Eddy Tukamushaba
29 October 2008
opinion
Kampala — I refer to the article titled, "Drop Gifted by Nature Brand" which appeared in the The New Vision of October 16, 2008 on page 48.
I agree that the "Gifted by Nature" slogan is not selling anywhere because every country is gifted by nature. We can use "Gifted by Nature" and "The Pearl of Africa" slogans as a basis to brand Uganda as a tourist destination, but they are not tourism brands.
To get a better brand name for Uganda's tourism industry, we should look at a few industrialised nations. Imagine France without fashion, Germany without automobiles and Japan without consumer electronics. The image we have of another country says a lot about how we view it as a tourist destination, as a place to invest in or as a source of consumer goods and services. Like a company brand, a place's reputation needs to be built on qualities that are positive, attractive, unique, sustainable and relevant to many consumers.
As with any brand, nations and destinations have individual fingerprints that are unique. No two places can be exactly alike in terms of language, skin colour, music, art, customs and religion. This uniqueness forms the basis for the place's brand. Branding of a place involves developing an image and communicating it based on the positive values and perceptions of the place.
The effort to get an appropriate brand for Uganda should begin with identifying what values and resources are unique to the country. This should be followed with identifying the target market. For example, Uganda is home to the rare mountain gorillas. Although the gorillas roam the forests shared by Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, the largest population is in Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Therefore, a possible brand for Uganda would be "The home of mountain gorillas". This would be appealing to the targeted market - mainly tourists and investors.
Like a company brand, the strategy to brand a place should be based on a clearly defined vision, which is firmly rooted in the existing policies, resources, capabilities, motivations and perceptions of the place. It is essential for the stakeholders to create and share this vision, and work jointly towards determining how to achieve it.
Together we can brand Uganda and start enjoying the full benefits from the tourism industry.
The writer is a lecturer at MUBS and a PhD candidate in destination branding
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