Brand Oman, Ministry of Tourism join forces

His Highness Sayyid Faisal Al Said, CEO, Oman Brand Management Unit (OBMU), said:

"You don't have to be a brand specialist to see that global perceptions affect a country's ability to attract inward investment and tourists."

According to Sayyid Faisal, when it comes to nation branding, tourism plays a critical role.

Faisal said, "It's at times like this, when many of our key trading and tourism partners are in recession, that we must pool resources, expertise and ideas to get our message heard."

And it is in this regard that the OBMU team recently gave a presentation to top officials from the Ministry of Tourism.

"We discussed the new national brand, the history and purpose of the project and how we could join forces to collectively promote the sultanate. With the critical support of His Excellency Mohammed Al Tobi, Ministry of Tourism's Under Secretary, it was an outstanding evening and I was delighted to see so many people turn up and contribute to what was a very interesting set of discussions," he added.

"Tourism authorities play a crucial role in driving national brands," says OBMU's Azzan Al Busaidi and presenter at the recent event "For instance, it's a popularly held view that Spain successfully reinvigorated its international image by using Miro's vibrant Espana painting as a national logo which summed up the countries positive optimism. Since then, attempts to copy that success have sprung up across Europe, Asia and Latin America. In simple terms, we're setting out our stall and competing with nations from across the globe for a slice of its attention and wallet. It's a tough proposition."

Nation branding throws up a special set of challenges, suggests Al Busaidi, "It requires lots of stakeholder involvement and that's why our presentation to, and relationship with, the Ministry of Tourism is so important. It's critical that government departments understand the new brand, what it represents and promises, the messages we want to send and the type of language we want to use in that communication."

Sayyid Faisal agrees, "Effective nation branding requires strong, meaningful and symbolic actions. If Oman wants to be regarded as a niche tourism destination that is environmentally sensitive, then it can affect public opinion by real policies and action. The more real we make it, the better. Our promises, whether they're in tourism, inward investment, education or technology have to have substance. We must be able to deliver on our promise. This is where our working relationship with the Ministry of Tourism is so important."

According to the OBMU CEO, a new national brand can't be conjured or invented by mere logos and sloganeering. Indeed, as a country, we need to develop deeper and closer personal, corporate and institutional relationships to help achieve the transformational repositioning of our national brand identity, and that's exactly what OBMU and the Ministry of Tourism are striving to achieve," smiles Sayyid Faisal.