Mind the Tech London 2024"Every part of the Israeli population is responsible for the state's image"
Mind the Tech London 2024
"Every part of the Israeli population is responsible for the state's image"
Simon Anholt, a global expert on nation branding, speaking at Calcalist and Leumi’s Mind The Tech London conference, said: "Only actions can change what the world thinks about Israel. The miracle can happen because Israel contributes a lot to the world, for example with its technology."
Simon Anholt
(Photo: Alex Kolomoyski)
"There is a secret to my career - if you want to be a world-renowned expert, choose a topic that no one is interested in, nation branding for example," said Simon Anholt, a global expert on nation branding and a partner in the BrandIL project to promote the image of the State of Israel, initiated by Motti Scherf.
Speaking at Calcalist and Bank Leumi’s Mind the Tech London conference, Anholt explained what nation branding means. "I did not invent the branding of nations, but the term of nation branding. Countries have an image and it is very important in the global world. It is much easier to attract tourists, capital, and develop relations with other countries this way. If a country has a good image, it trades at a premium. If not, everything is more difficult and more expensive.
"It used to be thought that states were ships sailing in international waters. We talked about ships, and where they were headed, but we didn't talk about wind, which is everything. I am an expert in wind. Any good sailor will say that you don't fight the wind, you move from side to side. I am dealing with the fact that it is impossible to deal with world public opinion because it is a force of nature just like the wind," Anholt said, illustrating the difficulty of dealing with world public opinion as Israel has experienced since it was attacked on October 7 by Hamas.
Over the years, Anholt has developed a method that allows countries to improve their brand in the world, that is, the way they are perceived by the international community, and in his opinion, the advocacy efforts that Israel uses today cannot meet the task. "Every part of the Israeli population today is responsible for creating Israel's image and therefore they are all important players in this context," he said. "Israel has tried to do things regarding its image for decades, and attempts have always been made to spread the word. To change public opinion in a kind of international court, but it is not certain that this approach works. Many say that it is impossible to measure image, but I argue that it is possible. I've been doing it since 2005 with the Nation Branding Index - it's measured by asking a large group of people about countries.”
Anholt presented the findings of the latest country brand survey he conducted in 2023 and they are not very flattering. "The most revered country was Japan, followed by Germany, and this is less than a century after World War II. This means that things are changing and this is good news," says Anholt.
Anholt presents Israel's hexagon used to examine branding: export brands, culture and heritage, people, tourism, immigration and investment. "You have an advantage in exporting but disadvantages in other things. One of Israel's problems is that there are not many Israelis. Many in the world have never met an Israeli. You have a twin - Saudi Arabia, and the good news is that their brand is improving a lot recently. Israel's main challenge is the young population of the world. 18-24-year-olds have a negative opinion or no opinion at all about the country, and this is an issue to be addressed.”
According to him, "the most important engine is the country's contribution to the international community, that is, people are happy that that country exists," Anholt presents his theory, "a contribution to humanity is important, which is why I also publish such an index. If you want a better image there is only one way to do it - become a contributor to humanity, don't focus only on your script, but think about what people need in the world and how you can give it. When we ask people what Israel contributes to the world, they answer that it does not exist. The country calls for trouble and war. We need to change the perception of what Israel contributes to the world. Israeli society as a whole needs to build a plan for how Israel can positively influence the world. I am not talking about what we will say and how we will tell the story because the issue is not in the media, it is currently a path that is closed to Israel. People don't want to listen. Therefore, only actions can change what the world thinks about Israel. The miracle can happen because Israel contributes a lot to the world, for example with its technology. Until today, Israel focused on its internal issues as a young country, but today we are at a turning point and we need to transform from a young country into a "normal" country. In order to realize this vision, a broad Israeli movement must be established that will include both the business sector, the government and the citizens, and I wish you success."
Watch his full remarks in the video above.
