Bali No, No, No
BALI – The well-informed Bali Update newsletter has revealed further details of the island’s new tourism branding campaign launched by Indonesia’s president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
The new marketing image of Bali will reportedly include the phrase “Bali Shanti Shanti Shanti” presented against a tri-colored background of red, white and black reflecting sacred colours of the Bali Hindu religion.
Bali Update said “Bali Shanti Shanti Shanti” translates into “Bali Peace Peace Peace” and was selected by a team of branding experts after six months of interviews with a wide cross-section of the local community “and reflects the wishes of the people of Bali for both their home island and the rest of the world”.
TravelMole is a trifle perplexed by this branding message. Compared to Malaysia’s effort it is Truly Incomprehensible. Compared to Singapore’s message it is Uniquely Baffling and compared to Thailand’s branding it is Amazingly Complex.
Bali seems to have abandoned the concept that a branding statement should be simple, catchy and easily understood. Travelmole doubts that the Bali slogan will hit the spot with an international audience.
Indeed, Bali Update last week expressed the view that “the somewhat closed-door way in which the branding strategy has been created, and the guarded way in which it is being unveiled to the President and the world, have some concerned that the new brand, once announced, might join the growing stack of Bali tourism initiatives filed and forgotten under NATO – No Action Talk Only”.
“And let’s pray that the experts have travelled to Indonesia’s key overseas markets in gathering data and inputs in the process to design a proper brand.
“The branding of a destination should reflect an objective and realistic assessment of the destination in the eyes of its key customers, as opposed to potentially over-emotive local views of how we want to be seen by our guests.
“Good branding has more to do with what we are and very little to do with what we want to be.”
Well said.
Ian Jarrett
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season
Airbnb eyes a loyalty program but details remain under wraps