Branding Mauritius - Is it something that we need?

• Main Authors: Kasean, Hemant, Gungaphul, Mridula
• Other Authors: Mohd Sani, Mohd Azizuddin
• Format: Conference or Workshop Item
• Language: English
• Published: College of Law, Government and International Studies, Universiti Utara Malaysia 2010
• Subjects: DU Oceania (South Seas)
• Online Access: http://repo.uum.edu.my/2492/1/Hemant_Kassean_-_Branding_Mauritius.pdf; http://repo.uum.edu.my/2492/; http://icis.uum.edu.my/

There has been some debate as to whether a country can be rebranded because of the popular feeling that a country is something that has a nature and a substance other than that of a corporation. In other words, corporations change, merge, divest, reinvent and rebrand themselves but nations do not change. However, there are some good examples of countries which have successfully branded themselves to create and convey a vivid image of themselves are: "Incredible India" and "Truly Asia" for Malaysia – capturing the essence of these countries. This paper discusses the concept of branding Mauritius, focusing on the central question of what is being branded and whether this is something that we need. For many people, Mauritius has been known by the slogan “You gather the idea that Mauritius was made first and then heaven, and that heaven was copied after Mauritius” (Mark Twain). The new logo and tagline unveiled recently, is based on the mystical mountain Pieter Both and incorporates the four colours of the national flag that symbolize the island‟s harmonious diversity. The slogan chosen is: “Maurice – C‟est un plaisir” or “Mauritius – It's a pleasure”. The new slogan is short and simple, but a lot of criticism has been leveled against it. “It‟s a pleasure” may also have negative connotations - implying sexual tourism. Overall, „C‟est un plaisir‟ has also been criticised for being ambiguous and does not distinctly differentiate itself from other Indian ocean islands like Seychelles, Maldives, Comores which may have many similar characteristics. Key challenges and how Mauritius needs to differentiate itself from other neighboring small island states are discussed. More research is needed to establish if the branding strategy has been an effective one.