnibus “Remarkable Indonesia” ad. Thailand has also
released a new campaign titled “Thailand at the crossroads of Asean.”
“Malaysia, Truly Asia” still resonates strongly in people’s mind, as the nation
pushes the unique selling theme of biodiversity.
Even the emergent nations have
strong country branding initiatives, backed up by real changes on the ground.
Shedding all vestiges of its turbulent past, Cambodia’s ongoing tourism
campaign highlights the uniqueness of the kingdom, which complements its very
progressive trade and investment policies. Not to be outdone, Myanmar’s new
leadership is riding on the tails of its democratic changes to bring in foreign
investment. Singapore, of course, has positioned itself as the knowledge, trade
and cultural hub of the region and it continues to live up to this identity
with very well-coordinated marketing and trade promotions efforts.
Where, then, does this leave the
Philippines? Although we have started the tourism “It’s more fun in the
Philippines” campaign, I dare say it is not enough to take us to where we want
to be. As we integrate ourselves into the regional economy, our country brand
should be designed holistically so that it reflects the competitive strengths
of the Philippines in its entirety, and shine the spotlight on the unique
combination of strengths that make the Philippine country brand one of a kind.
Country brand
For us, then, the goal is clear:
we need to ensure the strength of the Philippine country brand. Now, more than
ever, we have to ask ourselves the hard questions: How can we remain
competitive and make our products and services stand out in a market
characterized by free flow of goods, services, labor, capital, and investment?
What advantages do we have that we can maximize? And where do we start?
If I may offer a humble opinion,
I believe it is high time to convene a Philippine National Branding Council.
In my view, the proposed branding
council should be tasked to develop the country’s brand platform; design a road
map for promoting and strengthening country brand and reputation; execute
country branding road map and specific programs; and monitor and evaluate
country branding programs. As the AEC takes shape, the Philippine National
Branding Council will also take the role of ensuring that our country brand
stands strong. When the Asean Branding Council is established, the council will
simply guide us to align our branding initiatives with that of the region.
Branding council
Beyond these, the Philippine
National Branding Council ensures that we hold true to the promise of the
Philippine country brand—a promise that we can embrace and fulfill, both as a
country and as an important part of the Asean.
Recognizing the impact of free
trade and trade blocs on the Philippines, the Management Association of the
Philippines (MAP) will discuss regional integration at its next CEO Conference.
Needless to say, we cannot afford
to delay actions on these developments given that AEC is here, and that
countries in the Asean are already aggressively positioning themselves as the
destination of choice of both investors and tourists.
We need to find ways to bring
attention to our many strengths, and show the world that our country brand can
deliver more than just fun.
With contributions from Alma Rita
Jimenez
Business & Investment Opportunities
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