Country branding critical for Zimbabwe’s economic recovery

A brand is usually defined as a collection of experiences and associations connected with a product ,service, a person or any other uniquely identifiable entity. A country such a Brazil may be well known for its well defined footballing style and flavor, whilst Germany may be well known for unrivalled motor engineering which produces brands such as BMW, Mercedes and Porsche .In the community of nations its critical for any country to establish a brand which can create a competitive advantage in the economic arena. The starting point being to identify key strengths and unique features. Zimbabwe at this stage of economic revival has to develop a well structured branding strategy which will assist in attracting investors, tourists and capital .

A widely held and accepted view is that creating a branding program for a country demands an integration of policy and message that most countries find very hard to develop. Normally this is developed over a very long period of time .The branding strategy is underpinned by the ability to act and speak in a coordinated and repetitive way about themes that are the most motivating and differentiating a country can make. Normally this has to be done by the political leaders and other leading citizens including celebrities and business leaders who have some influence .Currently is very difficult to tell which brand is Zimbabwe trying to develop as there seems to be no clear and consistent theme coming from the Country’s leadership in a unified way .

Effective branding serves a purpose in the global marketplace through attracting capital, investments and skilled and networked labourforce. It is therefore critical for a nation to have a well defined brand and theme which is repeatedly communicated to the wider world until the country is well known and associated with some thing that differentiates it from its neighbors and the region .

Successfully out-branding competitors is a continuous battle for the hearts and minds of potential tourists, investors and skilled workers and entrepreneurs. The proposition any serious brand strategy makes must be very compelling, attractive and unique among competitive offers which are always available to the target market. The branding theme proposition must also be consistently reinforced throughout all phases of communication as part of a wider nation building effort .This is critical for an emerging market like Zimbabwe given the fierce competition currently being experienced within the emerging market arena .

Whether countries admit it or not ,they already have a brand, and outsiders and insiders are having a “brand experience” when they interact with the country or its leadership , whether it be with citizens and leaders or the exports from the country. This experience is part of the branding effort which is why leaders must always speak respectfully to other world leaders despite serious policy differences . In addition good products can do wonders in building the “country brand” . The famous Zhing-Zhong comes to mind when one thinks how some products from China are viewed in Zimbabwe. This can be contrasted to the impact on Japan’s reputation such brands as Lexus and Sony have had on Japan’s standing as a place where high quality products are expected .

Such trends are what force many governments to pay heavy subsidies to assist exporters since successful exports not only earn forex but they also enhance the country brand which will have long term benefits as goodwill will be generated and reputation enhanced .

In marketing theory and practice building on the inherent values of a brand should be the core of any branding strategy .Every Country creates a distinct identity in the minds of potential tourists, businesses travelers, traders, importers ,consumers and entrepreneurs. As the number of tourist arrivals and business travelers continues to rise worldwide, countries must increase their share of the economic cake by building strong top-of-mind awareness to attract more business, capital and opportunities to their country.


The ordinary principles of company or business branding apply in equal measure to countries as they do to corporations. The methods are however different. Most Countries will compete daily with neighbors or block regions for tourism, inward investment and export sales. In SADC its clear other countries were benefiting from Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown as skilled labor fled into Zimbabwe’s neighbors. This is part of how a damaged brand can result in economic ruin .However as a trading block SADC may have suffered as other investors sought to avoid the SADC region due to Zimbabwe’s problems. This leads to the possibility of mutual benefits if Zimbabwe manages to rebrand and assist in attracting investors who will view the SADC region as investor friendly .There’s only so much business that can go around.

Most nations that start with an unknown or poor reputation will be limited or marginalized. They cannot easily boost their commercial success in terms of attracting serious investment, tourists, skilled labor and entrepreneurs. As Zimbabwe seeks to re-establish its status as an investor friendly destination there is need to structure an effective branding strategy which is consistently and effectively communicated by the country’s leadership .

Gilbert Muponda is an Entrepreneur based in Canada.

He is Founder of GMRI Capital He can be reached at;

Email: gilbert@gilbertmuponda.com . Skype ID: gilbert.Muponda

Twitter ; http://twitter.com/gmricapital

Phone: 1-416-841-5542