Professor Jākobsone Bellomi on Country Brand As Mission to Solve Global Problems
In January 2021, Business Professor Ieva Jākobsone Bellomi was nominated as the first diaspora representative at the Latvian Governmental Country Branding Advisory Committee, co-chaired by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Economics. The committee advises government institutions and municipalities on how to align their activities with the policies adopted to support the country’s vision, mission, and brand.
President Egils Levits, third from right; Prof. Ieva Jākobsone Bellomi, first from right.
Professor Jākobsone Bellomi is a permanent member of the Task Force for the Latvia Mission Development, overseen by the President of Latvia H.E. Egils Levits. She is also a member of the Country Branding working group under the Latvian Investment and Development Agency, a government branch responsible for tourism promotion and Foreign Direct Investment.
Discussions about the country’s vision and branding began in April 2020 among the over 450 thousand members of the diaspora on #esiLV, a platform dedicated to Latvian professionals, academics, scientists, and business people. In its 30 years of independence from the USSR, Latvia has become a member country of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the European Union, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). However, to succeed in the dynamic and unpredictable global political, economic, and social environment, a new and more focused strategy is necessary. During the second half of 2020, #esiLV, under the guidance and leadership of Professor Jākobsone Bellomi, held discussions with the President’s Chancellery and other Latvian government agencies on how to effectively develop the country’s vision and brand.
The project adheres to the priorities outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations and the European Green Deal. Latvia, which is one of the greenest countries in the world and is recognized as the best start-up country globally, is looking to frame its brand through the use of innovative advertising slogans and marketing campaigns. The scope of the project is strongly impacted by economists such as Mariana Mazzucato and Thomas Piketty.
As a small country with flexible policies and legislation, Latvia aims to define its current social and economic problems and develop creative solutions to poverty, climate change, and sustainability, and promote circular economy, green education, and lifelong learning.
