Branding for the Public Sector: Creating, Building and Managing Brands People Will Value

Chapter 1 The Public Sector and Branding

Public sector brands can be found in every country of the world, whether intentionally created or not. Public sector institutions and organizations all have relationships with individual consumers, businesses, other countries and governments, and so on, and thus they all have images of some kind. Because perceptions held by stakeholders and “customers” are so important in achieving success for the public sector, the need to control, manage and build brand images is of fundamental importance. Failure to undertake branding activity may well lead to negative perceptions and lesser achievement of national objectives.

Branding in the public sector is no longer a “nice to have” but a “must have.” Increased competition in every sector makes branding an imperative. From nations to non-profit organizations, from civil services to cities, from sectors to services, there is no escape from the tough requirement of the need to create a point of differentiation and a positive image. Competition is ubiquitous and every country or public sector entity is fighting for a share of voice, talent, political support and funding. In the age of resource scarcity and constant change, the only way forward in convincing customers and stakeholders that any public sector institution or organization is different and better than others, is through the development of a strong brand. Everything else can be replicated, whether it is services, products, processes, systems, ...