Marketing Plan

Nation Branding: An Analysis of Botswana’s National Brand

Edward E. Marandu (Corresponding author)

University of Botswana

Faculty of Business, Marketing Department,

P. O. Box 70243, Gaborone, Botswana

Email: marandue@mopipi.ub.bw

Donatus N. Amanze

University of Botswana

Faculty of Business, Marketing Department,

P. O. Box 70243, Gaborone, Botswana

Email: donatus.amanze@mopipi.ub.bw

Tirubaza C. P. Mtagulwa

University of Botswana

Faculty of Business, Marketing Department,

P. O. Box 70243, Gaborone, Botswana

Email: mtagulwat@mopipi.ub.bw

Received: August 24, 2011 Accepted: February 19, 2012 Published: March 15, 2012

doi:10.5430/rwe.v3n1p00 URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.5430/rwe.v3n1p00

Abstract

This paper evaluates Botswana’s national branding using the Gilmore (2002) and the Echtner & Ritchie (2003) models. The methodology involved an examination of the extant literature to identifying key factors that influence brand perceptions for a nation and the nature of those factors. The findings showed that the Botswana branding incorporated most of the variables depicted in the Gilmore model. The nature of the variables chosen were also consistent with the Echtner and Ritchie model in the sense that it made use of functional and psychological characteristics and combined them in a holistic manner to come up with the slogan “our pride, your destination”. The paper advises future researcher to empirically test the robustness of the Botswana brand in terms of its effectiveness on the ground.

Keywords: Branding, Gilmore Model, Echtner & Ritchie Model, Botswana.

1. Introduction

The concept of branding has traditionally been associated with companies and their products or services, but nowadays the concept is being used in the shaping of reputation of nations. It is a somewhat new way of looking at a nation, but every nation is already a brand for it has a way it is perceived in the minds of people living elsewhere, at least those...