Government Moves to Protect and Refresh Brand Jamaica
The Andrew Holness led administration is moving to refresh and protect the image and brand of Jamaica.
Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Andrew Holness has announced that the Government of Jamaica has hired an international branding firm as part of a strategic initiative to refresh and protect the country’s brand.
This move, is critical in ensuring Jamaica’s global image remains strong and evolves in ways that benefit the nation.
“What has happened to us over the last 40 years as the brand is evolving is that it has started to mean things that could be detrimental to us. So, we have actually hired an international firm that does branding,” stated Prime Minister Holness.
In this regard, the Prime Minister noted that the initiative is driven in part by the country’s tourism industry, but also focuses on preserving the cultural assets and values that make Jamaica unique. “We say we have this large creative industry, but we haven’t really managed to monetize it, and we need to be able to properly identify and define it. We are going through this process of rectifying, restructuring, redefining who we are as Jamaicans and what it means to be Jamaican.”
The Prime Minister emphasized the importance of reshaping the meaning of Jamaica’s brand, eliminating negative perceptions and introducing new associations. “There are some things that have crept into the meaning of the brand which we really need to find a way to get out of the consciousness of people when they hear about Jamaica. Crime and violence is obviously one of them,” explained the Prime Minister.
Dr. Holness also outlined the need to incorporate concepts such as “efficiency, integration of technology, seamlessness,” and sustainability into the brand.
With Jamaica often narrowly defined as a “sun, sea, and sand” destination, the Prime Minister stressed the need to expand that image to one of safety, security, and sustainability.
In the meantime, Prime Minister Holness asserted that part of the broader effort to revitalize Jamaica’s image, the government aims to turn intangible cultural assets into real economic value.