INDEPENDENT NEWS

Maldives Announces New Nation Brand

Published: Tue 8 Nov 2011 12:20 PM
President and Cabinet approve QUO Keen's "Always Natural" identity
BANGKOK, 7th November 2011 – A new nation brand for the Republic of Maldives, has been unveiled in the island nation's capital, Male. The logo and "Always Natural" tagline, developed by QUO Keen, was approved by President Mohamed Nasheed at a full cabinet meeting. It was then unveiled to the media on October 25 by Thoyyib Mohamed Waheed, State Minister for Tourism, Arts & Culture, Simon Hawkins, the MD of the MMPRC (Maldives Marketing & PR Corporation) and David Keen, CEO of QUO Keen, the specialist brand consultancy for the global tourism industry.
"The slogan and logo are designed to underscore the outstanding natural beauty of the Maldives, which tourists from all segments of the market consistently rate as one of their main reasons for visiting the country", said MMPRC Chairperson Thoyyib Mohamed.
David Keen, CEO of QUO Keen said: "We have created a brand that stands for the Maldivian people, for tourism and for all of Maldivian industry. The slogan "Always Natural" talks to the wonderful character of the people of the Maldives, to sustainability and to the ultimate tourism experience. The logo has been hand-crafted to express the natural elements of the country formed in a thumb print."
QUO Keen has worked in close conjunction with key stakeholders including the MMPRC and other public and private bodies. It carried out extensive research projects in order to craft a new unified identity for the Maldives which goes above and beyond the current image of a luxury honeymoon destination. The final identity will be brought into immediate use.
The mark has been created with the aim of becoming not just a tourism brand, but a brand with transferability to all areas of Maldivian life and livelihood, from sustainable energy, to fishing and other local industries, to the natural smiles of the people of the Islands.
David Keen added: "While the mark and tagline speak clearly of the natural beauty of the Islands and will appeal to tourists around the world, the new identity has also been created for investors interested in the drive towards sustainability, and those drawn to conduct business with a country of unique natural characteristics. The new brand offers unique cross-marketing possibilities."
The identity reinforces government policy of repositioning the Maldives as a country focused on sustainability, and with a wide range of offerings across all spectrums. It draws on the topography, culture, and people of the nation and will appeal not only to traditional markets, but also to the growing inbound tourism markets of China, Japan and India.
"The MMPRC is delighted with the end result and we look forward to proudly communicating the new brand to the world," added Simon Hawkins, Managing Director of the MMPRC.
QUO Keen was selected in a public tender involving top international agencies.
##
About QUO
QUO is a global brand creation, communication and representation specialist for the tourism and hospitality sectors. Its client portfolios cover most of the globe and embrace small and large destinations and multiple hospitality companies. QUO leaders bring with them decades of experience. QUO Keen evolved from Keen Media which was established in Bangkok in 1997. QUO officially launched in October 2011. Further information: www.QUO-global.com.
ENDS

Next in World

View as: DESKTOP | MOBILE © Scoop Media