Who's Telling The Story?

At the Narrative Summit in Cairo, nation branding was top of the agenda,

- Alex Malouf

 

Several hundred of the great and the good from Egypt’s business, marketing and communications industries came together this October for the second Narrative Summit in Cairo. With an agenda that was squarely focused on how Egypt could improve its brand image both at home and abroad, dozens of national and international experts spoke about how the country could re-establish itself as a leading destination for trade, investment and tourism.

The big theme among the Egyptian speakers was the need to leverage the notion of brand building to support the country’s transformation. “We must use the tools used by other countries to create change, promote a distinctive self-image and foster an international reputation that serves the nation’s interests in a positive and effective way,” said Hany Mahmoud, chairman of Vodafone Egypt, during his keynote.

Speaking from a foreign perspective, a host of experts listed their views on Egypt’s brand story, including a strong awareness of the country – thanks to its prominent role in the Bible as well as its ancient history – on top of its cultural offerings.