Brand Kenya is a state organization that was launched in March 2008. It was given the mandate to create, harness and sustain an integrated national brand in the long term. This corporation aims at making Kenya a better place to live, work and invest in. Brand Kenya was started as a campaign after the post-election violence that transpired in the year 2007/2008. When it was started, one of its main agendas was to make Kenyans believe in their own country and this still remains its primary objective to date.
This corporation keeps Kenyans abreast of achievements and progress that the country is making while unifying and organizing them towards participating in national building. It wishes to sell Kenya as a brand to the outside world, in order to attract foreign investors. National branding is a major agenda of this organization, which involves strategic self-expression in order to position Kenya within the reach of potential investors.
Essence of national branding
- Facilitates the achievement of Vision 2030
- Pushes the need for national identity
- Global and regional positioning
- Creates a prevailing perception and positive image
The Kenyan lifestyle and culture are multifaceted and this is expressed in various forms. This is because the Kenyan population comprises of various religious and cultural backgrounds. However, the diversity of the Kenyan culture is what sets the platform for a lifestyle that makes Kenya unique. Therefore, Brand Kenya seeks to preserve and conserve these things that make Kenya unique. Some of these things include;
- Athletic prowess
- M-PESA
- Wildlife diversity
- Nyama choma
- Spectacular beaches
- Breathtaking landscape
- The people of Kenya
According to the Brand Kenya Board at a meet up with bloggers on 28th May 2019, the largest Kenyan population is between the ages of 16 and 40. This means that youths are the majority in the country. To ensure that their mandate is achieved, Brand Kenya targets young people to send their message across the country. The board urged bloggers to maintain a positive image about the nation, in order to build a confident outlook of the country within and outside Kenya.
In order to ensure that their goals are realistic and maintain positivity in the midst of challenges, Brand Kenya uses a solution-based approach. Since it was launched, Brand Kenya has managed to achieve a number of things including developing the mark of identity that enhances competition, the Plus 254 local branding campaign, and improved public service among other things.
BranKenya urges Kenyans to promote Kenyan-made products in order to build Kenya.
