Most if not all government departments’ objective is to provide service to the people and more often not to make a profit. And it is at this point where we ask: Can brand add value to government? Is government competing with any other company? How will this exercise of brand building be done in a government setting, seeing that government is in fact the whole country or its people? Will the importance of brand be understood and seen as a priority by the highest levels/structures of national settings?
A short and simple answer is, yes, you can brand government. Based on the description/definition of brand by David Ogilvy;" the intangible sum of a product's attributes". Meaning, it is either the factual or emotional know-about of your offerings. And, with that said, brand affects reputation. Since government can benefit from a positive reputation; it is vital to build a strong positive government brand. That people can trust, work with and support.
Perhaps, a strong government brand, may have stronger power and ability to eradicate social challenges and build foreign investor confidence, to trade with the particular country.
Every government department has a role to play in building a strong government brand. And since government's focus is service delivery, collaborative and inter-governmental projects that have the same objective may be a good start to begin showcasing and conversing with the general masses on the work being done. What the general public may be interested in and appreciate is: Transparency and regular communication. Knowing that their issues are being heard and made a priority among the agendas of government meetings. Whether government is delivering enough or not, is not the question we will attempt to answer right now, as it is not the subject matter at hand. However, regular and frequent communication may be a good start to engage the public to increase awareness, and hear the queries of the general public.
Since, not communicating or less-effective communication may increase negative perceptions about government, as a result impacting on the reputation of the particular government negatively. To build a good, positive strong brand, transparency and trust, is the key that will unlock people's support, loyalty and to some extend patriotism.
With the advancements of technology, it is possible for government to monitor in real time, through various mediums of communication, the conversations that the ordinary citizens are having, and in return, plan on mitigating on those factors. This will pave a way for the government, and its work to be seen with a positive light.
The priorities are already set at the highest levels of government, through the legislature and other policy forums. So all that needs to be looked at is the HOW of implementation. Each department has a mission, vision and values. The alignment of values, creating and fostering a certain culture, that is uniform across the board, may be a good start to building a strong government brand.
If we take this subject to a higher school of thought, a good reputable government will instill confidence amongst investors and secure future earnings for the country as a whole.
