Emergent Theme 1: Consistency

In relation to consistency and the Isle of Man’s nation brand, a number of informants indicated that one of the main issues in implementing the brand stemmed from the degree of fragmentation within Government (PMVF04). While “it is much better than it used to be” (PMVF04) because “before it was very, obviously very fragmented” (CSIU01), it is inferred that the government’s “silo

mentality” (PMVF04) still exists as evidenced by a lack of synergy or consistency in implementing and promoting the brand. For example, while it is evident that the brand would have to be: “integrated with various [areas], such as work permits and it has to be integrated with areas such as Legislative changes, and the speed of change” (GBSH03). The transition from concept to permeating it through decision making, principles and strategies failed to take place and it did not: “get that translation from the simplest level to the principles of, and the objectives within each department” (CSKS03). This view point is also evidenced by another informant (CDIU01) who, citing the nation brand of New Zealand believes: “its worked great for them but they had a coordinated, concerted effort to promote the pure New Zealand brand. We haven’t with Freedom to Flourish.” Furthermore, according to the same interviewee, while “everyone in Government should be aware of Freedom to Flourish and especially those obviously involved in any sort of communication” some people “got bored, some people never bothered I guess in doing anything with it” and as a consequence there is no “heart with Government to pull together a clear brand expression.” Thus, “I think it is fair to say now, that Freedom to Flourish is more a distant memory than something that is driving Government policy and the heart of society and culture in the Island” (PMVF05).

Moreover, while government departments and associated bodies “should be working together” (GBSH01) one informant was clear in his view that: “what I absolutely do know is Government departments do not work together” (PMVA01). Evidence to support this is indirectly provided by PMVF02 who noted a lack of cross-departmental foresight when “we said, ‘that’s where we want to be’, but we didn’t say, ‘well how’s the educational system going to support that?’ That was the elephant in the room, but we didn’t pick up on it.” Another interviewee reiterates this point: “some of the alignment between the education, and what’s required for the future is not good” (CSKS03). As well as by PMVNA02 in stating that going forward, “we need to make sure that the young people have the skills” to be able to support the brand. The informant also believes that there had been a lack of synergy insofar as aligning the brand and its offer to other business strategies because, “we seem to have got this offer of who we are and then linking that to our business strategy is another

step that I am not entirely sure we have taken.” Various interviewees evidence the impact of the lack of a cohesive branding strategy across government, suggesting that departments have been “doing their own thing” such as “Finance looking in their own field and Tourism doing the same” (CSIU01). Some informants also expressed concern that the Island had not developed infrastructure to support the nation brand (CSKS03). As well as misalignment between the brand and educational and business strategies, there is also a lack of a skilled workforce and available housing (CSKS03).

The lack of consistency in implementing the brand is found in the promotion of the Island. While promoting culture and heritage on the Island is the responsibility of Manx National Heritage, off- island promotion is “dealt with by Tourism, which is Economic Development now” and according to GBSH01, there has not been “enough joined up relationship with Tourism in terms of that”. Furthermore, there is a separate tourism campaign (‘set yourself free’), which is “a deviation of Freedom to Flourish” (CSKS03) and although it is considered by another informant (SCPR01) to be “reasonably on strategy” it is not “not totally on strategy.” This lack of an holistic approach to the brand is further evidenced by SCPR01 in pondering: “I don’t know why they couldn’t have used the Freedom to Flourish tag-line.” However, the informant does consider the tourism campaign to be “on the Freedom to Flourish theme though not quite totally central.” Additionally, some informants (CSIU01, SCPR01, CSKS03) expressed concerns that the strategy had not been “communicated very well” to the point where, in the Government strategy in September 2006, the year the brand was endorsed by Tynwald, Freedom to Flourish was “not mentioned once” (SCPR01). SCRP01 recalls: “I opened it and when I read it I was absolutely shocked to see that they had a vision which didn’t even mention Freedom to Flourish.” For CSKS03, this is a “really good example where something was created, but the, the wiring diagram to the rest of Government and policy taking wasn’t put into place.” However, it is hoped that the newly established Department of Economic Development will be able to “bring together all the various elements” (CSIU01) of branding and promoting the Island in order to “capitalise on this Ferrari they’ve got sitting in the garage” (SCPR01) and prevent it from being “trotted out to support a particular political argument” (PMVF02).