This article was originally published in the Global Soft Power Index 2023.
Peru is ranked 76th in the Brand Finance Global Soft Power Index 2023, gaining five positions since its last ranking. Having adapted to the post-Covid economic climate, the nation is successfully building its Soft Power through international tourism and the promotion of Peruvian culture and customs.
Interview with PROMPERÚ
While some governments have only just established initiatives to support their nation brand, Peru can be proud of the numerous initiatives it has undertaken in recent years to promote the country.
We are very proud of our Peru Brand, which is about to celebrate its 12th anniversary. What have we achieved in this time? We have had a positive impact on the Peruvian economy through initiatives led by the public and private sectors. We developed the brand based on Peruvian motifs to reach the graphic identity of the Peru Brand, an icon that made us a reference in the region by positioning us as a safe country for tourism, the enjoyment of gastronomy, and the purchase of native products.
How can we say this today? This is thanks to studies that measure others' perception of us, or those that analyse the opinion of the national public. The Peru Brand has managed to consolidate itself in the national market thanks to numerous initiatives, tactical actions, and campaigns. Thus, it currently has 100% awareness and generates pride for 80% of Peruvians, according to the monitoring we have done with Peruvian research companies. We have been improving over the last year in terms of international perceptions, including in the Global Soft Power Index, leveraged mainly on the variety of experiences we offer in culture, gastronomy, sports, and entertainment.
On the other hand, we know how the country image and the positioning of the Peru Brand and Peruvian products in different categories are taking shape. Towards the end of 2022, the Mesias Institute awarded us as "Trusted Brand" at the ninth Ibero-American Country Brand Forum held in Uruguay, and we won awards at the World Travel Awards as Best Culinary Destination in South America, Best Cultural Destination in South America, and Best Tourist Attraction in South America. These achievements are in addition to the publication of National Geographic, which included our country in its list of the best destinations to visit in 2023, naming the archaeological site of Choquequirao as one of the five must-see adventure destinations for this year.
In this way, we make decisions based on consumer information and different aspects related to their preferences, habits, and new trends. We know our strengths and make them the axis of our communication, without forgetting that we must do so by adapting to each market: Latin America, Europe, the United States, and China, among others. This allows us to fine-tune our strategy to use the right channels and messages.
What have been the most complicated challenges in managing the Peru brand in the short and medium term?
Since the launching of the Peru Brand in 2011, PROMPERÚ – the Peruvian institution in charge of promoting tourism, exports, investments, and the country's image – and the country as a whole took on many challenges. As in other countries, we faced the pandemic and uncertain environments. However, Brand Peru identified new opportunities, taking on the challenge of adapting. First, we went back to looking inside Peru, recognising the country's differentiating attributes and how they contribute to society and the world, where we rediscovered who we are and all that we have to offer the world. Likewise, we have adapted to digital acceleration and new technologies, which today allows us to segment our communication: by country, lifestyle, age range -especially the new generations, both nationally and internationally.
Another challenge we see today is the reactivation of the tourism sector, which generates foreign exchange for the country in a decentralised manner, boosting various economic activities. Thanks to tourism, travellers can also learn about cultural expressions through our dances, music, handicrafts, textile fibres, and healthy and nutritious foods.
In the medium term, another challenge we have set ourselves is to help more companies export. The Peruvian export offer is diverse, and we have products such as superfoods, coffee, pisco, and alpaca that are highly accepted by different audiences and allow us to transmit the essence of the Peru Brand.
Finally, our great challenge is to make the Peru Brand better known. For this, the messages we deliver through trade, tourism, and the attraction of business investment are essential. These are truthful and attractive to our audiences. For this reason, constant monitoring of our publications is fundamental.
How do you define success for the Peru brand in the coming years?
The Peru Brand has achieved several milestones in each of the stages of its 12-year trajectory. In addition, building and consolidating a nation brand in the minds of audiences is a permanent task, always being at the forefront and overcoming the challenges that arise every year.
Among the goals we have for the coming years, we seek to consolidate our position in Latin America in the different rankings published internationally, and then enter the top 20 globally to compare ourselves with country brands in other continents, such as those of Finland or Australia.
In order to achieve these goals, it is important to generate synergy with our different audiences: the Peruvians themselves in our country and abroad, public institutions, private companies at the national level, and also to expand cooperation at the international level.
Likewise, the promotion developed by PROMPERÚ with the Peru Brand makes it possible to inform the world about the variety of tourist destinations, exportable value-added products and services, the various locations for the film industry and business investment opportunities.
Therefore, we will be able to see the success of our country brand as long as it remains alive in the minds of Peruvians and is increasingly valued at the international level. Because the success of the Peru Brand is the success of all Peruvians.
