Opinion | To improve its image, China must tell a story that appeals to people’s emotions
- Xi Jinping understands the importance of branding, and his call to party cadres to present a good image of China is timely, in view of the increasingly negative perceptions of the country in the West
- Impersonal facts and dry statistics, plus matter-of-fact reports on its achievements, may not easily touch the hearts of ordinary people
To most people, a narrative is a story or an account of an event or situation, but to advertising, communications and PR professionals, it is about a strategically articulated vision and all associated messages that bond with the target audience.
Marketing and public relations professionals employ narrative communications techniques to flesh out a brand and promote a company or product. This is difficult work, particularly if the branding involves an entire country, rather than a single product.
In delivering a “country narrative”, one of the challenges is to construct a coherent, cohesive and concise narrative out of the huge and varied entity that is a country.
The biggest challenge lies in arousing emotions in the target audience. Emotions are subjective and ephemeral. That is why marketing and PR professionals rack their brains constantly to come up with new content and messages to try and sustain the emotional bonds with – or positive feelings of – their target audience.
The advantages for a country of building a convincing narrative, and therefore a brand, are enormous. An effective narrative will contribute constructively to a country’s image and reputation and enhance goodwill. In turn, this will help the country attract tourists, investors and talent, which are treasured resources in every country’s development.
Furthermore, good branding – the result of a well-planned and executed narrative – will help enhance a country’s geopolitical influence.
