Letters from Moscow — Omnicom's Serge Dumont Calls for New Markets to Embrace Strategic Communications


RETURN TO INTERNATIONALIST HOME PAGE	Omnicom's Serge Dumont Calls for New Markets to Embrace Strategic Communications The Kremlin Palace Congress Center, Moscow, Russia—May 13, 2010 Serge Dumont, Chairman Asia-Pacific of the Omnicom Group, encouraged 1200 marketers, agencies and media owners at the 42nd IAA World Congress to recognize that communication is vital to all countries. "The recent financial turmoil is providing new markets with an additional opportunity. The future will be defined by the actions of fast growth countries that comprise the majority of the world’s population. These markets will be measured by how well they communicate their influence. And their communications must be managed if they are to reap economic benefits." According to Dumont, country branding should not simply stimulate tourism, but encourage foreign investment. To insure their success, new markets must communicate at a more sophisticated level. He asserted that the perception of governments and country-of-origin issues can dramatically influence how nascent local brands are viewed and even affect whether or not they will ultimately thrive.He also suggested that issues ranging from climate change and carbon emissions to women's economic participation and the social responsibility of girls will increasingly become defining features of the nation brands of the future. Serge Dumont believes that even the most difficult national stereotypes can be overcome by communications. "Governments can shape how they are perceived," he asserts. "Trust is fragile—especially consumer trust. Governments can play a role in making local brands global ones. A national agenda that promotes best practices to change a country's image overseas will reap extraordinary awards."

Serge Dumont

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Omnicom's Serge Dumont Calls for New Markets to Embrace Strategic Communications

The Kremlin Palace Congress Center, Moscow, Russia—May 13, 2010

Serge Dumont, Chairman Asia-Pacific of the Omnicom Group, encouraged 1200 marketers, agencies and media owners at the 42nd IAA World Congress to recognize that communication is vital to all countries. "The recent financial turmoil is providing new markets with an additional opportunity. The future will be defined by the actions of fast growth countries that comprise the majority of the world’s population. These markets will be measured by how well they communicate their influence. And their communications must be managed if they are to reap economic benefits." According to Dumont, country branding should not simply stimulate tourism, but encourage foreign investment. To insure their success, new markets must communicate at a more sophisticated level. He asserted that the perception of governments and country-of-origin issues can dramatically influence how nascent local brands are viewed and even affect whether or not they will ultimately thrive.He also suggested that issues ranging from climate change and carbon emissions to women's economic participation and the social responsibility of girls will increasingly become defining features of the nation brands of the future.

Serge Dumont believes that even the most difficult national stereotypes can be overcome by communications. "Governments can shape how they are perceived," he asserts.

"Trust is fragile—especially consumer trust. Governments can play a role in making local brands global ones. A national agenda that promotes best practices to change a country's image overseas will reap extraordinary awards."