The Role Of Nation Branding As A Sotf Power Tool For The Bahamas

Through public diplomacy a country can promote its values to the world. Thecomponents of public diplomacy enable the national interaction to pave the way foreconomic, political and cultural cooperation and friendship. The core objective ofpublic diplomacy is; building long-established relations. Public Diplomacy is basedon the assumption that the reputation and respect of a country are influences creatingcomplimentary areas for individual interaction.As a result of the new international arena when there is aggressive competitionand insecurity has increased, these have gained importance to protect the countries’interest, allowing them to express the best image in order to develop political,economic social and cultural relations and forming a positive opinion. Countries alsoseek to have an effective role in the international system by establishing their own“brand”; this is very comparable to goods and services. Public diplomacymanagement plays a significant role in establishing nation-branding.In view of the globalization, the world has seen a change in terms of publicdiplomacy and its use of culture, politics and social life. Nation branding activitieshave therefore become instrumental in the global arena, for the purposes of attractingtourists, investors and general positivity from foreigners, with differences arising inexpense, strategy and coordination. This technique has proven beneficial to smallerdeveloping countries which have limited resources to influence an internationalpresence and obtain necessary economic support or aid.The branding of a destination is generally acknowledged as a form of tourismmarketing. Similarly, nation branding has the effect of either drawing or restrictingtourist from a country. Thus, the impact or benefit of nation branding is more longterm and widespread for a country as it not only effectively withstands its competitorsbut it also provide vast economic opportunities for the country as a whole.Predominately the government controls or is responsible for nation branding, however;it is a task achieved through the combined efforts of the people and the governmentdirected to develop and promote the brand of a nation. Each nation has its own brandin terms of values, goals, identity and reputation; all which help to form the imageothers see of the country. The political structure, stability, people, culture and tourismcontribute to a county’s image. Hence, the impact of these factors can positively ornegatively impact the brand equity or value of a nation. This purpose of this thesis is to deal with the concept of nation branding as a casestudy of The Bahamas as an application to domestic and foreign policy as a softpower building tool. The concept of nation branding is a relatively new concept ininternational, even though it extends into many fields like public diplomacy, culturaldiplomacy, marketing and public relations. Through the use of nation branding,countries can create a positive image with the use of its attractive features to foreignaudiences in order to become more competitive on an international level.This qualitative study will use a case study approach to gain insight into thenation branding concept of The Bahamas. The specific objectives of this paper willfirst review the conceptual and theoretical framework of nation branding by leadingresearcher Simon Anholt through the use of his Competitive Identity Hexagon. Thesecond part analyses The Bahamas nation branding strategy while using the theory ofcompetitive identity, which is comprised of six dimensions. Theses six dimensionsinclude; tourism, culture, people, brands, policy and investments. Based on these sixdimensions, how has The Bahamas managed its competitive identity will becompartmentally assessed. The Bahamian brand as a whole is analyzed andsimultaneously its advantages and disadvantages are identified. In conclusion, it hasbeen determined that The Bahamas has successful nation branding strategy. It hasconsistently maintained a positive image through its promotion of sun, sand and sea.Some of its strengths has been its stable economy and political system andgeographical location. While weaknesses identified include, the under promotion ofother aspects of The Bahamas such as culture. The Bahamas can be seen as a goodexample for the use of nation branding as a soft power tool.