| Abducted Worker Killed During Rescue A British aid worker kidnapped during an ambush last month was killed during a rescue attempt by international forces in Afghanistan. online.wsj.com |
Copper mine rescue may prove a goldmine for Brand Chile Marketing experts say miner rescue provides an opportunity to step out of the shadow of Latin American neighboursIt may have been slightly overstating the case when Bolivia's president, Evo Morales, said the San José mine could become a tourist destination, but the miners' rescue is likely to benefit Chile's international reputation and help it break with its turbulent recent past.Among Latin American nations it is overshadowed by Brazil's economic growth, Argentina's international reputation and Venezuela's worldwide fame under Hugo Chávez. Slowly emerging from the shadows of Augusto Pinochet's dicatorship, which saw up to 3,000 people killed between 1974 and 1990, Chile now has a chance to rebrand itself, according to industry experts."Although it wasn't planned in any way, what the Chilean government has done in the last two months can't do anything but good in terms of Chile's brand image," said Jonathan Gabay at brandforensics.co.uk. "A brand should be able to manage expectations and so the rescue can't do them any harm. When you have a brand crisis it's interesting to see how the brand responds." Chile's reaction, he said, had been very quick and very effective.Stephen Izatt, managing director of strategic brand consultants Thinkfarm, agreed. "Chile has probably had more publicity and visibility worldwide than it has for a long time," he said. "The way the government has reacted and supported the miners has probably counteracted some of the more negative record on human rights and workers' rights."He also noted that the president, Sebastián Piñera, had been quick to spot the PR opportunity afforded him. Piñera, who was elected in January, is a billionaire businessman. He cast himself as a tough executive who would stop at nothing to save the miners and punish those responsible for the accident that trapped them. A recent poll showed that this approval rating had jumped 10 points to 56% since the mining drama began in early August."The president was very visible and obviously saw the publicity opportunity," said Izatt. "But I think he came across pretty well and did OK." The success of Chile's rebranding would now rest on how it used the good publicity it has won. "It depends what you do with it. Everyone came up safely and everyone was treated with care, but it will be interesting to see how the miners handle their fame and how the government supports them."Gabay pointed out that the government's honeymoon period would soon come to an end. "Up until now the press have been looking at the human interest story," he said. "But now that we know they're OK, it's time to ask the big questions like how did they allow this to happen in the first place?"Izatt expressed doubts about the Bolivian president's belief that the mine itself could be transformed into a tourist magnet."I can't think of any reason why you'd want to see the mine," he said. "It was the action, the technology and the relief when they arrived that was interesting."ChileSam Jonesguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
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EU to Step Up Air-Cargo Rules The European Union will tighten security rules for air-cargo arriving from outside the bloc, but it remains uncertain whether new resources will be made available to help combat the emerging threat. online.wsj.com |