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It’s the 1890s. British colonists travel almost 5000 miles to dock their vessels on the sunny shores of Jamaica. They’re escaping harsh English winters, leveraging the climate to recover from health problems. This is how plantation owners and their friends initiated Jamaica’s Tourism Industry and the health tourism sub industry . They used the excess capacity from the United Fruit Company to transport visitors to Jamaica. This would later become Jamaica’s Cruise Ship industry. These season trips gave way to the first hotels in Montego-Bay and Port Antonio and subsequently the Jamaica Tourist Association, established in 1910.

  Fast forward to 2014. Jamaica is still known internationally for sun, sand and sea, and not much else. We’ve received recognition for Reggae Music predominantly through the life and musical legacy of Bob Marley. Our vibrant culture has international appeal in every corner of the globe, and Jamaica has grown to be  one of the most sophisticated Caribbean nations. The je ne sais quoi of Jamaica’s people married to our artistic landscape have brought visitors from far and wide to enjoy all that our island has to offer, but its time we rebrand the way we sell Jamaica.

  The world has changed since the 19th century. The reality today is that the Asian market has gotten more wealthy and sophisticated. The rise in wealth in the middle class in China is shifting global consumption. Dubai has risen as an attraction for Chinese consumers by exploiting its shopping experience - a strategy also used to target visitors from other continents. Dubai’s economy has benefitted from a redefinition of how Dubai wanted to the world to see it - brand Dubai saw 25% of sales from tourism originating from the wealthy Chinese.

  Brand Jamaica 25 years ago (infographic)

Jamaica today should put forward a unified strategy that exploit the benefits of the following:

  What should Jamaica brand be today? (infographic)

Track & Field

The success of Usain Bolt, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, our other athletes and the competitiveness of our high school Track & Field Championship has put Jamaica at the centre of track and field.

  Outsourcing (Creative & ICT)

Jamaica has been tapped for its creativity to aid in the development of the global animation outsourcing industry. Major animation companies have contracted Jamaican companies to aid in the production of animation programs.  According to AT Kearney, a global management consulting firm, Jamaica is the Caribbean’s leading outsourcing centre. Jamaica has attracted foreign investment through key incentives since the 1990s that aided in the development of this industry. The island is attractive as an outsourcing due to its close proximity to the United States, a leader in global sourcing.

  Health tourism

We have long been identified as a source for Health Tourism, and though the opportunities have presented themselves before, we are just building the first hospital to target this sector. According to the Government of Jamaica, plans are underway to establish a US$200m - 75 bed facility in Montego-Bay.

Logistics hub

Jamaica is already a major transhipment port of the Caribbean. The opportunities to establish a logistics hub in Jamaica will help to expand on our existing infrastructure and make and build the attractiveness of our island as a place to do business.

  Music (Jazz, Soca and Reggae)

Over the years, Bob Marley has been the sole flag bearer of our Jamaican music. It is time that we embrace the current entertainers who each time they go on tour are brand ambassadors for Jamaica. Our Reggae music which has influenced revolution and change has also been a strong advertising campaign for Brand Jamaica. We need to tap into this going forward.

Business (measured in Foreign Direct Investment)

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) rose 75% in 2012, bringing in US$385m for the year, but is well below the average over the years at US$700m. Mining, a major contributor to our FDI has taken a hit over the years due to lower price worldwide. Is it time for we explore additional areas for FDI?

  Food

Culinary arts in Jamaica is one of our biggest attraction today. Jerk is a global phenomenon and was invented in Jamaica. Today, Jamaica food is featured on every travel of culinary arts program. Tourists from all over the world come to Jamaica to get a taste of our popular dishes.

  Educated Workforce

Jamaica spends $59bn on education annually. With over 788,000 students enrolled in schools (72.9% of the 3-24 age group), a literacy rate 88%, 16 Universities and 26 colleges in Jamaica, our population is way more educated and globally trained to provide well needed human resource as our country gets more business savvy.

  A brand is the set of expectations, memories, stories and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer’s decision to choose one product or service over another. If our consumer doesn’t pay a premium, make a selection or spread the word, then no brand value exists for that consumer. Brands do evolve over time and adjustments need to be communicated. The reality is that Brand Jamaica has taken a hit from the negative publicity, often catalyzed by the images we put out of ourselves. However, it is never too late to repackage and rebrand ‘Brand Jamaica’ in order to capitalize on the new era of globalization.

  Has Brand Jamaica  evolved over the last 25 years? Are we communicating our brand effectively to those watching around the world?