Revista de Economía y Negocios

Applying Anholt's National Branding Model: The Case of Kenya

Abstract

Mugo Mary and Mwencha Peter Misiani

In essence, branding a country improves its profile and reputation, thereby enabling it to attract foreign direct investments while making it an ideal destination for tourism and trade. For this reason, governmental entities are beginning to employ branding strategies to sell their regions and countries to the rest of the world. This phenomenon has resulted in a new concept of marketing called place branding. With Kenya seeking to position itself as an attractive investment destination and with aspirations of becoming a middle-income country by the year 2030, it is essential to identify the critical place branding strategies and ensure these are incorporated into the country’s strategic plan (Vision 2030) in order to compete effectively against competition. Accordingly, the researchers extensively review existing literature relating to place branding. From the analysis, the authors propose a conceptual framework for strategic place branding for Kenya. The paper concludes by suggesting areas that future studies should address.