Shakeel A. Malik
Amid the whole-of-the-government effort to woo foreign investment, the recurring question of a conducive ecosystem pops up every now and then. As reputation of the country is a key factor of this environment matrix the lingering image challenge continues to cast a shadow on the attempts to attract investors and tourists from around the world.
Before considering possible solution of Pakistan’s unfavorable perception issue let’s look at a few implausible notions that have been discouraging those engaged directly or indirectly in image building. One such fallacy is that in the absence of political and economic stability, it may be well nigh impossible to rectify a country’s profile. Another commonly held notion is that nation branding falls within the purview of one or two public sector organizations. Still, a lopsided focus on culture and landscape has been prompting branding practitioners to project soft power instead of smart power.
Reality is that the branding process moves in tandem or independent of whatever is happening on the politico-economic front. Much depends on how well a country tells its story to the world. There are scores of instances in the world where image-building initiatives have not been hamstrung by weak economic conditions or governance. Rather incessant branding and impactful storytelling act as strong stimulus for improving economic indicators that internally also boost national morale and self-confidence. The countries adopt strategic branding methodologies to transform the vicious cycle of bleak politico-economic conditions worsening the perception into a virtuous cycle where high impact narratives enhance charm offensive and off-set perceived unfavorable image.
Attempts to tackle the issue in Pakistan have not delivered due to the thinking that branding is the sole mandate of a few government departments. Public diplomacy has, in fact, moved beyond its traditional space and now encompasses diplomacies in several fields. The whole nation, within the country and abroad, at individual, community, institutional and government level is involved in smart power projection in one way or another by design or default. While public sector gives these pursuits a direction and purpose majority of the players are in private and corporate sectors, civil society, media and showbiz/performing arts. The premise that a softer and more positive image can be displayed by only highlighting culture, heritage and landscape, comes from disregard to the concept of “smart power’ which is a combination of soft and non-coercive elements of hard power. The world has long switched over to intelligent integration and networking of diplomacy, defense, economic development, and other tools of hard and soft power. For instance, our vibrant business and corporate sector that keeps the country afloat amid all sorts of challenges is a great smart power resource. The omission of corporate success stories or their muted mention in our discourses has been shooing away foreign investors.
In the context of a whole-of-the-government approach, we continue to face the perennial problem of coordination. Sporadic and disjointed efforts have not worked. Isn’t it ironical that a country confronted with a serious image challenge has no stated national branding policy? In a welcome development brand tag ‘Rising Pakistan’ has been coined in FDI facilitation context. It is true that a lot of branding goes by default, yet the design part is crucial in formulating a comprehensive and well-structured policy with a strategically thought out action plan to employ smart power assets and unique selling points.
Shouldn’t we consider replicating SIFC model in public diplomacy and smart power projection by creating a one-stop forum for coordination with federal/ provincial government departments and multiple entities in the private sector? This body could under an overarching policy come up with a central branding idea, a non-partisan organizational structure unaffected by political transitions, and clear KPIs. The proposed forum whose replicas could be found in other countries may expedite actions related directly or indirectly to image building, which are either slow or have been put on backburners. The forum with a database of information on smart power inventory may devise an elaborate digital communication mechanism to apprise world governments and public about Pakistan’s success stories.
The mandate of the suggested body may also consist of revisiting modalities that have been in practice and assess their efficacy. The forum could also work as a think tank for launching research into competitive branding concepts, image management methodologies and best international practices. This forum could utilize as yardsticks as well as monitor various international indices with a view to improving Pakistan’s ranking.
A lot of time has already been wasted in the absence of a lucidly articulated national policy, a dedicated focal entity, and a comprehensive branding strategy. As we step into a new year, let’s resolve to embark on well-coordinated and consistent work to tell Pakistan’s story to the world in a powerful manner.
The writer is an Islamabad-based freelancer.
