MICHAŁ NOWOSIELSKI: About the Strategy of Promoting Poland

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PRZEGLĄD ZACHODNI

2009, No 3

MICHAł NOwOsIELskI

Poznań

About the StrAtegy of Promoting PolAnd

Acting on the invitation to join the dicuion about Polih foreign policy, hich

ill tae place on the page of “Przegląd Zachodni” (wetern Revie), I ould lieto tae up a topic hich i relatively not very popular, at leat in academic dicoure.

Promoting a country i for many academic either an iue of little importance or

even of a lightly uneriou nature. At the ame time hoever, it role i becoming

more and more valued in today’ globalied orld. Beyond doubt, thi i related to

the increaing denity of relation beteen politic and the economy. The tate i no

longer perceived a a political intitution only but alo a an economic entity. Than

to the opening of nancial maret a large o of capital among countrie ha been

oberved. The ey element of the trategy aimed at attracting foreign capital i then

the capacity to create an image of the country hich i amiable toard foreign

invetment. The ituation i imilar in the exchange of good here countrie/pro-ducer hich have a good reliable brand dra ubtantial economic benet. Fur -

thermore, tourim hich ha become a very important branch of the economy relie

on the poitive image of the place here one can enjoy pending time. It eem

therefore that the more frequent ta of creating foreign policy i to conciouly cre-

ate the image of the country. Thi of coure doe not imply a crii ithin traditional

diplomacy (although it i a ell undergoing continuou change), neverthele it

hould be emphaized that promotion i gaining importance in foreign policy.

when taling about promoting a country mot often everal not alay inter -

changeable term are ued. The rt mot general term i undoubtedly ‘promoting

a country’ hich occur more frequently in journalitic dicuion than in academic

literature. Broadly peaing it encompae a range of activitie aimed at informing

the general public about the country and it characteritic, objective and the oppor -

tunitie it can offer. Another term frequently ued i nation branding hich mean

creating image of countrie or nation a brand. The broadet term i ‘mareting’

hich in the context I explore in thi paper appear in ub-dicipline uch a ‘region

mareting’, ‘place mareting’, or nally a mot intereting here ‘nation mareting’

compriing the procee of planning and implementing the concept of the tate and

it nation a ell a promoting them in international maret.

From the perpective of nation branding Poland i a country ith a poor image.Thi i caued on the one hand, by our location on the emi-peripherie of Europe



280 Micha Nooieli

and on the other hand, by the lac of clearly recognizable brand of product and

ymbol hich are traightforardly preent in the concioune of other ocietie.

The attempt to mae Poland a trong contender in the international arena (at leat

on the regional cale) have not a yet brought the expected poitive effect. There ia lac of recognizably made-in-Poland product hich could contribute to the build-

ing of a poitive and clear image. similarly, hat the Polih tourim indutry offer

although intereting till remain little non.

All the image related problem are reected in the reult of the Anholt-Gfk

Roper Nation Brand Index 1 decribed a a typical conumer urvey ith ca. 20

thouand repondent from 20 countrie. The repondent are aed to evaluate each

country in ve categorie: conumer good export, governance, culture, people,

tourim, attracting foreign capital in term of invetment and human capital.

Individual data add up for the overall grade on the bai of hich a country i

being raned. In 2008 in the general raning Poland a raned at 30.

Export of

conumer

good

Govern-

ance

Culture People Tourim Immigration and foreign

invetment

1 Germany 3 4 4 7 10 5

2 France 5 10 1 11 2 6

3 Great Britain 4 9 3 6 4 2

4 Canada 6 2 12 1 7 1

5 Japan 1 17 8 8 8 10

6 Italy 9 18 2 3 1 9

7 The United state

of America

2 22 5 13 6 2

8 sitzerland 7 1 18 5 8 4

9 Autralia 10 5 11 2 5 7

10 seden 8 3 13 4 14 8

11 spain 12 16 6 8 3 12

12 The Netherland 11 7 14 12 18 11

13 Noray 13 6 23 14 20 14

13 Autria 16 13 15 18 15 1515 Denmar 14 7 24 16 23 13

16 scotland 22 14 16 15 12 17

17 Ne Zealand 20 12 25 10 16 15

18 Finland 15 11 27 18 27 18

19 Ireland 24 20 22 17 19 20

20 Belgium 19 15 26 21 28 19

21 Brazil 27 26 10 20 13 23

22 Ruia 17 43 7 31 22 25

1 For more information ee the ebpage http://.gfamerica.com.



281About the strategy of Promoting Poland

23 Iceland 28 19 38 22 32 21

24 singapore 23 23 40 25 30 22

24 Argentina 31 28 17 23 26 28

26 Mexico 35 33 21 24 17 31

27 India 26 41 20 26 24 34

28 Hungary 32 21 32 27 33 24

28 China 21 48 9 41 21 33

30 Pa 29 23 30 28 36 26

31 Czech Republic 30 25 29 29 35 27

31 Egypt 39 36 18 32 10 43

33 south korea 18 31 33 39 43 41

34 Thailand 36 39 37 29 25 39

35 Taian 25 31 43 33 41 32

36 Turey 38 37 28 37 31 36

source: The Anholt-Gfk Roper Nation Brand IndexsM 2008 Report, http://.preence.ch/d/800/pdf/800b_

sitzerland_2008_NBI_Report.pdf.

In each of the lited categorie e occupy a imilar poition. Thi eem to dem-

ontrate quite ell the pecicity of Poland’ image (a ell a of imilar countrie

in the region) a lacing a ditinctive feature or an area in hich e ould be mar -

edly recognizable. such an aumption implie the need to point out area hich

could provide ground for promotion practice and hich ould allo to utain

poitive aociation ith Poland in the ocial concioune.

Thi idea hoever, require a ell-conidered and deliberate promotional prac-

tice. Yet, oberving the activitie promoting ‘Poland’ brand’, one can have an im-

preion that thee activitie are not a reult of implementing a coherent trategy.

Quite on the contrary, it eem that they tae place ad hoc. Undoubtedly, one of

the reaon for thi ituation lie in the lac of coordination of individual activitie.

Thi tem from the fact that variou intitution are involved in promoting Poland.

Primarily the ta of promoting Poland i in the hand of the Minitry of Foreign Af -

fair hich include the Department of Public and Cultural Diplomacy (formerly the

Promotion Department). Thi Department “implement activitie aiming at creatinga poitive image of Poland ith the ue of public diplomacy tool. It alo exercie

management over the internet ebite of the Minitry of Foreign Affair”2. Until

quite recently the baic promotional tool ued by the Promotion Department ere

tudy viit by journalit and foreign expert in Poland. Additionally, the Depart-

ment together ith the Minitry of Culture and National Heritage ha participated in

organizing event highlighting Polih cultural heritage, including, for example con-

ference, competition, exhibition, or larger event uch a, for intance ‘A Polih-

German Year’, ‘Polih Day’ in elected countrie, or ‘The Year of Joeph Conrad’.

2 Minitry of Foreign Affair, http://.mz.gov.pl./



282 Micha Nooieli

Recently the Promotion Department ha been engaged in project undertaing the

ue of anniverarie of great importance for Poland for promotional purpoe, for

example the 25th anniverary of etablihing ‘solidarity’ or the 60th anniverary of

the ending of wwII. Another event orth mentioning here, and co-nanced by theMinitry, i the exhibition combined ith a erie of event ‘we Berliner!’ concern-

ing the participation of Polih people in the life of Berlin’ pat and preent.

Beide, the Minitry ha been promoting Poland on the Internet, primarily u-

ing the Poland ebite3. There are alo ome publication hich are being prepared

including: brochure (general, e.g., “Poland in brief”, and thematic, e.g., “German

Nazi camp in occupied Poland during ww II”), a ell a boo, journal (“The

Polih Voice”, “Polih Culture”), calendar and other.

Polih Intitute erve a the Minitry’ tool to promote Poland abroad. Their

“main objective i to dieminate Polih culture, the noledge of hitory and na -

tional heritage acro the orld, a ell a to promote cooperation in the area of

culture, education and ocial life. In many place Polih Intitute alo fulll the role

of department of Polih Embaie for culture and education”4. At preent there are

22 Polih Intitute in variou countrie of the orld.

The change of the name of the Department reponible for promoting Poland and

ome initiative taen by the Minitry of Foreign Affair ugget that there are plan

to change promotional practice to enhance the o-called public diplomacy hich in-

clude haping public opinion in individual countrie. One of it intereting feature

i uing ell non people ho have on recognition and high eteem to build the

image of the country. It i too early a yet to evaluate the efciency of thi change.The reponibility for promoting Poland, hoever, i alo hared by other

minitrie ithin the cope of their competencie. The to hoe role need to be

emphaized are the Minitry of Culture and National Heritage and the Minitry of

Economy. Apart from that there are certain intitution hich have been etablihed

to improve the image of Poland in very narroly dened target group. At leat

to uch intitution can be mentioned here: the Polih Information and Foreign

Invetment Agency s.A. (in Polih abbreviated a PAIiIZ) and the Polih Tourit Or -

ganization (in Polih in brief POT). The main objective of the former (PAIiIZ) i the

“groth of the o of ‘Foreign Direct Invetment’ (FDI) a a reult of encouraginginternational corporate buinee to invet in Poland. The Agency provide ait-

ance for foreign invetor throughout all the neceary adminitrative and legal pro-

cedure hich occur in the proce of implementing an invetment project. Another

miion of the PAIiIZ i creating a poitive image of Poland in the orld a ell a

promoting Polih produce and ervice”5. On the other hand, the Polih Tourit Or -

ganization (POT) ha a it aim:

3 Poland, .poland.gov.pl.

4 Ibidem.5 PAIiIZ, http://.paiz.gov.pl.




“Promoting Poland a an attractive country for tourim,1)

Enuring the operation of and improvement of the Polih ytem of tourit infor -2)

mation in Poland and abroad,

Initiating, providing aement and upport for plan concerning the develop-3)ment and modernization of the tourit infratructure”6.

The diperion of the intitution reponible for promoting Poland i the reaon

for the lac of coheive operation. It can create an impreion of chao but it alo, if

not above all, mae all the independently organized promotional campaign le ef -

fective than if they ere organized a an element of one coheive promotional trat-

egy. The lac of coordination mae the expene on ingular promotion activitie

higher and their reult le effective. In a ay e have got ued to the fact that no

and again public opinion i informed about CNN or BBC broadcat of advertie-

ment promoting Poland, either a a tourit detination or a an attractive place for

invetment. Thi ind of activity, hoever doe not bring poitive and long-lating

effect.

Nation mareting require a long-term trategy hich ill rt of all determine

the objective of the promotion, econdly it hould dene it recipient, thirdly the

mean hich hould be ued, and fourthly the tool and indice of aeing it effec-

tivene. The Council for Promoting Poland ha been in operation ince 2004 a an

opinion-maing adviory body of the Polih Council of Miniter hoe main aim

i to draft the “Frame strategy for Promoting Poland until 2015”. According to the

Minitry of Foreign Affair the complete document ill be ubmitted to the Council

of Miniter mot liely in the econd half of 2009.Although ome information about the trategy ha leaed to the pre7 the Min-

itry ha aed not to reveal it content. It i poible hoever to voice a fe general

remar. what caue the mot concern i the aumed time cale. Having aumed

that the implementation of the trategy tart in 2010, it mean that it ha been calcu-

lated for only 5 year. Hoever, a truly long-term trategy hould be projected for

the folloing 20-30 year. It long-term nature require a rather logan-baed and

general (that i indeed frame-lie) denition of it guideline determining it mot

important objective and direction, hich then can become the bai for drafting

more detailed trategie.

The econd iue i the quetion of the tarting point, that i a diagnoi of the

preent image of Poland. Building a trategy of promoting Poland one cannot rely

only on the generally available reult of the simon Anholt urvey mentioned earlier

on a they are too general. It i neceary to conduct reearch aimed at decribing the

tarting condition of Poland’ image and carry out further urvey hoing hether

or not and hat ind of change have occurred a a reult of planned activitie.

6 Legal Act from 25 June 1999 about the Polih Tourit Organization, Dzienni Uta (Journal of

La) from 23 July 1999.

7 Cf. P. kula, A. Panuzo, Sikorski wypromuje Polskę [Sikorski will promote Poland ], “Pola – The Time” 28.04.2009.



284 Micha Nooieli

The reearch hould comprie of opinion poll, attitude of ocial leader and the

preence of Poland in political dicoure. It i equally neceary to dene ho

(hich countrie and hich people) i the target of our promotional practice. with-

out a detailed denition of the target group it i impoible to tal about a trategy of action. Each target group i of a different nature and therefore it require a different

approach. we have to decide hich communitie, or otherie hich ection of

thee communitie are epecially important for u. It i poible to enumerate at leat

a fe categorie of target group uch a our neighbouring countrie, countrie of the

region important from the point of vie of our interet, more ditant countrie but

ith ignicant political and economic potential, etc. Each of thee group require

a different ind of meage.

The third important iue i a lac of a clear viion of hat e ant to promote.

what i needed here i the o-called ey concept or idea hich ill become a guid-

ing force of the entire trategy and it activitie. Thi idea, on the one hand hould

tem from the reearch reult and on the other hand, it hould be a reult of a reec-

tive contribution from communication pecialit. The lac of the central idea mae

u again ‘dangle’ beteen variou conception; once e ant to come acro a

a trong country ith a ell-developed infratructure and education, another time e

ant to be een a an ideal place for ecotourim. we ant our image to be modern

and at the ame time e emphaize our hitorical role8. The multitude of idea can

mae our meage incoherent and thu le effective.

There i another potentially ignicant gap in the trategy of Poland’ promo-

tion, namely lac of appreciation of an important factor hich ha an impact on theimage of every country and hich reide in the attitude of it citizen. The ay

Polih people perceive Poland and it capabilitie a ell a the ay they tal about

it can have a very trong impact on the ay Poland i perceived abroad. If e do not

turn our attention to the o-called internal nation branding , and if e do not tart to

hape poitive attitude of Pole toard our country and it intitution many pro-

motional activitie that e undertae may not bring expected reult.

The above four general reervation ho the baic eanee of the trategy.

They primarily are the effect of maing the effort put into developing the trat-

egy a political iue. After all, the Council for Promoting Poland doe conit of

politician and ofcial from individual minitrie and not of communication and

promotion expert. Thi ha eriou drabac a for the quality of the document.

Additionally, implementing the trategy remain an open iue. so far the bodie

etablihed for the purpoe of promoting Poland in variou domain ere tate in-

titution. Hoever, promoting Poland could be more effective if it a carried out

8 It i orth mentioning here that meage referring to hitorical event are ometime overued

in promotional practice. It hould be remembered that variou ceremonie commemorating important

hitorical event hould be organized ithin the cope of the o-called hitory policy and not ithin

promoting Poland. The effectivene of uing anniverarie and celebrating them to promote a countryi, a a matter of fact, problematic.




in cooperation ith other entitie including both buine enterprie and non-gov-

ernmental organization. It eem that promoting Poland in many cae require in-

novation and dynamic action hich i frequently miing in tate intitution. It i

quite liely that a poitive effect could be gained by opting for a partnerhip beteen public and private initiative.

summing up, it hould be aid that depite the fact that promoting Poland i

gradually becoming an increaingly important element in politic the quality of ug-

geted olution leave much to be deired. what i miing rt of all i a long-

term perpective exceeding the parliamentary term of ofce. The practice hich

are adopted are often characterized by glaring temporarine. what i more, there

i a lac of coordination beteen individual intitution reponible for promotion.

The recently drafted Frame strategy for Promoting Poland may not be able to meet

all the expectation. It remain to be hoped that it preparation and implementation

ill provide experience hich then ill contribute to the development of another

frame trategy, not only by name, for promoting Poland.



Documents

MICHAŁ NOWOSIELSKI: About the Strategy of Promoting Poland