Desmond Henry TREASURE BEACH:
THERE IS an accepted rule-of-thumb in the investment world, that money goes where money grows. In other words investment capital will follow certain well- established guidelines which portray confidence, security, success and know how.
It's common knowledge in the USA, for example, that in looking where next to invest, investors generally follow where the chain hotels and fast-food enterprises go. In business parlance this is called "branding," or going where the brand names go. Brand names are built primarily on the basis of continuous promotion of quality, customer satisfaction, persistence, success and trust. Customers often make impulsive purchases merely on the basis of simply buying a name and trusting in its goodness.
Jamaica as a brand name in the field of tourism, has been well established over several years in the various markets of the world in which we competed for customers, and won. This has been particularly true in North America where, until recently, we obtained some 80 per cent of our annual business. Vacationers believed in, and followed the appeal of our sun, sand and sea product. We developed a highly recognised brand or look, comprising an impressive graphic imagery of strong stylised lettering, plus consistent feedback of good customer satisfaction. We shared these results with the markets, and the markets responded.
Soon the chain hotels came, followed by the fast foods and a general burgeoning of the brand name JAMAICA in the minds and desires of customers. When it was felt that the basic brand was powerful and accepted enough, we sought to add other things to it. Thus we moved from sun, sand and sea to "We're more than a beach, we're a country." The clear inference was that once you've experienced the sun, sand and sea offering, you could now move to the other legitimate aspects of this larger-than-the-other Caribbean territories, and so get even more for your vacation money. It worked so well that we took the entire concept to Europe with equal successes. Out of this was born the new growing worldwide phenomenon of Community Tourism. As a brand, Jamaica became a legitimate pacesetter.
While all this was taking place, this much respected brand location acquired other attributes to its personality. We also began to be known for world beaters in sprinting, reggae music, new cuisine seasonings and world football. Jodi-Ann Maxwell also placed us squarely at another qualitative level. Colin Powell did not spurn the association either. As a country and destination we were accomplished, feisty and bubbling. The consumers loved our brand, and we in turn loved them. But all that was more like once upon a time.
Today, we are a slippery pole as if someone had gone and deliberately spread globs of aloe vera on the path we were climbing. We have slid into an image of crime, drugs, murders, dirt and environmental callousness. And as if not to be outdone, here comes the sniper. Perhaps our most diabolical injury yet. Our brand name gets filthier and more brutal every day, and we appear incomprehensible and traumatised.
We need just not new thinking. We need extensive, expansive and remarkably bold efforts to curb this deterioration at home, and win back support in the market place. We must punish crime and criminals. We must clean up our streets and our personal conduct. We must stop visitor harassment. We must dramatically reduce our murder rate. We must curb guns and drugs. We must build back a sense of security and confidence in the brand name Jamaica. Armed with these successes, we can then go back to our marketplaces and present a picture of the things we have done and the new statuses we have accomplished. Our name can be revered again and we can begin to see investors once more.
All this I am afraid, will not happen by merely talking it. This country will need significantly new and dynamic marketplace leadership. It will need an overpowering personality. It will need class, style and believability. It will need marketplace knowledge. It will need a disposition to work with and co-operate with others. It will need someone who is divorced from the bureaucracy and wed only to the marketplace. It will need someone who has the ability to take new angles of good news to the marketplace, with style and fervour. It will need a level of promotion and propaganda not seen in this country before.
It must not be bureaucratic but should be predominantly marketplace-led. It must involve our nationals abroad as well. At an appropriate time for example, the Governor-General should be invited to use his office to do specific tours to select communities abroad in an effort to recreate good news and emotions. All this to try and help repair our country's image. If these and more are not done, we might just as well consider offering honorary citizenship to Alice in Wonderland.
THE BOTTOM LINE:
It takes time to ruin and repair a name. And time is all it takes.
Desmond Henry is a marketing strategist based in Treasure Beach, St. Elizabeth.
