“Good Morning Czechia” campaign invites public to stamp the country’s global brand
The Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs has launched an initiative titled “Good Morning Czechia”, aiming to strengthen the country’s image abroad. In a public questionnaire, respondents are encouraged to share their opinions and stories of what makes Czechia unique.
Research conducted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shows “poor recognition” of Czechia internationally, with most positive associations relating to the country’s nature, cultural heritage, and beer tradition. The aim of the new campaign is to expand and unify the image, as explained by Ministry representative Marek Pyszko:
“We are aware that Czechia should present itself coherently on the international scene, and have a strong tool in hand to gradually build its global image. That’s why the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, together with state promotional agencies, launched an effort to build a worldwide brand. This project is a key step in unifying the presentation of our country abroad,” he says.
The projects draws inspiration from similar initiatives in Finland, Estonia and the Netherlands. Michal Uhl, director of the Czech National Agency for International Education and Research, shares his outlook on what the project could achieve:
“Czechia has the potential to become one of the world’s most attractive countries – not only for tourists and investors, but also for talented students, researchers, and scientists.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs mentions science, technology, and security as some of the industries that could use an image boost. The questionnaire inquires about the public’s relationship to Czechia – their sources of pride, hopes for the future, and safeguarding the present, and reactions to stereotypes.
“The image of Czechia is unnecessarily weighed down by these stereotypes, and does not respond to the potential which our country certainly has. The world applauds our culture – both historic, and present-day. At the Czech Centers we notice, that promoting it will be easier when part of a coherent and well-formulated national story,” says Jitka Pánek Jurková, general director of Czech Centres – one of the main partners of the campaign.
Other collaborators include CzechInvest, CzechTourism, CzechTrade, the Agency for International Education and Research, and the National Sport Agency. This cross-industry effort hopes to tie together the country’s image in diplomacy, tourism, export, culture, and sport.
One of the aims of this cooperation is strengthening Czechia’s economic position abroad. According to Radomil Doležal, general director of Czech Trade, the initiative offers a promising outlook:
“We are known as an export country, but in the domain of creative thinking and innovation there is room for improvement of our image. That’s why we need to focus on transforming the picture we paint of ourselves internationally, with the aim of supporting our exporters via a respectable recognition of our country. CzechTrade is actively involved in finding a successful story for Czechia, which combines its traditional export position with its potential in innovation.”
Besides the online questionnaire, the initiative will also be present in person at local events and live cultural festivals throughout the participatory period, lasting until autumn. The collected responses will then be analyzed by a team of experts, and integrated in future external communications strategies.
