Ido Aharoni of New York’s Israel Consulate (aka @israelconsulate) spoke on the BrandsConf stage in late October about a project they did to “humanize” Israel.
They conducted something they refer to as the “House Party” study where they had survey participants create images of what they saw in the “house” of various countries around the world, including Israel.
For example, in the Brazil house, there were images of parties and dancing, in France, symbols which represented romance, Las Vegas, images which represented sin. In the Israel house, there were no images of women and children, but of guns and military.
People were not describing normal every day life in Israel, a clear indication that they had a global perception issue, one which could be rectified with clear communication and engagement to educate people on what Israel was as a “destination brand.”
He asked us, if Tel Aviv were a person, would it be a male or female, skinny or fat, fun or serious? “It’s important first to learn how your customers perceive you, what they see as your strengths, your weaknesses and your core values,” says Aharoni.
Every place has a personality and a DNA and how you determine what it is versus what you want it to be is generated through multiple sources of research, not just one.
For them, they wanted to create a “celebration of core values” for Israel, such as hoping, connecting, family and creating. As a result of the survey and “House Party” study, thjey identified six core areas that were relevant all over the world within the realm of humanizing through broader niche conversations:
1. Hi-Tech and Science
2. Lifestyle and Leisure
3. People and Heritage (diversity). How many people know that there are so many cultures living in Israel — from Somalia, Ethiopia, Ecuador, Colombia, and Egypt among countless others?
4. Environment
5. International Aid
6. Culture and Arts
He says that they believe in the future of micromarketing, i.e., narrative over argument, engagement over dictation….humanization through targeted exposure events.
Finishing his talk, he emphasized the importance of identifying how you’re perceived as a destination brand so you understand where it fits globally vis a vis others. “It’s competitive out there,” he notes and place branding is not just one country versus another, but it’s also perception of a place between counties, cities and regions.”
And adds, micromarketing will be key to engaging with your influencers in a world of social media, emphasizing what your core beliefs are, which translate into your brand voice, in their case, a destination “brand” voice.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
