Branding Israel ...

Israel: Branding Beyond Conflict
posted January 5, in Brand channel magazine

And, yes, acknowledging that the specter of war currently imbues just about everything related to Israel, the nation is taking a long-term and disciplined approach to its branding and position in the world.

Approximately the size of New Jersey, the State of Israel's topography boasts such a diversity of climates and sites that a vacationer could choose to bask in the sun at Eilat, ski down the trails of Mount Hermon, visit excavation sites on ancient lands or indulge in a spa treatment at the Dead Sea. But what the experts at Israel's Ministry of Tourism are hoping is that you'll choose Israel as your next vacation destination, not because of its range of climates or historical/religious significance, but because of its people.

“We want to introduce Americans to Israelis,” says Arie Sommer, Israel commissioner for tourism, North and South America. “There's a big misconception in the United States about Israel and Israelis and it seems tourism is something people do, not only to see stones and sights, but the people too. We want to show that Israelis are warm and hospitable.”

After years of being viewed as a magnet for violence and a home to ultra-religious extremists, Israel has started taking its nation brand seriously. The Ministry of Tourism as well as brand experts for Israel have decided that promoting an image of Israel as a normal, typical country is equally as important as its longstanding attempts to convince the world of its moral and political legitimacy.

In 1948, when Israel was created in the aftermath of the Holocaust as a refuge for displaced Jews, it was largely viewed in a positive, compassionate light, as a haven for Jews around the world. But after a resounding victory against its Arab neighbors in the 1967 Six-Day War, the tide of public approval began to turn.

Since then, Israel has fought an increasingly uphill battle to win the American (and international) public's affection. The popular association of Israel with violence and religious fanaticism has hurt its brand and its bottom line.

These days, “people have different images of what Israel is like,” explains Sommer. “We conducted a survey on the image people have of Israelis and the results weren't too positive. Many think Israel is always at war or that its people are arrogant and not hospitable. Many Americans know Israel only from newspapers. Many think Israel is a desert, a backward country. They don't know that it has a lot of water, it's very modern, has a great nightlife, great restaurants, and cultural experiences. One of the things we'd like to change is the perception of our people and our country.”

The Israeli government is standing by this goal with a five-year budgetary commitment of US$ 12 million annually, which, for the small country, is significant. The goal is to increase tourism from the current influx of 600,000 Americans per year to one million annually by 2011. The campaign, which began three years ago with the “Who Knew” slogan and recently segued into a “Shalom” motif, anticipates an increase in tourist revenue—a significant portion of the country's income—as well as a shift in the average American’s perception of Israel.

With Israel's “Shalom” advertising campaign, the Ministry of Tourism is hopeful that Americans will begin viewing the Holy Land in a new light. The slogan promises “You'll love Israel from the first Shalom,” and the campaign includes print, television and online advertisements featuring, according to Sommer, “real Israelis who have real stories to tell.”

The print ads highlight the diversity and talents of typical Israelis, showcasing a dancer, a chef, a cowboy, an archeologist and a hi-tech businessman, each standing in front of a relevant and impressive background. More recently, the ministry has created ads with a violinist, a sailing champion and a father with two children whose own father introduced surfing to Israel in the 1960s. There are currently two commercials on television, and two more will be introduced in 2009. There are also banner ads on popular websites including Yahoo and Google.

But the Ministry of Tourism hasn't been the only government branch to attempt to spice up the typical American's image of Israel and Israelis. In 2007, the Israeli Consulate in New York launched a controversial public relations gambit with Maxim magazine that featured former Israeli soldiers in a spread that they hoped would elicit a change in the perception of Maxim's readership, specifically males ages 18–35, the group that surveys have found have the least connection to Israel. The female soldiers, including a former Miss Israel, posed in skimpy bikinis and one article of military paraphernalia. The maneuver, which succeeded in eliciting a positive response from much of the male readership, also succeeded in raising a furor among female Israeli lawmakers and others who questioned the wisdom of selling Israel in terms of beautiful women.
Until approximately three years ago, when it initiated the “Who Knew” campaign, Israel was investing significant effort and capital primarily into targeting Christian and Jewish groups, communities that were already likely to have a connection with Israel. However, that quickly changed when the Ministry of Tourism conducted a survey through Ernst & Young to gauge tourism levels.

“We found out that if we wanted to see a major breakthrough in the number of tourists in Israel, we needed to target what we call the sophisticated traveler: people who travel to Europe or the Far East and are looking for a cultural experience combined with a good time,” says Sommer. “In order to reach this audience, we decided to launch the Shalom campaign.” The campaign is advertising heavily in New York, Southern California and Southern Florida, markets where the ministry believes it can capitalize best on its investments. Thus far, according to Sommer, there has been a 20 to 25 percent increase in tourism since the program's inception.

That is not to say that Israel is ignoring its religious base. The ministry continues to court evangelical Christians and Catholics, respectively. The ministry has two separate campaigns encouraging its Christian audiences to “Visit Israel. You'll never be the same,” and is advertising heavily on Christian radio, television, Internet and in the print media. “They are motivated to come to Israel, but many don't know how easy it is to travel there,” says Sommer. “This is a major problem, so we're trying to show them how safe and easy it is.” As a result, says Sommer, there has been a steady increase in this segment of tourists.

Sommer acknowledges that the Middle East can be a volatile area but maintains that change is in the air. “There's never been a dull moment in this region for 2,000 years, but fortunately, things have changed in the last few years. For example, although Bethlehem is in the Palestinian Authority’s territories, we’re working together to make sure there is easy access from Jerusalem. We are moving in the right direction.”

”Changing our image takes more than US$ 12 million a year,” admits Sommer, “but we're doing it gradually.”