By Leyna Krow, Assistant Editor, JTNews
When most people think of brands, they think of products. They think of things that can be bought from stores and slogans written across the front of t-shirts. Ido Aharoni is responsible for marketing a different kind of brand, however; one that doesn’t come in shrink-wrap. His brand is the state of Israel.
As the head of the Israeli Foreign Ministry’s Brand Management Team, it’s Aharoni’s job to find ways of showing the world that Israel is more than just politics, a task he spoke about during two lectures at the University of Washington on Thursday, Feb. 21.
“Israel is a wonderful, attractive brand and we are doing it a terrible disservice by communicating it only through the channel of the conflict,” Aharoni told JTNews, prior to his second presentation of the day. “This is not to say we should not deal with the conflict. But at the same time, we need to add more layers to the public discussion about Israel.”
Aharoni came to the UW with Caravan for Democracy, the Jewish National Fund’s college campus speaker series. Following his visit to Seattle, Aharoni went on to give a similar talk at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Ariz. He said he hopes he can provide a new perspective for people who work with Israel advocacy organizations on the way Israel is perceived by the outside world, specifically by those living in the United States.
The last Caravan for Democracy speaker to visit the UW, Ra’anan Gissin, Ariel Sharon’s former senior political adviser, also made mention of Israel’s marketing woes during his December visit.
“Israel has a PR problem,” Gissin said during his talk on the condition of Israel as the nation nears its 60th anniversary. “It’s a problem of how to present ourselves to the world in such a way that the world will support us.”
Getting world support is less Aharoni’s concern, however, than simply holding the world’s attention. He worries about market research, which shows that many Americans feel that they already know a lot about Israel, to the point that they are tired of hearing about the country.
“This is what happens in our case,” he said. “People feel they know enough about Israel, but it’s the wrong kind of knowledge. It’s the knowledge that comes from the news media, and it’s all about the conflict.”
Aharoni said that in focus groups conducted across the United States, Americans from all different backgrounds overwhelmingly describe Israel in terms of militarism and religious fundamentalism. Aharoni believes the way to get out from under this image is to bring attention to other elements of the country that may spark curiosity: Israel’s burgeoning wine industry, for example.
“We’re not looking to change Israel’s image overnight,” he said. “It’s not going to happen. What we’re looking to do is to begin a social process toward a different mindset.”
Aharoni acknowledged that although a lot of countries suffer from an unfavorable perception worldwide, very few have state-sponsored marketing teams. He was quick to point out, however, that the notion of what he called “place branding” is by no means a new concept.
“The end of the Cold War really marked the emergence of this field,” he said of place branding. “New countries were created and many searched for a new identity.”
Well-established locations that simply need a new spin have also engaged in place branding. Aharoni offered the example of Manhattan’s “Big Apple” campaign as an example of what Israel is aiming for.
“The Big Apple is everything. It touches upon every aspect of New York, from the economy to crime to everything. The Big Apple is a brilliant and very successful branding effort,” he said.
Aharoni stressed his appreciation for campaigns that highlight a place’s good points while acknowledging the bad, much like Las Vegas’ slogan, “What happens here stays here.”
Of course, Las Vegas and Israel are very different places with regards to the problems they each face. America’s perception of Israel as a dangerous and militant place is unlikely to be overcome by a clever slogan alone.
Aharoni acknowledged the problem.
“Creating a logo and a slogan, this is not what Israel needs,” he said. “A vision and infrastructure must come first.”
However, he went on to say that he believes much of the infrastructure that Americans would find appealing, both as tourists and investors, is already in place in Israel. It’s just a matter of getting that information out to the public in an effective manner.
“This is not about lying,” Aharoni said. “This is about telling the truth. We have a very attractive place to promote.”