Opinion
Basic blunder of ‘branding’
Martin Sherman
Published: 05.10.10, 11:12
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29 Talkbacks for this article
1. Interesting argument - but nothing practical here
Vernon Marriott ,   Tel Aviv   (10.05.10)
The argument that's put forward here is basically: we have principles and right on our side, the rest of the world is completely deluded as to who we are. It's an argument that says that A) we don't need to try; B) there's nothing we can do about it; C) it's everyone else's fault. The branding project as far as I can tell focuses on what Israel can be known for apart from war, conflct etc. It's trying to redefine the debate a bit to focus on the positive (without ignoring the very real issues that we have). Branding Israel strongly has clear economic benefits - look at South Africa (hosts of the world cup and one of the most successful Developing Countries); even Holon (which has managed to reinvent itself). In these and other cases, there were considerable benefits from tourism, inward investment and trade. These places, and others like them, have gone from also rans to flourishing success. Why can't Israel spend a fraction of what it spends on armaments, politicans pay and expenses etc to mark itself out for the common economic good?
2. Basic blunder of ‘branding’
Rogerio Schneider ,   São José - Brazil   (10.05.10)
I disagree of your opinion. It´s completely acceptable to hire a firm to promote a image of a country. In this case, we must remember that there is a constant and orchestrated campaign on the west and Islamic countries against Israel. The midia war is on. You should also speak about the permanent biased coverage of BBC, or Folha de São Paulo (from Brazil) and so on. Israel was chosen as target by muslins AND LEFT WING ACTIVISTS due its ties with United States. Israel is ever attacked with lies and negative points of view. The midia permanently find news, even small ones, to keep speaking bad about the jews.
3. No Amount OF PR Will Help Israel
World Citizen ,   the world   (10.05.10)
Brute military aggression cannot be made to appear as anything other than what it is. Discrimination against the Palestinians on the West Bank and Gaza and the Israeli-Palestinians living inside the pre-1967 borders is impossible to hide. All the gold in the world won't be able to change your image. Israel has to change for the better in order to be judged as worthy of respect by the civilized world. That is the bottom line.
4. Admit it, Israel SUCKS at PR
John ,   Houston USA   (10.05.10)
You guys desperately need all the help you can get
5. The branding blunder you are speaking about...
Hayes ,   Washington, DC   (10.05.10)
The branding blunder you are speaking about has more to do with improper foreign policy decisions than good public relations, and it is right for Israel to "market" itself both by good foreign policy decisions and by smart marketing techniques. I do agree that it is silly for Israel to advertise itself as a "cool" hedonist hub, a haven of tolerance for gays, brimming with vibrant pubs, with sensual beachfronts adorned with curvaceous bronzed bodies, but believe that Israel should market its strengths as a leader in industry and freedom and as an island of fairness and humanity in a troubled part of the world.
6. Oh the Arrogance ! No developed nation but "srael" !!!!!!
Salma ,   Palestine   (10.05.10)
Mr. Sherman ,It is not envy or malice...Simply get out of our lives forever, and let us alone.... I promise you we will not "begrudge" you anymore even if you became the world empire but don't stand so close to me then ask why you talk about me ?!! You must force yourself, though against your will, to do some good for your enemies and for yourself.
7. I am convinced.
Golan ,   Modiin   (10.05.10)
In my opinion Israel and the foreign ministry should only promote Zionist (center and right) artists. Its past mistake of promoting anti-Zionist and radical left artists to "show Israel's diversity" represented the left and the lefter to an already hostile enemy and to further confuse our friends. Latma does a better job of showing Israeli diversity than Reshet bet magazines like Jerusalem Report, Jerusalem Post, and Tikkun.
8. Translation: How to get rid the Palestinians
Steve Benassi ,   Silver Bay, MN USA   (10.05.10)
...and look good doing it.
9. Au contraire: use the experts instead of Israeli hacks
Brian Cohen ,   Judean Peoples Front   (10.05.10)
Outsourcing to competent people is MUCH preferable to relying on the incompetent party hacks who get the "hasbara" jobs in Israel. Case in point: the Government Press Office in Jerusalem that under Likud 25 years ago had a dozen staffers who provided information to foreign journalists, took them on tours, and helped them with their stories about the conflict. Today, there is less than a handful of staffers, only two people providing information to thousands of journalists who visit every year, and no full-time person to vet applications for press credentials. The director Danny Seaman quit, and has been replaced with a party hack who I'll give the benefit of the doubt until he does something - or doesn't do anything. The GPO headcount has been decimated over the years by greedy prime minister's office directors who took the body counts for themselves, leaving nobody to take care of the press - until the new Ministry of Information came around with new civil servants looking to make their own ivory tower bigger. Bottom line: foreign journalists are more likely to go around the corner to the Palestinian alternative info center, where they get all the services they need - and that Israeli simply doesn't bother providing. Instead of criticizing the PR move, Sherman should be demanding the outsourcing of other hasbara jobs to a much more competent private sector.
10. Hey Benassi - how do native Americans get rid of you?
Brian Cohen ,   Judean Peoples Front   (10.05.10)
How can the American Aboriginal Peoples get rid of occupation settlers like you? You Americans have occupied, massacred and suppressed the peoples whose lands you stole. Face it, Steve, compared to America we're doing a lot better than you Yanks. Unless, of course, you're offering to split Silver Bay Minnesota and give your house back to its rightful owners.
11. World Citizen (#3) is a perfect example
Tahl ,   Ashdod   (10.05.10)
of a phenomenon I recently discussed here. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3954664,00.html (post #7)
12. #8 Steve Benassi - Translation : HYPOCRISY
CK Tan ,   Singapore, Singapore   (10.05.10)
So SB is still SQUATTING in lands STOLEN from the Native Indians, the Hawaiians and Mexicans, I see. Any chance you of PACKING your bags and RETURNING these OCCUPIED lands?
13. Branding
Bruria   (10.05.10)
I attended a presentation for proposed branding. It stank to high heaven. We need better PR but that is only gong to happen when we decide to be proud of who we are and our achievements. Trying to fit into a "brand" designed by another country will never do it.
14. #10,#11,#12 why feed the trolls?
Danny   (10.05.10)
15. #3, why not? Worked for Hizbollah in 2006
Danny   (10.05.10)
They made an unprovoked attack on indisputably sovereign Israeli soil. Lebanese forces early this year did it again. In both cases somehow Israel was the "aggressor"
16. #3 PR works great
Israel Israeli ,   Tel Aviv   (10.05.10)
Obama is revered as a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate that leads a different America. This is the same Obama that has set an unprecedented record in arms sales, increased the butchery of innocent Afghan civilians to the level of genocide, approves wholesale torture and war crimes and expressed public support for the darkest regimes (Saudi Arabia, Iran) while abandoning democracies (Georgia, Ukraine).
17. Actually...you brand yourselves
Mikesailor ,   Miami, FL   (10.05.10)
That is the real problem. Reading this article will only convince others who are not Israeli, that Israel has truly become a fascist state to the applause and approval of the Israeli public. Keep up the good work.
18. :: PR will no longer work
Matty Groves ,   Fairport   (10.05.10)
The state of Israel has lost so much credibility that no amount of PR/Marketing/Hasbara will work - only by changing the ‘product’ can Israel redeem itself. You can spend billions on PR and it will all be money down the drain the next time Israel guns down civilians on a ship carrying international aid or wantonly bombs civilian houses and infrastructure. Heck it must be currently costing millions in PR just to undo the damage done to Israel’s image that the illegal settlers in the Palestinian WB do each month! Still in saying that if it is your own money (as opposed to US money) feel free to waste it as you see fit.
19. Branding is not the solution. Branding is the problem!
Alexander ,   Tel Aviv, Israel   (10.05.10)
Israel should never explain itself. Our enemies won't believe us and our friends don't need it. The world needs to brand itself to us and explain why we should take European, American, Russian, Arab and Moslem anti-Semitism and imperialism seriously and how we can ever like them. It is not the innocent person who stands accused who needs to explain himself - it is the self appointed judge who needs to explain himself to the innocent man. Martin Sherman's eloquent description of the fallacies and monstruous oversimplifations that shallow PR entails can be sufficiently and accurately described by these words: "despite all attempts to present Israel as "cool" hedonist hub, a haven of tolerance for gays, brimming with vibrant pubs, and sensual beachfronts adorned with curvaceous bronzed bodies,...." "Cool", "hedonist", "tolerance for gays", "sensual beachfronts adorned with curvaceous bronzed bodies" IS THE MAIN PROBLEM! Israel is no Disney Land. It is no whore house! It is no meat market. It is no bordello. It is no playground for twisted perverted behavior, drugs, prostitution and endless "parties" with exploding loudspeakers. Israel is A NATION. Israel is A CIVILIZATION. Israeli PR should bring out the noblest, finest characteristics of the Jewish people and Israel. Israel is no museum, it is no theocracy but is no hedonist whorehouse or bordello either. It is a NATION.
20. Ditto my comment (#11) for Matty.
Tahl ,   Ashdod   (10.06.10)
Matty repeats here the exact spiel I was analyzing, almost word-for-word. Incredible how repetitive and predictable his posts are getting.
21. Martin Sherman on branding
Eran ,   Singapore   (10.05.10)
You show extreme ignorance on modern PR and make a ridiculous case of it. Today, states, and multinationals, conglomerates extensively use branding to make themselves heard and survive. Even Croatia, Macedonia, Turkmenistan uses branding. Look at TV ads abroad, you'll understand. Thats how India got the Commonwealth games despite their making a sham of it. Toyota bounced back from their recalls of millions of cars this year. How do you think they did it? Branding. Every year, Philips, Siemens, General Electric spend billions for branding just to advance few places in the 500 Forbes companies, compete better and boost their business. Now go cry and stop the confusion you make.
22. An article just appeared in Ynet on the
Robert Haymond ,   Canada/Israel   (10.06.10)
increasing number of courses in U.S. colleges on Israel, everything from history to sociology to economics. The courses also expose Israel's weaknesses. In other words, Israel as it is. The growth in these courses and interest in them has been phenomenal. We should also have something similar on our own satellite not unlike al-Jazeera only more intimate. There are hundreds of stories to tell, hundreds of locations to view, several dozen ethnic groups to describe and thousands of years of history. That's what we should be doing. It would be kind of like inviting the international community into our own homes and familiarizing them with us. Ralph Ben Murgi, a Canadian broadcaster, did that in one series, called "My Israel". It was fabulous. It can be done. And thanks to Martin Sherman. His articles are always well researched and thoughtful.
23. No amount of PR...
Paul ,   Albuquerque, US   (10.06.10)
Can cover up collective punishment, collective humiliation, excessive use of force, silencing of dissenting voices, laws slanted to promote one ethnic group over another, etc., etc. The slippery slope is here, and Israel needs to face the fact that its current course will only lead to isolation.
24. Matty Groves and disinformation. Groves is losing.
Brian Cohen ,   Judean Peoples Front   (10.06.10)
Just found out that it is almost impossible to find a hotel room in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv or Tiberias from now until December! Damage to our reputation? No credibility? Fine, believe what you want to believe, but millions of people from around the world are speaking with their wallets and are filling Israeli hotels.
25. Branding Israel
Betty steinberg ,   Greenwich Ct   (10.06.10)
One must to wonder if this whole hasbarah discussion and waste of resources isn't a moot point. Israel Through European Eyes , an essay by Yoram Hazony , should be the starting point for any further debates on the subject.
26. Correct and realistic assessment
Nick ,   Tel Aviv Israel   (10.06.10)
We will continue being hounded and harassed by those whose ideology is indistinguishable from that of the 1930s NSDAP until we assert our legal rights under International Law to all the land ceded to us in the 1922 Partition.
27. branding
moon ,   galut   (10.06.10)
the brand cannot be rescued by pr because jews do not agree on zionist message to begin with and second in a world degenerating into base secular amorality israel is branded by the creator as a nation apart...the right story is very simple..'palestine' was given in trust to britain for arabs and jews after the great war and the britsh kept their promise to the arabs by giving them jordan and broke it to the jews..the proof is the map-israel is too small
28. LOL
Smith ,   TA, Israel   (10.06.10)
Hahahahahahahahahahaha..... stop, stop it, Martin, you're killing me ..... hahahahahahahahahaha! They all hate us! Boo hoo hoo. It's got nothing to do with our policies. Of course not! How foolish. All these goys are stupid and feckless morons who clearly can't see the truth. I totally agree with your Mr. Sherman. The only way to undo their poisonous propaganda is to continue claiming that blacks, I mean Palestinians, are not a people and incapable of governing themselves (let alone personal hygiene). With this perfect strategy in place the world will come to understand what we're dealing with. Indeed, they will no longer be jealous of our amazing drivers, rampant political corruption and excellent air quality, they will no longer show malice to us because they'll see we're surrounded by animals, and our campaign will dispel their willful ignorance. I salute you and your great intellectual comrades on Ynetnews! May we all bind together like a bushel of straw that becomes unbreakable.
29. Why Israel persists in this policy since 1993?
Dr S. YOram   (10.07.10)
This is a very perceptive and true article. Imagine a man blamed for killing somebody and possessing his property, who claims in his defense that he is a good scientist, musician and married to a beautiful wife. This is the distorted logic of Israel PR (Hasbara): no correlation between the allegations and the defense. Indeed if you have taken somebody's else country as is falsely alleged against Israel, this branding becomes irrelevant. It is the lies propagated in relation to the "occupation", "illegality of the settlements" etc. that should be refuted. But despite multiple appeals to Israel's MFA to revert to this logical policy, in place until 1993, even when the right is in power, they refuse, and therefore even powerful Jewish bodies in the diaspora adopt this illogical policy. The question is why?
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