Kellogg on Branding in a Hyper-Connected World

CHAPTER 21Repositioning a Country Brand: Changing the Conversation about Mexico

Gloria Guevara

When people think about brands, what typically comes to mind are classic consumer brands such as Coke, Starbucks, and Apple. However, branding is a factor across many different parts of the economy.

In recent years, the country of Mexico has faced a series of branding challenges. A campaign to reposition the brand of Mexico successfully addressed these challenges, and the experience highlights why branding is so important and how leaders can change brand perceptions.

The Challenge

In 2009 Mexico faced what experts described as a “perfect storm,” which resulted in a significant economic downturn for the economy. Several factors contributed to the storm: the H1N1 flu outbreak; fighting among drug cartel gangs (which led to violence in certain areas of the country); and the financial and economic crisis in the United States, whose economy is intertwined with Mexico’s. Tourism and travel, a critical economic sector for Mexico, was particularly hard hit: the country saw a decline of four million people in international visitors. Despite efforts to reverse the decline, the negative trend continued into the first half of 2010.

Travel and tourism is the third-largest contributor to the Mexican economy after oil and remittances, accounting for 16 percent of the Mexican GDP and employing around eight million people.¹ However, this important sector lacked the strong foundation needed to withstand ...