By Gerry Hopkins

Yes, I am convinced that we should do so. To begin with, how about we consider re-including “Spice” as the essential and uniquely operative subject noun and adjective in our official tagline — as THE PRIMARY TAGLINE; not as an afterthought-subtext in fine print, which is often not included, not seen, not read, not mentioned and therefore not communicated to those whom we target and are trying to woo for purposes of business and pleasure — investors and tourists, respectively.

In other words, we should not be “Pure Grenada” with a small-print subtext that says: “The Spice of the Caribbean”. Instead, we should simply be:

“Spice Isles of the Caribbean

Petite Martinique, Carriacou & Grenada.”

Or, “The Spice of the Caribbean

Grenada, Carriacou & Petite Martinique.”

As the author of “Why Nation Branding Is Important For Tourism,” Thomas Cromwell, puts it, “Nation branding is not simply coming up with a cute logo and tag line. It has a much deeper purpose: to position a nation so that it can achieve the maximum success in the world system, including garnering the maximum international recognition and clout, robust business relations with the world, and a healthy tourism industry. By doing this, a nation brings the maximum benefit to its people by giving them dignity, and by creating jobs and wealth.” (Cromwell, 2014)

So why are some Grenadians following the ill-advised decision to use a new logo and tagline of “Pure Grenada”, which is quite cliche in the vein of “pure this, pure that”, besides being a relatively new, bland, hardly known, non-original misnomer.

Let’s not forget, we already have had for over 75 years, an original, attractive (sexy), absolutely global, fully branded nutmeg logo and “Spice” worded tagline(s): “Isles of Spice”, “Spice of the Caribbean”, “Spice Isles”, which are all more symbolically meaningful and better known than the imported, forced and artificially fertilized “Pure Grenada.”

In my view, the use of “Pure Grenada” as the official logo and tagline of Grenada, was and still is a very questionable, unwise and costly attempt at re-branding Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique.

A book on the topic of nation branding, which is a must-read, for branding professionals, enthusiasts and all who care about the future of Petite Martinique, Carriacou and Grenada, is “Nation Branding”. This is an insightful, well-researched, finely-written and results-oriented handbook on how to use country brands for the good of nations and peoples. It was authored by the international branding consultant and author, Andreas Markessinis.

Here is a helpful excerpted description of the publication, taken from a website through which the handbook can be obtained:

“In spite of the increasing interest by academics, consultants and public policymakers, there are still diverging and incohesive notions about nation branding and the field remains both challenging and under-explored.

This handbook attempts to shed some light in a comprehensive manner with an accessible, jargon-free fresh approach. The book sets out the foundations of nation branding, explaining key concepts and providing a reference theoretical model with its core components. Later, the book explores the idea of identity and purpose, and how they are connected with national image.

The importance of provenance is also addressed, and the impact the country of origin has on products, brands and people is examined. The book goes on to explore the visual aspects of country brands and studies the significant symbology representing the nation. Finally, the book also analyzes the good, the bad and the ugly of nation brands, and suggests tips for improvement.

Although written in plain English, the book provides an excellent in-depth approach and outlines all of the basic tools and assets needed to manage and enhance a country brand, with dozens of illustrative examples from across the world. It sets out the ground rules for successful nation branding in the 21st century, explaining why understanding the dynamics of national identity and reputation, branding and policy-making is so crucial for the performance of countries.”