Saturday 3 December 2011

IMPORTANCE OF BRAND AND BRANDING FOR STRUGGLING NATIONS...


Example of a super duper, well known brand...
Tanzania and Africa are lagging behind in establishing effective, recognisable brands, an investment forum was told in London on Friday.
Jasmine Montgomery, Chief Executive Officer of Seven Brands, a marketing, branding and advertising agency explained that the developed world dominates branding by 80% while the Asian continent holds 10%.
“In the next 10 years things are going to change and that will be the time for Africa which has no brand at the moment.”

Ms Montgomery (pictured) compared branding to reputation. Quoting Jeff Bezos founder of Amazon, she said branding is “what people say about you when you leave the room.”
However, the Seven CEO explained in proper branding one takes charge of how one’s reputation should be like.
“How do you build your global brand?” She asked.” You have to make people feel like you are connecting to them and allow them to make choices.”

Kilimanjaro, wildlife and animals is an image conjured and associated with Africa and therefore a touristic attraction. Can it be turned into a positive brand or is it already one?

Jasmine has worked on the creation and repositioning of many global brands including Zain in Africa and the Middle East, Barclays Premier global, The London Stock Exchange, ING Bank, The Foreign and Commonwealth Office. She has made regular appearances on BBC, Sky News, CNBC and BBC Radio 4 and is also writing a book on branding in emerging markets.
Earlier UK Tanzania High Commissioner, Peter Kallaghe said an article in this week’s “the Economist” has highlighted new hope for Africa’s economies.

Ambassador Kallaghe with Tanzanian Minister for Energy and Minerals, Mr William Ngeleja (middle) and Dr. Adelhelm Meru,Director General of Tanzania Export Processing Zones Authority (EPZA) at the conference. Pic by Baraka Baraka of Urban Pulse.

Under the headline “ The sun shines bright” the article quotes an example of self made African billionaires like Nigeria’s “cement king”, Aliko Dangote, whose ten billion dollars fortune is money earned “not expropriated.”
Ambassador Kallaghe was opening the one day Tanzania investment Forum 2011: Mainland Tanzania at 50 at May Fair Hotel, London.
The guest of honour was Minister for Energy and Minerals, Hon William Ngeleja.

Sweet Bananas (Ndizi Kisukari) snapped in Nungwi, Zanzibar;another enduring everlasting, association. Pic by F Macha