It’s cliché, shallow and fragmented, according to Paul Lavoie, CEO of Taxi. In his speech on Nation Branding in Ottawa last year he said

“We need a [political] vision for Canada that clearly articulates the type of country we want to be [in terms of] the near-future economy, social programs, environment, foreign policy, and the strategies and tactics required to realize this vision.”

Nation branding is about reputation, Lavoie explained to the crowd of what seemed like a bunch of politicos & bureaucrats in the video (I wasn’t there unfortunately). Reputation-building is about ideas, not products, even if we do have some great ones that nobody seems to know are Canadian. What is our reputation?  Mountains, trees and snow? Oh dear.

Why is it important anyway? Well, first of all, as Simon Anholt, author of Competitive Identity explains:

“A country’s brand is important to win a share of the world’s consumers, tourists, investors, students, entrepreneurs, international sporting and cultural events, and for the attention and respect of the international media, of other governments, and the people of other countries.” All of which adds to the nation’s bottom line.

Furthermore, if affects who we are as a people, as Evan Potter wrote in the Globe & Mail a few weeks ago.

“When a country’s citizens see themselves reflected in the mirror of others’ perceptions, that reflection can either strengthen or weaken national identity and citizenship”

Basically, people who can tell their story; win. Countries who take their storytelling to a professional level outperform, Lavoie explains. How well is Canada performing?