How not to market a global meeting

A while ago, I wrote about the intersection of politics and business. Since then, most conversations I have pursued regarding finding a healthy balance between the two have come up empty. Until now.

I am fortunate to be spending the next few weeks in a US State that, every day, reaffirms that finding a symbiotic balance between the two elements is not only possible, but also that it creates a commendable outcome. For most people, Atlanta came into the limelight during the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games.

The team charged with the mandate of 'introducing Atlanta to the world and the world to Atlanta' started its mission of bringing the games to the city in 1987. Hosting 197 countries required a lot more than just spending significant funds, among which was the initial $2.1 billion on infrastructural improvements, venues and inner city redevelopment.

It required a visionary and more long-term approach that recognised the gains being sought represented an impact that was intended to last longer than the current generation. As awareness generation became the driving force, there was a focused and consistent drive to ensure that while in 1990 Atlanta was relatively unheard of globally, by 1998 the City was well on its way to cementing its reputation as a prosperous metropolis.

Unlike our affinity towards marketing our relevant African countries as a tourist destination at every chance we get, the organisers responsible for bringing the Olympics home realised that the work for them had just begun. It was not going to be enough to tout the city as a holiday destination, something previous Olympic events had been wont to do.

The marketing apparatus had to correctly position and package Atlanta's image, using a blend of products, services and history that was so effortless it seemed subliminal.

There are two reasons I found this piece of history so apt, and I am not one who necessarily enjoys academic history. The first is that when it came down to it, the private and the public sector recognised that they were at the cusp of a cause much larger than themselves, much larger than their own personal interests and agendas. The leadership at the helm were cognisant of the fact that successfully hosting the Games could not be achieved unilaterally.

And so they did the one logical thing; they worked on a private public partnership model that would ensure that the newly packaged city flourished both at the events and from a sustainable, long-term perspective.

The second reason for studying what is now publicly branded as "the ATL" regards the business community that I have had a chance to interact with regarding my question on business and politics finding a healthy intersection where they can bolster each other as opposed to being constantly warring factions. The short answer is, it is possible. But as with all complex questions, it is not an overnight process or one that comes easily.

One of the business community leaders was emphatic that we in the business community need to get rid of the discomfiture of interacting with politics, especially where the agenda deals with policy. There are a few ways that this can be achieved. The first and most important is by the electorate making it very clear that they need the business and entrepreneurship agenda in policy setting to take centre-stage, and differentiating positive action from lip service.

This goes hand in hand with ensuring that we use the tools at our disposal, such as the constitution, to hold who we elect into power accountable for the promises that they make. Another way is by lobbying policy makers through the business community. This requires an innate understanding that even though we are competitors in the market, collaboration is instrumental in creating a playing field that is equally enabling of existing and upcoming businesses.

Creating a larger economic base spurs a virtuous cycle that can only drive the growth of businesses. As we head into preparing for the Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2015, I have a few questions for the institutions concerned: What is the focus on marketing the city and by extension, the nation as anything other than a tourism destination?

As significant tax money is spent on infrastructure, this presents the perfect opportunity to re-package and reposition the country and its image, both physically and psychologically. A cursory search on the internet brings up scant information that would be relevant to Kenyans who are not part of the elite invited guests.

At this point, I would expect the relevant Kenyan departments to have started conducting a social media campaign to drum up interest and create significant curiosity for individuals or institutions interested in the investment agenda.

There could be more information on other Kenyan websites, but if it does not appear on the first page, then you have lost the three second window to capture a reader's attention. There is a reason why search engine optimisation exists.

Are we really utilising opportunities such as these to create economic prosperity for all or are we closing off the benefits just for an elite group of people?