There’s been a fair bit of talk lately about Korea’s failure to develop an effective national brand, one which would attract tourists and investors.
David Kilburn, a journalist with 20 years of experience in advertising, wrote one of the articles which have been appearing in the Korea Times, discussing the problems with Korea’s national brand.
Blogger Hermit Hideaways linked to that Times article, and David Kilburn wrote a comment on the Hermit’s blog that is revealing not just in its content, but in the fact its content was censored/cut out of the article he originally submitted to the Times. . . which could be seen as a microcosm of the whole problem with Korean tourism.
Here’s the text of his comment over at Hermit Hideaways:
Almost a quarter of the article was censored. I was asked to include recommendations for what Korea should do, but these were thought too outrageous to be published:
These were:
The important decisions about Brand Korea are not made by politicians and bureaucrats in Seoul’s conference rooms. They are made in the hearts and minds of consumers, tourists, businessmen, and travellers around the world. Planning for Brand Korea should recognize this basic fact.
Appoint a Country Brand Director with considerable executive power, reporting directly to the president, and with a substantial budget for research and development. The task should preferably go to a non-Korean with an intimate knowledge of brands and branding outside Korea. Transfer all authority and responsibility for promotion outside Korea to the Brand Director’s office from other government agencies.
Revamp or remove the regulations that hinder the development of tourism infrastructure.
Reform or remove the regulations that hinder foreign businesses in Korea and deter FDI.
Remove the bias against foreign interests that prevails in Korea’s legal system.
Stop the wanton destruction of Korea’s cultural and architectural heritage
Innovate, as so many other countries are doing. Develop new offerings. As countries compete for visitors, they are increasingly developing new attractions, both to woo potential visitors and project themselves in to the headlines. Casino development has enabled Macau to outstrip Las Vegas; Museum franchises are a new destination marketing tool. This began with the Guggenheim in Bilbao, and will continue with a branch of the Louvre for Abu Dhabi, and of the Georges Pompidou Centre in Shanghai. Global sporting events, such as the Olympics and the FIFA World Cup have always been important. Singapore’s F1 is but one attempt to create a major new event to enhance the country brand. Across Asia there is a boom in Spa developments ranging from exclusive, luxurious boutique hotels to enclaves within major five star chains. These may offer anything from pampering massages and health diets, to meditation, aromatherapy, alternative medicine, and astrological counselling.
Recognize the current global turmoil in financial markets will affect travel, tourism, and investment. Competition between destinations will increase and the winners will be those who not only develop sound strategies but also implement then successfully.
Embrace the power of the internet and how it can be used to promote travel, tourism, and investment.
Meanwhile, on the latest Seoul Podcast, one of the panelists points out that hogwan bosses are damaging Korea’s international reputation more than they realize: everybody knows somebody who taught in Korea and had a horrible time because of a crooked hogwan boss, or a horrible English teaching experience, and when people sit around and plan their trip to Asia, you can be sure that “You know, my friend Angela had a horrible time in Korea” carries more weight than a really cool TV commercial.
Compare that to Australia’s work study program, where university educated travelers under 30 can get a twelve-month work visa to work and travel in the land of Oz, pick fruit for a while on a few farms, bum around on beaches between gigs, save up some coin, and go home saying “Holy cow Australia was frawking amazing! You should go there!”. . . is it any wonder Australia has the top national brand in the world right now (see the chart on the Korea Times article) when they’re letting their returned visitors do the advertising, instead of focussing on buying ad space in the New York Times (possibly right next to the full-page Dokdo Spread purchased by Kim Jang-hoon)?
20/10/2008 at 12:18 pm Permalink
The point about hagwon bosses screwing foreign teachers having a negative impact upon tourism cannot be emphasized enough I think. The rest of the world knows so little about Korea aside from Samsung and Hyundai but everyone seems to know a friend of a friend of a friend who had a bad experience teaching English here.
20/10/2008 at 12:32 pm Permalink
Oh my Lord, I cannot concur strongly enough! Spend millions on campaigns from “Smile, Korea” to World Cup facilities to “free interpretation for tourists” and whatnot, but a single hagwon screwing foreign teachers again and again can create so much negative word-of-mouth badvertising.
Yet, none of the suits seem to care. Nothing will change on this score. As I said — and as the author of this original piece makes clear — it would take a sea change in thinking for things to happen any differently. And with Koreans, talking about Korea and the national “image” and face and pride and all — that’ll never happen.
Expect shwooshing graphics, syrupy voiceovers, and pride-filled statistical bragadocio to mark all tourism branding.
Did you guys know that Korea is “the hub of fashion” in Asia now? So says this year’s press materials at Seoul Fashion Week.
Is this site a “hub” behind?
20/10/2008 at 12:55 pm Permalink
This (from Kilburn’s redacted writing):
“Reform or remove the regulations that hinder foreign businesses in Korea and deter FDI.”
Never. Not unless there’s an economic meltdown of Great Depression proportions. And even then, you’d probably have the hard-liners taking over and closing the ports and airports forever and ever.
I’d like to see Korea manage its brand better myself, since there really are a lot of great things about the country that people around the world would enjoy seeing. But at the end of the day, insular is as insular does. If the powers that be in the ROK simply want the tourist dollars alone, they’ll continue to flounder about with crappy ad campaigns that make people decide they’d have more fun in China or Japan.
If they want to succeed (long-term) in the tourism game, they’re going to have to loosen their grip and realize that being a part of the global tourism economy is a two-way street. Will every Korean have to learn English? Of course not. Will they have to allow us dirty waeguk-in to get in-country cell phones without being reamed for a 300,000 won deposit, just because we’re foreign?
IMO, that would be a small starting step.
FWIW, I love Korea. I’m having a great time here. But I just have to scratch my head when I read pieces like this where Korea politicians are being offered good advice as to how to market the country as a tourist destination, and they completely and willfully ignore it.
If you’re not going to do it right, why bother doing it at all?
20/10/2008 at 1:59 pm Permalink
Great find.
I wonder if David wants to be the: Country Brand Director ?
20/10/2008 at 5:55 pm Permalink
Revamp or remove the regulations that hinder the development of tourism infrastructure.
I think the outrageous part of this suggestion was that crazy “infrastructure” word. If you had said, “We can send the ajummas around to to clean up the mess” they’d have gone for it.