Nation Branding interviews reinvented
It’s been 10 months that I’ve stepped on the path of nation branding for Malaysia. What started as an attempt to make Malaysian businesses more competitive on international markets quickly turned into a more complex mission of redefining what the brand of Malaysia actually stood for. There’s been a number of accomplished nation branding theorists and practitioners that have developed useful tools for collecting data via field research, interviews and other.
Quite accidentally I stumbled upon a very helpful tool of interaction with the citizens. I found a way to hold my focus groups online on daily basis via my social media account @go_malaysia
The avatar of the account, that I represent, is a curious, adventurous and respectful foreigner, exploring the country. While trying to depict the country at her best knowledge, she still has a lot to learn and remains open to feedback.
So far I have published 85 short videos that cover an array of topics, including the gastronomic culture, habits, religions, sports, traveling, royalties and others. While the view count is an instant signal of interest towards the topic (or lack of it), the best source of data are comments.
While people might be reluctant to answer questions as interviewees, they would willingly put in their energy to teach a newbie and share their experience with a visitor.
For instance, I received more than 900 comments to an episode on what to bring back from Malaysia and almost 400 comments on what Malaysians hate in their everyday life. I would ask simple questions such as “Who are the most famous Malaysians” or “what’s your favorite food” and would get dozens of opinions and free pieces of advice.
I value and appreciate the Malaysian hospitality, that lets me learn so much and discover this country in every detail both from the professional and personal perspectives.
#nationbranding #malaysia #interviewtips
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