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(http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/financialpost/story.html?id=c22dc399-d794-425b-a8b2-307e97e5a1ea)
Canada's warm and fuzzy brand fizzles on world stage
Hollie Shaw, Financial Post
Published: Friday, September 21, 2007
Canada is clean, woodsy and often cold. Canadians are friendly, polite and modest.
While these international perceptions about our nation and its people are abundant and somewhat flattering, they won't do a thing for us now our dollar has reached parity with the U.S. greenback.
Canada ranked third in the 2006 Anholt Nation Brands Index, an ongoing tracking study that ranks the "brand image" of countries based on people's perceptions of elements such as culture, governance and citizenry.
But ask people to define Canada's brand, and things get murky.
"In terms of the brand image, our research shows people think of clear, clean Canada," said Ron Telpner, chief executive of the Toronto-based BrainStorm Group advertising agency, which also has an office in Dubai.
"People think we are nice and polite and that we have a sense of humour, thanks to [comedians such as] Jim Carrey. We are associated with good beer. But it is not a defined image, like an image that you can create of the U.S., where people might make a montage of Elvis, Las Vegas, and hamburgers," and citizens are known for being steadfastly patriotic. "Do that with Canada and you are likely to get a mountain range and a mountie. We are not known for our fashion sense."
And while Canada is well-liked around the world, having a warm, fuzzy and altogether indistinct image could hurt our international business chances.
"From a business perspective, the 'we can do it cheaper' pitch is not something we can claim anymore," Mr. Telpner said. "I would say that being Canadian is a preferred brand in terms of Western culture when you do business internationally. It is less controversial - you don't have to get into whether you hate the president [of the U.S.] or not. But in an international market saying 'We are not American' is not a business strategy."
Andrea Mandel-Campbell, author of Why Mexicans Don't Drink Molson, believes playing nice does not win us any favours on the international stage and points to Canadian unobtrusiveness as a distinct business liability.
"We have an excellent reputation for producing dependable quality products, for good people and good technology," she said in an interview. "Everybody in government is talking about branding but I don't see it being done in a concerted way [in business], like the way Australia has marketed its wines, for example."
A high dollar make the issue of competitiveness more dire, she added. Being able to low-ball on price when the dollar was weak kept us "comfortable and cozy in Canada, to a degree, and now this is forcing our hand. We are going to have to go out there and fight for our share. We have not been great about cultivating our own trade, and now it will be even harder."
Bob Froese, president of BrainStorm, said Canadian businesses need to stress their versatility and diversity as a key asset, and stop being so shy about it.
"A common reaction we hear from [prospective international clients] is, 'How could you possibly understand us and our mind set', but as Canadians it comes pretty naturally - we are so multicultural and adaptable," he said. The problem, he believes, is that Canadians are reticent when it comes to trumpeting their talents. "In the U.S. they don't get being humble at all - they are loud and proud."
While Canada's reputation gets its foot in the door on the international stage, Ms. Mandel-Campbell said, things often come to a standstill because we are not aggressive enough.
"Whenever you look at polls or studies of foreign business people they say they would prefer to do business with Canadians. But we might call [a business prospect] one time, whereas an American will call that guy once every two months. And when you do business internationally it is the squeaky wheel that gets the business. We somehow have mixed up being assertive and confident with being aggressive and arrogant, and the two are not necessarily the same thing."
In areas such as auto manufacturing this trait has proven to be a liability, when nations such as China decide to be a world leader in auto parts and Canada can no longer rely on a monopoly of selling into the U.S. market.
Some industries such as forestry, after facing immense trade challenges, have tried to court international business more diligently. Canada Wood, a non-profit organization with offices in Beijing and Shanghai, was set up by forest industry players in Canada to promote the use of wood construction in China.
And while the federal government does make an effort, it has not yielded a thriving international business presence or export market.
Renee David, spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, asserts Canada "constantly" promotes itself abroad, through trade shows and pavilions. "We also have [trade commissioners] in 12 cities across Canada and in 140 cities worldwide who help Canadian companies to find new markets abroad." She noted the department's recent creation of a 'global commerce' initiative partnering government and private sector parties "to develop new tools, services and programs to promote Canada as international leader in innovation and education as well as a preferred destination for foreign investment."
The federal Canadian Agriculture and Food International program matches industry funds to promote Canada's reputation around the world as a supplier of safe, high-quality agriculture and food products.
© Financial Post 2007
