Ecuador Ama la Vida is the only brand that has been registered as a Country Brand

Ecuador works on a new country brand which, for the first time, in addition to promoting tourism, will involve other fronts such as improving the attraction of foreign direct investment and strengthening the promotion of exports.

This is a project that is led by the Ministry of Tourism (Mintur). Although the exact date of the launch of the new brand has not been indicated, the portfolio indicated that “it will take several months” since it is a job that involves a research process that includes all productive sectors, conceptualization, creation and finally the campaign. of socialization on a national and international scale.

The objective of creating the new country brand, according to the ministry, it is to turn it into something that is sustained over time, that is, that is transferred from government to government and is not used for political purposes. But, in addition, it has the focus of contributing to the attraction of human talent, strengthening Ecuador’s presence in international markets and generating positive synergies between the different objectives so as to increase the potential of each one.

According to the Organic Code of the Social Economy of Knowledge, Creativity and Innovation, the country brand It is defined as the sign intended to distinguish, promote and position the cultural, socioeconomic, political identity, biodiversity, image, reputation and other values ​​of the country.

In that sense, Ecuador has had only one registered trademark as Country Brand: Ecuador Ama la Vida. This seal was created in 2010 and was initially consolidated as a tourist brand. Later it was elevated to the status of Country Brand through Executive Decree 706, of April 7, 2011, where the Strategic Brand Commission was also created.

New tourism brand became the image of the country

In recent years, confusion has arisen about whether the Country Brand has changed. The Mintur explained that what has been registered are several tourism brands, but that they have not been classified as Country Brands. For example, six campaigns have been carried out in the country that emerge from the great umbrella of Ecuador loves life.

Between 2011 and 2013 was launched I discovered in Ecuador which was framed in the concept of the projection of the unique visiting factors that make the Ecuador destination an unbeatable place to discover.

For 2014 and being one of the best-known campaigns on a national and international scale, it was positioned All You Need Is Ecuador. The initiative had several stages until 2018. For example, in 2015, with feel again (To feel again) a second part was made official with which it sought to reactivate the senses of the visitors while they tour the country of the four worlds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTyhK_-CP64

In 2016, the same campaign was enriched with the element of love. For this, the license to use love is in the air, song by Scotsman John Paul Young. For 2017 and 2018keeping the All You Need Is Ecuador as a basis, the filming of the music video was made if you see it, in which landscapes of Ecuador were promoted and a promotion initiative was raised within the digital platforms known as OTAS (Online Travel Agencies).

The new Country Brand

The Tourism Minister Niels Olsen He previously told this newspaper that the work behind the new image of the country to the world will have the participation of the academy and the private sector; In addition, it will result from a technical study to position Ecuador on the four fronts. The creation process has four major stages: research, brand strategy, brand creation and communication guide.

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For Édgar Jiménez, coordinator of the Product Design career at the Escuela Politécnica del Litoral (Espol), One point that must be taken into account is that the new brand must not use semiotic elements (patriotic symbols such as shield and flag), since these are for official and not promotional use. For this reason, it recommends that this should be approved and managed by people with an understanding of branding and graphic culture that seek to create emotional bonds and strengthen mental associations.

Jiménez points out that there are cases of brands from other Latin American countries such as Mexico or Peru that were presented in 2005 and 2011, respectively, and that have survived several changes of presidents and have obtained a high score by evaluators such as futurebrand or Brand Finance.

Juan Pablo del Alcázar Ponce, manager of Mentinno Consultores, points out that a void that has existed since the creation of the country’s seal is that the Ministry of Tourism has largely lacked coordination with public and private actors to strengthen a real brand concept. Proof of this, the expert points out, is evidence of a drop in interest and trends regarding Ecuador as a tourist destination in Google from 2014 to the end of 2021.

Del Alcázar recommends, in this sense, that There must be continuity in communication and concept to avoid constant drastic changes in image and messages. “The international scope of the country brand has been limited in several of the brand experiences, mainly due to the confusion generated by the constant changes, the diversity of campaigns with diverse messages and the poor integration with public and private actors.”

In this agree Danny Barbery, Dean of Communication at the University of the Holy Spirit Specialties (UEES). For the professor, the change that he aims to make must be orderly and little by little. “We must work so that, both locally and internationally, a new image and identity is implanted that Ecuador has not strengthened, nor has it projected in recent years. A strong image and that despite the changes of government pursue a stable plan”.

Both Barbery and Del Alcázar affirm that the brand requires clear goals and consistency with what it promises and offers. For this reason, they say should not include only the tourist that, despite being relevant, it has to be tied to the identity of the country as insurance to invest, to walk and even that they have facilities and opportunities for residence and permanence. (I)