the role of film in brand, branding, rebranding, and international ...

Arabian Journal of Business and Management Review (OMAN Chapter) Vol. 2, No.3; Oct. 2012
A brand emerges not because a product or service is originated and acquires a name or image,
but because it distinguishes itself with its faithful and sustainable affiliation with quality and
satisfaction, which distinguishes it from competing brands, by an assurance that not only meets
a promise, but guarantees contentment from any association with the product, service, or entity,
to the extent that clients and customers now associate, regard, and perceive the name or image
of a product or service as a hallmark of excellence and customer satisfaction, which thereafter
magnetises customers and clients that have had contact with the product or service and
reinforces the need to make further contacts with the product, service, person, or entity.
Culture is a people’s way of life, or a collection of their habits, appeals, and ideas, which are not
only unique, to the extent that it gives the people an identity, but also so central to their
conscience and continuous existence that it is learnt, shared, defended, and transmitted in an
orderly but somewhat consistent and controlled manner, from parents to their offspring. In
respect of branding and rebranding, especially when a global brand is to be originated and
sustained in a competitive environment, culture, as embedded in film, is a phenomenon with an
overwhelming appeal, which frames the perception and interpretation of both citizens and
aliens, in respect of place-based natural and human assets. Cultural values play a sacrosanct role
in shaping how people define and perceive places, and at the institutional level, it defines and
gives an interpretative character to “status quo”, the “transformation” processes, and the
assessment of individual or group perception of a brand’s strength or weakness, 14 and because
film is an embodiment of a people’s culture that portrays the prevalent values in their country of
origin, projecting the exploitation of local comparative advantages, it is an indispensable tool
for building a brand with a global appeal, and “Lets Dance” (2009), an Mnet creation that is
sponsored by Verve, attempts though not too successfully to revitalise culture through dance.
Outside being used as a vehicle for the export of the cultural heritage of a socio-political entity,
film can also enhance the proper understanding of other cultures, which fosters stress-free
interpersonal and inter-state negotiations and cooperation, and this factor can help in the
building of a vibrant brand that enjoys global recognition and patronage. Films are used to
transmit sociocultural prescriptions that operate within a political precinct, and by this way, it is
also used to regulate the conduct of actors outside the political enclave, who are informally
acquainted with the cultural dictates operational in an entity, in a manner that is appreciable and
beneficial to international interactants and interactions, leading ultimately to the elevation and
promotion of the status of a brand and its image.
In a world that is ravaged by globalisation, which obliterates the lines of national boundaries
and social identity, leaving many cultures displaced, while abandoning the people in an ocean of
cultural shock, normlessness, and anomie, which makes the mobilisation of the masses difficult
and national development impossible, film comes to the rescue, being a medium for the storage,
preservation, and transmission of the people’s social heritage and a vehicle for socialisation that
carries the cultural traits of the people. Film can be used in the preservation and transmission of
the cultural traits of a people, protecting them from the devastating effects of globalisation on
weaker nations and cultures (film is a tool for achieving cultural protectionism), while
preserving their social identity in the process, which makes mass mobilisation for national
development and the growth of a brand that enjoys global patronage workable and stress-free.
The important role of film in the preservation and transmission of the cultural traits of a people
42