Israel Consul General talks country brand

A strong brand delivers a promise, said Ido Aharoni, the New York Israeli Consul General.

Yesterday, Aharoni and Israeli Deputy Consul Raslan Abu Rukun spoke at “Brand Israel,” an event exploring the connection between marketing, world politics and Israel’s current “brand image” around the world. The event was hosted by the Marketing Undergraduate Students Establishment.

After a brief introduction by Rukun, Aharoni spoke to students about the idea of branding a nation. Aharoni became New York Israeli Consul General in August 2010, and learned about nation branding while serving as the Consul for Media and Public Affairs at the consulate in New York.

“Branding itself is first about the stakeholders — the people themselves,” Aharoni said. “It’s not about what we say. It’s about what they hear.”

Nations must actively manage their brand, he stressed. Israel is constantly portrayed negatively in the news, and until a few years ago, the nation as a whole wasn’t doing anything to try and promote itself, he added.

Branding a nation is “putting a human face on a product.”

“People draw different conclusions from the same text, so it is important to build meaningful, relevant relationships,” Aharoni said. “Otherwise, it is nearly impossible to improve the position of the country.”

How Israelis feel about their nation and how the rest of the world views it are disproportionate, too, Aharoni said. In other words, Israel’s brand is inferior to the product — the country of Israel.

Aharoni’s job is to slowly close that gap. He said this transformation is not something that will occur overnight. “It will take time.”

The key to any nation branding itself is to “find out what [the nation in whole] is good at and communicate that to relevant audiences,” Aharoni said. A nation must not allow competition to define it, he added.

While a nation can do a lot to alter its brand image, assumptions cannot be made, he said.

For example, a study involving 30 college-educated focus groups showed that Americans view Israel in a very dim light. But they would support Israel over Palestine 7 to 1.

People “can agree with you intellectually and disagree with you emotionally—it doesn’t have to be rational.

MUSE contacted Aharoni directly to bring him to campus. “Through this event, [MUSE] wanted to present a fresh and unique perspective of marketing through the lens of international politics,” said Wharton sophomore Marc Abundo, MUSE vice president of promotions and web.

Wharton freshman Andrea Cuartero, who attended the lecture, learned more about the concept of branding. “The strategies of branding should be applied to more important things in the world that matter, rather than just branding your clothes.”

This story has been updated to clarify the correct titles of Aharoni and Rukun.

Comments (12)

what a creepy event-

Our image problem has nothing to do with shooting white phosphorus at population centers- what we need is better “branding”! “public relations”!

Yeah, that’s the ticket…

Imagine if every government responded to massive public disdain for it’s policies by turning around and instead of addressing legitimate concerns – decided instead to smother us in propaganda and whitewashing.

Look up the word “consul,” and you’ll see that a person can’t be a member of one. You ARE a consul, or you are affiliated with a consulate and work in consular affairs, but you can’t be a member of a consul. As opposed to a “council,” with which “consul” apparently has been confused in this article.

Thanks, we have made a clarification within the article.

I’m starting to worry about you sas11. Too bad you were not there.You might have actually learned something. I was there and listened closely to the excellent speakers; I can attest that Ms. Collins article captured really well what the event was all about and was accurate. The event was not about the conflict at all. It was all about showing that the conflict and fighting Arab terror is NOT what Israel is all about—but about Tel Aviv’s vibrant night-life, about Israel’s natural beauty and that Israel’s women are the best-looking in the world ( cf. the Israeli super-model Bar Raphieli ). All right that last part is my own assertion Consul Akaroni did not say that I did. Accuse me of sexism not him. Anyway there was no whitewashing about anything. By the way, it is Hamas that uses white phosphorus for attacking civilians along with shooting thousands of missiles at Israel which is a war crime. Hamas started the war not Israel. Anyway a good time was had by all. I also want to note that Deputy Consul Rukun is a proud member of Israel’s Druse Arab community as well as a great Israeli citizen and excellent diplomatic representative of Israel. Under the Palestinian Authority’s apartheid plans no Jews could even be citizens of some future Palestinian State let alone serve as a diplomat. Think about it real hard sas11 before you toss around a lot of insults about an event you did even go to.

The correct name of the model is Bar Raphaeli, sorry! By the way what a contrast the Marketing event was to the recent BDS nonsense. Again this is my view not Consul Akaroni’s. But what a difference one side ( Israel ) is all about creative ways to create business success and opportunity for all of its citizens ; Jews and Arabs and everybody else—- while the other side (BDS) is all about boycotts, economic discrimination and exclusion solely based on racism and bigotry. again sas11, think about it !

Again more apologies it is Consul Aharoni not Akaroni. No offense was meant, I have problems with my eyesight and I need new glasses.

Here is a link to the video of the presentation: http://musepenn.org/2012/02/brand-israel-managing-a-nation-brand/

re: karl

haha, If I was a PR hack working for the Israeli government-I don’t think it would be too difficult to figure out that I’d rather talk about super models and beaches- than the effects of my government’s brutal military occupation:

“One in 10 Palestinian children now suffer from stunted growth due to compromised health, poor diet and nutrition and 50% of Palestinian children are anemic, and 75% of those under 5 suffer from vitamin A deficiency.”

You can try and blame the PLO, or Hamas all you want- but people not viewing the world through rose colored glasses know who the real power is in Palestine.

I have lots of connections to Israel, and this type of “marketing” event is part and parcel of the extensive efforts by the Israeli government to cover up the shame of its crimes.

Meanwhile, can you imagine the apocalyptic freak out you would probably have if a marketing group brought a spokesperson from Hamas to discuss their “brand”? Most of us, even you, would recognize it for what it is: a propaganda exercise.

The Hunster is not a “PR hack working for the Israeli government”, I’m my own hack , er man , and I “resemble “ any insinuations to the contrary. Consuls Aharoni and Rukun are not hacks either but trained members of the Israeli professional diplomatic corps. Your un- cited quote from unknown sources does not fool anyone, if the not-so-fine “Palestinian” leaders stole less aid money and then did not send it to secret Swiss bank accounts or spend it on weapons and terrorism every “Palestinian “ child could be living in the lap of luxury. Ask Suha Arafat , Yassir’s widow , that he only married to cover up his homosexuality, where the money went. Maybe to live on the French Riviera… There is no “brutal military occupation” except in your twisted little imagination; most “Palestinians” live under the corrupt Palestinian Authority completely bank-rolled by the Western countries like the U.S the UK , France who also funnel money to the anti-Israel George Soros front groups aka phony “ Israeli NGO’s” like the B’tselem weasels that came to Penn recently. Those are the real PR hacks you are talking about! The Consular event was not to cover any non-existent crimes but to bolster Israel’s economy. Unlike your “Palestinian friends Israelis have to work for a living—they cannot leech off the International dole to be the beggar -terrorists of the world. Freed from the need to actually produce or accoplish anything all they do is sit around and make babies and then lie about the evil Israelis depriving them. Its Israeli children who are nutritionally deprived because they do not get food from UNRWA which spends billions on the “poor starving cute little Palestinians. Its the PA , and their new-found allies Hamas in their phony “unity government” that owes hundreds of millions of dollars to their terror victims in court cases they lost because they could not bother to show up in court thinking they were shielded by a non-existent country “Palestine”‘s non-existent sovereignty. Hey its time to pay up “Palestinian” dead-beats. No Hamas PR agents could possibly come to Penn since they would be instantly arrested as members of an Internationally-declared terrorist organization. The only reason PA representatives can come here and not have all their assets seized to pay off the U.S. court judgements against them (see above) is a special U.S. waiver. Its only because of Western counties supporting them to appease their Saudi friends that the phony Abbas , his erstwhile henchman, can rule over their phony Authority while laughing their way to the bank the whole time. The real power in “Palestine” is Iran which smuggles in weapons and money. Hezbollah gets most of its money from the International drug-trade. The whole thing is a big charade and dupes like you are taken in by it. Not the HUN MAN ! Let us have some real facts like I always have and less lies Mr.sas11 !

haha,

Im really enjoying watching you try to respond to people like me or Phan on these boards. The more people associate rabid pro-Israel support with those attending the Glenn Beck school of logic, the more it helps BDS so I really have to thank you.

I think you outline more or less the picture I am trying to paint of the worldview of fanatical Israel supporters in the US. A good example from your rant is how you at once concede that the PLO is in fact an American and Israeli propped up, imposed ,corrupt security apparatus- and than further blame the Palestinians for that as well!

If people like you didn’t exist, entities like Hamas would have to make you up.

Re: Mr.sas11. You’re pseudo-sophisticated post-modern too-cool-for-school ironic posturing is getting very tedious. You missed the entire point of my “rant” as you call it. Consuls Aharoni and Rukun made a business and marketing presentation because Israel is NOT an International-beggar terrorist phony entity like the Palestinian Authority and Iranian supported Hamas run Gaza. Israel must attract business, innovate especially in the high-tech field and medical field because they have to support themselves by productive work something your “Palestinian” friends would not know about. the PA and Gaza can engage in terror and be hopelessly corrupt and not worry abuot the need to work because the basic needs are all paid for by others making them the leeches they are. THAT was my whole point—- UNRWA pays for most of their food, the Europeans pay for most of their electricity, the U.S. paid for the training of their “security forces” etc. etc. It is true that the U.S. and Israel do prop up the PA. (NOT the PLO which is still based in Tunisia). Why, I do not know. The HUN MAN is not ruler of the universe. Part of the reason is they were duped into false promises of the “Palestinians” you love so much—since they have violated EVERY last sentence and term of the Oslo Accords. The U.S. and Israel should end ALL aid and all co-operation with the Pa and PLO—we do agree about that. I never supported the “peace process” to begin with. You, sas11, brought up non-existent “starving” Palestinian children; and I trued to explain that the PP and Gaza receive billions from the UN and other donors. It is sad you cannot come up with real facts and seem to have no grasp on the realities Israel faces dealing with so much hatred ( as we saw first -hand from the BDS anti-Israel freak show. I do want to emphasize the utter impropriety of comparing Israel to Hamas to Israel. One is a sovereign recognized State that has every right to have their diplomats make a business presentation ; the other; Hamas is nothing but a gang of terrorists whose entire “business” is death and destruction as explicitly stated in the Hamas Charter for all to read. Your puerile tactics of implying ANY comparison did not get past the HUM MAN so you are foiled again Mr. sas11 !!

Return Muslim-occupied Cyprus and the Hostage Ghost City of Famagusta (home of the desecrated St. Nicholas Cathedral)— then victimhood cultists can howl about the alleged “rights” of Muslim invaders to other lands (from the Phillipines to Morroco) from which apartheid Islamo-supremacists extirpated native populations through genocide.

VIDEO: Famagusta, The Hostage Ghost City of Europe @
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcfBJ7DimB8

Those interested in exploring the history of Apartheid Islamo-supremacism in a more scholarly manner may read, “The Legacy of Jihad: Islamic Holy War and the Fate of Non-Muslims “ @
http://www.amazon.com/Legacy-Jihad-Islamic-Holy-Non-Muslims/dp/1591026024

St. Nicholas called— he’d like his cathedral back.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Nicholas_Cathedral_Of_Cyprus

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