Rebranding Nigeria

What is the importance of rebranding a country in today’s world?
Branding a country depends heavily on positive image which in turn assists in the marketing of its products. What is image? Image is a value judgment or an idea of a target audience about a specific nation, country, product or subject (Aydogan, 2004). It is also how publicity registers in their minds. The perception process includes beliefs, impressions and ideas that shape the thoughts of an individual. Image is the meanings that registers in the mind and that are told, heard and remembered. It is imperative for a country to create and maintain a positive image because consumers will associate positivity to it whenever it is mentioned, but if the country has a negative image; it causes great damage and affects that country negatively.

People develop an image of certain countries based the things that they learn in school, fairytales, children’s books, literature, theatre, acquaintances, friends, accounts by relatives, radio, television, international and cultural exchange programs, magazines, newspapers, and sports (Aydogan, 2004). In an attempt to rebrand Nigeria, factors such as geographical locations, economy, history, touristic and cultural values has to be taken into consideration. Nigeria needs to be rebranded because the negative image of the country has tremendous influence on tourism, trade, and the inward investments of the country. The image of Nigeria determines the reputation, picture, and the stereotype that consumers and businessmen attach to the products from the country. It is a sum of all the informational, descriptive, and inferential beliefs that people have about the country. In order for Nigeria to improve its brand value and sustainability, the following has to be done:
• Creating an effective working group
• Analyzing the existent situation of the country
• Modifying the country’s brand value
• Choosing effective communication tools
• Determining what contributes to the brand value of the country

Creating an effective working group
Private Sector
• Opinion leaders in economic and social-cultural areas such as universities, professional organizations, arts, sports, exchange market, trade unions and the Chamber of commerce.
Government
• Local governments, ministries, and political groups

Analyzing the existent situation of the country
• Coherence between the current situation and aimed results
• Corporate images in Nigeria
• The international image of the country

Modifying the brand value of Nigeria
• Qualities of the products from the country
• Country image
• Promotional policy
• Awareness and promotion rate
• Preference rate of the country’s products at an international level
• Basic properties that comes to mind when Nigeria is mentioned for example, the association between the country’s products and its image

Choosing effective communication tools
Mass media
• Cinema
• Internet
• Television
Basic tools
• Attractive/ catchy slogan
• Nigeria’s symbol
Properties of the country
• Political
• Scientific
• Cultural
• Economic
Factors that contributes to brand value
Citizens
• Faith, trust, enrichment, social improvement, and productivity
On behalf of the country in the international arena
• Increase in export
• Credibility
• Trading advantage
• Improvement in tourism
• Leadership in solving problems at the international level

In order for Nigeria to be rebranded or to develop a positive image, an effective working group, which consists of public and private opinion, has to be developed. With full authority and a substantial knowledge of how Nigeria is portrayed in the international area, the group has to analyze the internal and external existent image/ perception of the country and develop ideas that will attract the main target such as investors (DRG, 2007). Also the values and true facts of Nigeria have to be analyzed. Rebranding Nigeria will be a long term effort and has to start with the comparative advantage of the country. Details that need to be considered are the weak and strong properties of the country; its market size, skilled labor, tax, incentives, trust, industrial groups, zonal trades, and competitive advantages. The existing situation, perceptions and images of the chosen sectors for the rebranding of the country must be identified. Marketing strategies has to be determined and implemented; the coherence between constituted and the existing situation has to be examined. The developments and changes around the world need to be followed closely. Attractive symbols, slogans, visual images and charming websites should be designed.

Bibliography
Aydogan, F. (2004). To Develop Country Image and National Brand Strategy To Attract Foreign Direct Investments (FDI): An Example From Central Asia: Kyrgyzstan. Retrieved on June 9, 2010, from http://www.bledcom.com/uploads/papers/Tunca.pdf

Discernment Research Group (DRG). (2007). Re-Branding Global Mission. Retrieved on June 9, 2010, from http://herescope.blogspot.com/2007/05/re-branding-global-mission.html