Lifting Jamaica's brand quality - cultural diplomacy strategy required

Hume Johnson, Contributor

In her swearing-in speech on January 6, Jamaica's Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller acknowledged, inter alia, that included in her mandate is the imperative to "protect the good name of Jamaica at home and in the international community".

Jamaica, she stressed, must remain for all, a quality brand. Jamaica has, without doubt, enjoyed extraordinary brand success in sport, and maintains an iconic status as the vibrant home of reggae and Rastafarian culture.

Yet, Mrs Simpson Miller recognises that Jamaica's image abroad has also experienced deterioration in recent years. Though homicide rates are down, Jamaica still has the unflattering record as one of the most murderous countries in the world. Jamaican music, once seen as a beacon for the oppressed, has been snubbed in some countries in recent years, labelled unfit for children and some of its emissaries banned from performing, charged with spreading hate.

Despite priding ourselves as a friendly, hospitable nation with a warm and vibrant people, Jamaica is increasingly branded as one of the most homophobic societies in the Western Hemisphere. Within the current global context, defined by the spread of information, culture and trade, Jamaica's 'quality brand' would appear to be at risk.

Most governments who are tuned into the reality of their country in this global setting - to the world economy, to how their country relates to others with regards to trade, tourism, investment and sport - understand that having an undesirable brand quality is problematic.

Jamaica's ambiguous reputation in the global community diminishes our capacity to project our true might as a small nation, and creates confusion about our values and traditions. It is, therefore, essential that we aim to reverse this global picture and improve our international standing in global public opinion, especially as we prepare to celebrate our golden jubilee and Olympic glory at London 2012.

Cultural Diplomacy

To counter negative perceptions and to support their culture and image abroad, both small and powerful governments are increasingly considering the role of cultural diplomacy as crucial. According to a 2005 State Department Report, "Cultural diplomacy is the linchpin of public diplomacy (communication and engagement); for it is in cultural activities that a nation's idea of itself is best represented (State Department, 2005)."

Nowadays, nations are considered brands that compete for market leadership to attract foreign investment and tourists. In recognition of the urgent need to enhance their international reputation and control how they are perceived in global public opinion, governments are designing new communication strategies to promote their culture, set up long-term relationships with publics abroad, and to achieve some national interests.

Indeed, according to the State Department, "In the wake of the invasion of Iraq, the prisoner-abuse scandal at Abu Ghraib, and the controversy over the handling of detainees at Bagram and Guantanamo Bay, America is viewed in much of the world less as a beacon of hope than as a dangerous force to be countered."

Cultural diplomacy thus became a necessary tool for the United States (US ) government, to, among other things, combat the notion that "Americans are shallow, violent and godless" (State Department, 2005).

America is not alone in recognising the value of cultural diplomacy. Many European countries are currently involved in numerous programmes, promoted directly and indirectly by governments, other times by independent institutions or non-governmental organisations, to support their image and culture abroad. Italy, India and France present extraordinary examples of effective cultural diplomacy. For example, a plethora of organisations worldwide are involved in programmes aimed at re-launching Italian culture and language around the world.

Learning from others

Indeed, more than 80 institutions are said to operate around the US and Europe positioning and promoting Italian culture and identity. For decades, these organisations have been working to present a country with higher education and the preservation of the arts and classic culture as part of the national tradition, finding roots in the Italian Renaissance.

Today, the result of the work is there for the world to see. Italy may be known as the seat of the Mafia, but it is much more renowned for its architecture, cuisine, fashion, music, education and religion.

India has managed to preserve a positive presence in the international community for its culture, undergirded by the increasing popularity of Bollywood films, the fame of cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, and its well-liked cuisine.

Whereas cities such as Paris and New York have branded themselves through cultural diplomacy, emerging nations such as South Africa are now well placed to benefit from increased investments as a result of its 'Brand Africa' thrust. A decade ago, in 2002, the South African government formed International Marketing Council, dedicated to rebranding the nation as a cultural Mecca and reversing its image as a murderous, unsafe and HIV-infested place.

Given Jamaica's brand positioning in the international arena, effective cultural diplomacy is required to give legs to the myriad cultural products that Jamaica has to offer. It would be good to see the development of a cultural diplomacy strategy with the objective to purposefully and tactically re-image, reposition and promote Jamaica's culture and identity abroad.

It is time that we begin to leverage the following: Jamaican architecture (Old Capital, Spanish Town; Rose Hall Great House; other castles and forts); Jamaican cuisine (our food festivals, jerk, ackee and salt fish, festival, dumplings); the successes of Jamaican fashion/models; Jamaican music (reggae; dancehall; Jamaican jazz; street dances - Passa Passa, Weddy Weddy, etc.); the arts in Jamaica (paintings, sculpture, craft); Jamaican religion (Rasta, obeah, Revivalism, Kumina); sport (athletics, football, netball).

It is also important to leverage Jamaican scholarship through the formation of think tanks overseas, as well as student exchanges and indigenous films and alternative medicine.

Defining Culture

When we say culture, we must now, of necessity, assume a more expanded definition to account for not just the image of the nation, but its reputation. If we focus on just one aspect of culture - the arts and music - we run the risk of ignoring fundamental elements of our culture that also govern how we are perceived in global public opinion.

In this latter sense, I see culture as "an organised group of ideas, habits and conditions of members of a society" (Linton, 1956). In other words, Jamaicans, as people in every culture, are raised with a set of values, beliefs and attitudes which affect how we behave, what values we project and defend.

Yet, these values and attitudes also impact on how we are perceived by others. We would be foolish to believe that perceptions about Jamaicans' attitudes to work, discipline, regulatory codes; our sense of tolerance of others, etc. do not guide the foreign policy and international relations of powerful countries in their dealings with small states such as Jamaica, particularly with regard to trade and investment. Thus, there are two key questions to ask as we seek to engineer a global shift in perception about Jamaica:

1. What core values are people in the international community assuming as they observe and interact with us?

2. What do they already believe about Jamaica that will affect their attitude and impact their interest in us, and their willingness to conduct business with us?

A Cultural Diplomacy Strategy

The Government of Jamaica can no longer take for granted that Jamaica's image is powerful and that its brand quality is secure. While our athletes will continue to fly the Jamaican flag, it is important to take a more strategic and proactive approach to nation branding.

A cultural diplomacy strategy is required. It could undertake a study of cultural diplomacy of other countries (e.g. European Union) to discover how they use this tool and how can Jamaica leverage its cultural products to bolster its image overseas and attract investment.

It is also important to conduct a comprehensive audit of Jamaica's arts and cultural offerings locally and overseas (festivals, trade shows, expos, cultural campaigns) to assess their impact and discover the possible structural impediments to increased arts and cultural programming. The strategy would also explore ways to collaborate with the Jamaican private sector in promoting Jamaican culture abroad.

Public diplomacy, the umbrella term under which cultural diplomacy falls, is also crucial for Jamaica, as it is also about communication and engagement at a strategic level. In many respects, public diplomacy smoothes issues that may serve as a barrier to cooperation.

It will encourage investors to give Jamaica the benefit of the doubt on controversial issues such as the control of crime and violence, since they would understand better our socio-economic, political and historical context, as well as our cultural underpinnings.

Public and cultural diplomacy will illustrate our true ideals, our interest in fostering positive values, and attitudes, combating the popular notion that Jamaicans are homophobic and violent. Public diplomacy helps to create relationships with foreign publics which can endure beyond changes in government.

Through think tanks and other outreach and exchange programmes, this tool can reach influential members of foreign societies, who cannot be reached through traditional embassy functions. It will not only create a platform for the expansion of Jamaican culture overseas, but will also build positive civil society, by including the diaspora, more heavily in nation building.

Hume Johnson, PhD, is a political analyst and professor of public relations at Roger Williams University, USA. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and humejohnson@gmail.com.