Junie del Mundo – Page 2

Expo 2020-Dubai: A golden opportunity to showcase the Philippine country brand

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For every marketer, an expo is an indispensable tool to push one’s brand.

For businesses out to expand their markets, joining an expo is a surefire way to gain exposure for their companies and products, meet new clients, hear market feedback, and strengthen sales.

For countries, it is a stage on which to show not only their products, but the qualities that make them stand out and differentiate them from the rest, whether as a tourism destination or an investment location. Expos bring together buyers and sellers under one roof, making possible transactions that would, otherwise, never come to fruition even with extensive advertising.

In today’s global village, expos play an even more powerful role, allowing marketers to communicate their best offerings and their ability to understand and meet the demands of global buyers amid a quickly changing environment.

Here, buyers or investors can hear, feel, and understand the offerings the way only face-to-face interaction can.

It is therefore not surprising that the largest and most dynamic companies and countries are lining up to join the very prestigious Expo 2020, to be held in Dubai—the gold standard of international expos.

To be held in the wealthiest region of the world, at the crossroads of trade and culture, it promises to be a glittering exhibit that would spotlight the newest and best innovations and solutions.

Imagine the world’s largest companies and most dynamic economies coming together under one roof, with their services and offerings on show for six whole months.

So compelling are its offerings that over 180 countries are expected to take part in the expo, along with over 200 companies.

With 25 million expected visitors, it is not a small wonder why so many global companies have signed up at this stage. This year’s theme is Connecting Minds, Creating the Future, promising a platform for international partnerships to take shape.

Dubai’s hosting of the expo in 2020 is a monumental source of pride and they’re owning it to the hilt—imagine its government allocating Dh56 billion, around $15.25 billion, its largest-ever, to build a brand-new city complete with an exclusive airport for the occasion.

Expos have also been an effective platform for nation-building.

Countries began putting up pavilions during the Expo ’88 in Brisbane to improve their national image.

At the Expo 2000 in Hanover, improving national image was the primary goal for 73 percent of participating countries.

The biggest expo attendance in history was at the Expo 2010 in Shanghai, wherein countries were able to showcase tourist destinations, local products and innovations; improve trade relations; and enhance opportunities for foreign investment.

For the Philippines, the upcoming Expo 2020-Dubai presents a golden opportunity to build up its country brand to focus on its strengths and offerings, and quash negative perceptions—especially since the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is the biggest source of remittances in the Gulf region, having transferred over $2.54 billion in cash remittances in 2017, 17.8 percent more than the previous year.

It is also important to note that the UAE is home to the biggest population of OFWs, second only to Saudi Arabia.

That Expo 2020 to be held in Dubai is a great opportunity for the Philippines to showcase not only its products, but also its most wonderful asset—its people.

“The UAE, after all, is a country that Filipinos helped build,” says H.E. Hjayceelyn Quintana, Philippine Ambassador to the UAE. “There are over 700,000 young, dynamic, highly skilled Filipinos that have contributed to the success and productivity of many sectors of UAE society today.”

Even a first-time visitor to Dubai immediately recognizes the strong presence and contribution of Filipinos to its economy—their presence known, acknowledged and respected in almost every profession and sector, such as construction, health, education, and services. Entrepreneurial Filipinos have likewise set up small-and-medium enterprises in the country, adding to their economic contributions to the kingdom.

“Filipinos are known for their firm values that have kept them uniquely a cut above the rest—resilience and perseverance to pull through challenges, hardworking and dedicated to their respective professions and so are our intrinsic creativity and unwavering aspiration for excellence have positive impacts on the regional growth,” noted Maria Celeste “Bobbie” Carella, chair of the Philippine Business Council-Dubai.

Like many Filipinos in the UAE, she strongly believes that the Philippines should participate in the Expo 2020, which she notes to be a strong opportunity for the country to showcase its offerings in agri-aquaculture, manufacturing, tourism, medical services, the tech ecosystem and the arts.

Deborah Gay Dayrit, chair of the Philippine Business Council-Abu Dhabi, concurs.

“Expo 2020 will open huge opportunities for the Philippines. Boosting tourism entices investments which have an immediate effect on the country, to the community, to the families. It will also create more SMEs, which also result in more job opportunities. Our pavilion must entice investors to do business with us. It should showcase the beautiful/amazing Philippines,” Dayrit said.

She expects more than two million Filipinos will visit the pavilion.

A Philippine pavilion will also be a source of national pride, especially for overseas Filipinos, adds Erwin Kenneth R. Peralta, LBC Express Area manager (UAE), and also a member of the Philippine Business Council-Dubai.

He observed that as preparations for Expo 2020 are now underway, hotels and F&B outlets are opening and expanding their presence, and are hiring Filipinos to man the frontlines.

More importantly, a Philippine pavilion will steer perceptions away from negative images of the country and shine the light on the many great things that it is doing.

Building on the expo theme of Connecting Minds, Creating the Future, the Philippine pavillion can shift the focus to what truly counts—the mind, heart, and soul of the Filipino as a creative, collaborative, caring and colorful, pushing forward into the future with unrivalled ingenuity, innovation, and smart solutions.

In fact, Filipino artistry is well known even in the UAE, with topnotch fashion designers Michael Cinco, Furne One Amato, Yen AB of Yen Couture, and Ezra Santos holding fort and making waves globally, alongside international talents like Kenneth Cobonpue or local artisans whose works have been noticed by the likes of Christian Louboutin.

Expo 2020-Dubai is our opportunity to showcase the best of our people and to build up the Philippine country brand—in a region where our very own people are making a difference. Let us not let this golden opportunity go to waste.

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Why we all need to invest in the Philippine Country Brand

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At no other time in its history does the Philippines need a country brand more than today. Despite the country’s string of achievements (and occasional missteps), the need for a country brand is even more compelling at this time when disruption has become the norm.

A quick scan of the day’s headlines underscores the continuing need for a Philippine country brand—the Kuwait-Philippines row, Boracay’s six-month closure, the passage of the tax reform law. All these could have been opportunities to use the Philippine country brand to engage people and rally them toward a common goal.

An imperative in good times and in bad, a country brand ensures a nation does not remain anonymous, or even worse, irrelevant in today’s age of volatility, technological advances and rapid development. A country brand should be strong not only in the eyes of the world, but also in the minds of its own people, so that they would gain ownership and accountability for the things they say and do in representing their own country.

This is why countries are investing millions of dollars in communications research and campaigns to have a brand that stands out and beckons people to perceive the country beyond what tourist guides say or negative press coverage say.

The brand advantage

Countries with strong brands enjoy a vital competitive advantage in the global market. In contrast, those without a strong brand are often marginalized or ostracized. A country brand is so powerful that it could alter the outcome of investment and business decisions, and for a country like the Philippines, this can have a major impact on the economy and the lives of its people.

Definitely, nation branding is not the same as tourism promotion. It encompasses the country’s strengths—its people, culture, its uniqueness that differentiates it from other nations.

Given the multiple dimensions of a country brand, building it is an endeavor that cannot rest solely with one entity. Rather, it should be shared by both the government and the private sector. After all, it is the private sector and private individuals who are out there interfacing with other nationalities, whether in their work, business or other initiatives.

The private sector leads the way

There is much that the private sector can do to enhance the Filipino brand, especially by creating products and services that mirror the strengths of the Filipino.

One fine example is how a group of Filipinas, led by Jeannie Javelosa, worked with globally renowned fashion designer Christian Louboutin, who in turn produced the limited edition Manilacaba bags, inspired by the jeepneys and handicrafts of the Philippines. Part of its sales proceeds will also support the Gender Responsive Economic Action for the Transformation of Women (Great) Project, which will showcase Asean women’s artistry and be a source of pride for all Filipinos.

Equally noteworthy is how solar lighting solutions designed by Illac Diaz’s Liter of Light has captivated the rest of the world. Their simple, do-it-yourself two-step technology creates local jobs, teaches green skills and empowers energy-poor communities. Liter of Light has shown that the Philippines has the technological competence and innovative thinking to back its humanitarian spirit.

Research goes a long way in helping build a solid country brand.

When the very first Philippine Brand Audit was undertaken by the Eon Group in partnership with the IT-BPM Association of the Philippines (IBPAP), its goal was to understand perceptions of the IT-BPM industry in order to strengthen it. The study covered key players in the Philippines and its trading partners worldwide, and revealed areas of weakness and strengths that the Philippines can address. In so doing, the audit provided valuable insight that the government can use as it crafts its brand building strategy.

Nation branding has long been an advocacy of Eon. Over the years, we have hosted workshops with various stakeholders to gain greater insight on how to build the Philippine country brand. In all these, a common thread has emerged—how the Filipino people are at the heart of the country brand.

Study after study, the Filipino people have remained as the most compelling competitive advantage of the Philippines. Filipinos are the brand; it’s our greatest value proposition, and one that’s already known across the globe because of our millions of overseas workers and professionals acting as our brand ambassadors wherever they are.

Four qualities of the Filipino people prop up the Philippine country brand.

First, we are creative. The Philippines has a rich history of arts and creativity, exemplified by our Filipino artists and scientists and some of our greatest innovators in society.

We are also caring. Caring for others is innate in the Filipino culture, with malasakit (empathy) being a significant aspect of it. This is why Filipinos are often sought after in care-giving, nursing, and medical fields.

Third, we are collaborative. We are open and willing to work with others.

And finally, we are colorful. No day in the country is dull and boring because of our rich traditions, indigenous products, cuisines, folklore and our cultural disposition to always be happy.

Certainly, there is much that the private sector can do to cultivate these strengths and build the Philippine country brand into a stronger brand in the global arena.

One way to do this is by opening a platform for collaboration, such as the National Branding Council, which has been created by the Presidential Communications Operations Office. The National Branding Council will execute national branding policies directed at showcasing the country’s strengths in trade, investment, international policy, internal affairs and tourism. By moving it forward, the private sector can play a more active role in enhancing the Philippine country brand.

In this age where chaos and complexity are the new normal, it is but right that the private sector join the government in building a stronger Philippine country brand. This is, after all, our brand—representing our minds, hearts and souls.

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