The Role of Public Relations in Building Country Image

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The Role of Public Relations in Building Country
Image
Presented by Loula Zaklama RadaResearch
PR. IPRA President 2006
Tehran, Iran January 25th , 2005
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The Agenda

• Egypt Overview
• What is country image
• Egypt case studies two cases
• Investment promotion
• Tourism promotion
• Crisis management

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Egypt Overview

• History
• Known as the worlds most wondrous open air
  museum.
• Home of the vestiges of Pharaonic, Coptic,
  Byzantine, Roman and Islamic Cultures.

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Egypt Overview

• Straddling a global trade crossroads.
• Major commercial transshipment destination.
• Occupies crossroads between Europe, Africa and
  Asia.

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(No Transcript)
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What is Country Image

• How country is perceived NOT necessarily what
  it actually is.

Perception more serious than reality
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The Role of PRBuilding Country Image

• Communication of facts
• What PR can do
• What PR cannot do

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Components That Build A Country Image

• Two major components
• Attractive for direct foreign investments.
• An attractive tourism destination

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Components That Build A Country Image

• Egypt Enjoys Both These Components
• PR Function Tell the

EGYPT STORY
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The Egypt Investment Promotion Campaign

• Commissioned by Ministry of Foreign Affairs in
  Egypt.
• Why Politics and Economics cannot be separated
• Political Stability

Economic Stability
Attractive For Investment
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What is The Story

• An era of economic reform
• An open, market oriented, decentralized economy.
• Receptive to foreign direct investment and
  private sector participation.
• This was not known about Egypt

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The PR Program

• How did we communicate the story

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Program Title

• Egypt
• Wonder of the Past
• YOUR
• Investment for the Future

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Objectives

• To facilitate a broader understanding of the
  range of the Egyptian economy
• To communicate the progressive and healthy
  economic climate in Egypt
• To stimulate private sector interest in the
  program, thus gaining its support and
  contribution.

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Target Audience

• Multinational companies
• High networth individuals/businessmen
• Financial institutions
• IMF
• World Bank and others
• (For endorsements)

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Target Countries

• U.S.A.
• U.K.
• France
• Germany
• Duration of Program 3 years

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Strategy

• Media Outreach

Business Outreach
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Media Outreach

• Press kits
• Fact sheets
• Documentary Success stories
• Media gatherings / private interviews high
  visibility in international conferences
• Familiarization trips for reporters giving them
  true picture of Egypts economic progress

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Business Outreach

• Concentrate on participation in high visibility
  conferences (example Davos) Chetham House UK.
  
• Individual specialized tailor-made conferences in
  major cities
• PR support for ministerial visits.

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Result
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Tourism

• Tourism Promotion
• Leisure
• Culture
• Crises Management

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PR To Promote Tourism

• The case of Al-Gouna Resort
• Where is it
• What it offers
• Need to expand to Eastern Europe
• The project Romania Pilot Project

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Objectives

• Introduce El-Gouna to tour operators and travel
  agents
• Get related contacts/data-base
• Provide promotional material

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Activities

• Incentive for 10 tour operators and/or travel
  agent, days package on full board basis
• Press Conference
• Participation at The World Travel Market in
  Bucharest

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Activities (Cont.)

• El-Gouna Day (seminar) within The World Travel
  Market Fair in Romania
• Incentive trip to El-Gouna for 3-4 journalists
• Joint campaign with a large consumer company
  operating in Romania

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Results

• Request for more information on El-Gouna, by tour
  operators.
• Wide coverage.
• Very positive feedback
• Interest in selling El-Gouna to up market
  customers.

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Culture
The Case of Opera Aida
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A Tool to Promote Culture is Opera Aida

• 1997 marked 125th anniversary of the premiere of
  Aida in Egypt
• AND
• 75th anniversary of the tomb of King Tut

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Hatshpsut Temple Luxor
Chosen as site for Opera Aida
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• Objectives
• Promote Egypts rich cultural heritage.
• Highlight its great desirability as a tourism
  destination

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PR Program

• Media Relations Media Outreach
• Trade marketing in New York, Milan, London,
  Paris, Madrid, Hamburg and Tokyo

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Result

• Wide coverage in lay and specialized media.
• Reservations came through from tour operators.

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The Unexpected Crises Hits
A terrorist attack
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What Happened with Opera Aida
A Terrorist Attack Where In Luxor! Where Hatsh
epsut Temple! Where Opera Aida is
scheduled When One month before the
event What Attacked and killed the tourists
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What happened to Opera Aida

• From 80 reservation to 100 cancellation
• What to do?
• What a crises for the country and the huge
  investment in Aida !!!

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The Immediate Reaction

• Presidents apology
• Assumed responsibility
• Lax security
• What was done
• Improved security
• Need to communicate
• What was done

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PR Recovery Program
The Program title Embrace Egypt
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Campaign Objectives SimplyCommunicate Improved
Security Measures

• Target
• Tour operators / wholesalers. Government foreign
  departments, travel commentators, writers,
  opinion formers.
• Countries
• U.S.A., France, Germany, U.K.
• Duration
• 3 months intense for immediate results

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Campaign Objectives SimplyCommunicate Improved
Security Measures (Cont.)

• Expected Outcome
• Save the Opera Aida performances
• Restore confidence in security system
• Put Egypt back into tourism brochures, for
  continuous tourism.

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How

• Short high impact program
• Kick start an upturn in perception of security
  Egypt.

Based on One Concept
Testimony of Security Experts
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To Explain the Concept

• Identify and select from each target country a
  highly credible and respected security expert
  on matters of international security.
• Bring the experts to Egypt to view and inspect
  security measures in tourist sites.
• This group of prestigious experts produced a
  white paper with their analysis.

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The White Paper

• Released to all major publications/general/special
  ized in the target countries.
• High media coverage in 4 countries.

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Evaluation

• Survey Results
• Post exposure quantitative study in 4 countries
  with tour operators / wholesalers.
• Results

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Change of Perception
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(No Transcript)
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What Happened to Opera Aida?

• Attendance was relatively saved
• Reached almost 55

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What Happened to Egypts Tourism
Egypt back in tour operators brochures
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Bottom Line

• YES!! PR CAN DO IT
• BUT BE CAREFUL!
• SPECIFY CLEARLY AT THE OUTSET WHAT CAN PR DO!
  WHAT PR CANNOT DO

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The Win Win Scenario
IT TAKES TWO TO TANGO Total Partnership
PR MARKETING TO ACHIEVE RESULTS
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Thank you