Qatar National Vision 2030; Qatar is Magic Brand

Qatar National Vision 2030 (QNV 2030), launched in October 2008, builds a bridge from the present to the future. It aims to transform Qatar into an advanced country, sustaining its development and providing a high standard of living for all its people—for generations to come. It envisages all Qataris working together in pursuing these aspirations, with strong Islamic and family values guiding their collective energies.

Qatar uses magical tools of destination branding which are;

1. Culture
2. Education
3. Social Projects
4. Sport
5. Art
6. Media
7. Transport
8. Values

Qatar aims to get a leading position in his cultural region and geographical region, we can easily assume that this leading role will make Qatar important political and economic actor in the world. In this respect Qatar has started investing in marketing, branding, reputation and perception management very actively for transforming and restructuring its country image.
Significant efforts have been channeled into cultural and sports branding that have included: the annual Qatar Cultural Festival, the magnificent Museum of Islamic Art, as well as museums of history, photography, textiles and modern art, the Al Jazeera satellite television station, which ushered in a new era of critical and controversial broadcasting in worldwide, the establishment of Education City with local branches of a number of prominent U.S. universities, the creation of Qatar Airways and its development into one of the world’s major carriers.
Enterprise Qatar, Qatar Foundation, Qatar Development Bank are trying to equip Qataris with the skills, education and qualifications to be competitive in the global economy, challenging perceptions of a population spoiled by its natural gas wealth. Beside the non-profit organizations, Qatar brands like Qatar Airways and Al-Jazeera have important role to promote image of Qatar as knowledge-based sustainable developed country in the world.
Qatar Foundation focuses on education and community development. It has brought a number of international universities to Qatar to help develop an education sector in which young people can develop the attitudes and skills required for a knowledge economy that is not based on revenues from energy resources. One of Qatar’s aims is to become a commercially successful research and development (R&D) hub that attracts the best and brightest. The Foundation has played a key role in Qatar’s transformation into a political, economic and cultural powerhouse in the region, despite its small size.

For global perception of Qatar, the foundation sign important sponsorship deals in arts and sports such as sponsorship of Barcelona Football Club and emphasize Qatar’s role as a part of developed World. Also for Barcelona FC this was first time and accepting Qatar’s sponsorship deal was very meaningful.

Also Qatar Airways supports a range of exciting international and local initiatives dedicated to enriching their global community. An essential part of our marketing strategy, sponsorship assists them in expanding brand visibility and establishing lasting and loyal relationships with the customers. Qatar Airways seeks sponsorships that link Qatar Airways brand attributes and values with their customers, reinforce brand position efforts (including advertising and promotions), and provide a platform to deliver credibility for their country brand.

As a result of these efforts, the 22nd FIFA World Cup, an international football tournament is scheduled to take place in Qatar in 2022. It will be the first Arab country to host the World Cup and the first time it is held in the Middle East region. Qatar is the smallest nation by area ever to have been awarded a FIFA World Cup, this prove us that nothing is impossible, branding and investment have raised the small country’s visibility and ensured future returns.
Qatar also sought to engender goodwill through its provision of $100 million in aid to the U.S. after Hurricane Katrina in 2006 and its pledge to invest heavily in France’s poverty-stricken suburbs in 2012.

Branding a state is a difficult, long and expensive process requiring the creation or exploitation of a unique niche or set of niches. But successful branding for Qatar requires achieving distinctiveness. The exercise in branding has increased the prestige of the country and raised the recognition of Qatar around the world. It may further or deepen the legitimacy of the micro-state and thus enhance the prospects of its survival.

Country branding is a process used to develop a unique identity and personality that is different from all competitive destinations. So Qatar has chance to reach the goal because it has a distinctive branding strategy different from the others.

Walter Landor says; “Products are made in the factory, but brands are created in the mind.” I thing he tries to say city branding is not consisting only high buildings, long roads and bridges or new shopping malls. It needs a soul; it needs spirit of the citizens. This is the magic.

Qatar uses magical tools of destination branding very professionally for creating Qatar perception in every body’s mind.