In general, the media is not very nuanced when reporting about the Balkans, which influences the opinion of people in general. Many people still associate the Balkans with war, other people associate it with the images they know from Kusturica movies. Not many people are aware of the full potential and the strength of the Balkan. During this debate we explored this issue more from different perspectives (cultural, entrepreneurial, and political) and think of solutions.

Debate Branding the Balkans: no blood, just honey?
On Saturday 27 October (2007), more than 120 people attended the debate ‘Branding the Balkans' organised by SPARK and MARA. For once people were not focussing on how to solve problems, but on how to leverage the strength of the Balkans. A completely different angle!

 

Suus van den Akker presented the audience with a new brand for the Balkans, based on the discussion. Her brand focuses on moving forward and future change: the Balkan Boost!

All panel members have in their own way contributed to leveraging the strength of the Balkans: Bojan Boskovic, founder and Director of the EXIT-festival in Serbia, by some called the best brand of the Balkans; Aneta Lesnikovska, film-Director of the first Balkan dogma movie ‘Does it Hurt?'; Gijs de Rooij, Co-Director Levi9, company investing in the Balkans; and Roos Boer, Co-founder Young Urban Achievers.

In general, the media is not very nuanced when reporting about the Balkans. Many people still associate the Balkans with war, other people associate it with the images they know from Kusturica movies. Not many people are aware of the full potential and the strength of the Balkan. However, a good image is unbearable for the future of the Balkans: it will attract tourists and investors and as such speed up the development of the region. 

Gijs de Rooij perceives this ‘negative' image of the Balkan in his daily work as co-director of the company Levi9. As a solution, his company takes new clients to the Balkans so they can see for themselves that the Balkans is not scary, and that it is perfectly safe to invest in. 

Both Aneta Lesnikovska and Roos Boer emphasised the image of the Balkans will also change with a new generation that has not been raised by the images of war. Young people from Europe like to meet young people from the Balkans. Via this contact, the perception and image of the Balkans will change in time.

Hans Garrels, entrepreneur in the Balkans, added that media has a very big and negative effect. They prefer to show the sad images and the bad news. Good news is no news. It is quite normal that this will influence our opinion.

Bojan Boskovic stresses the fact that even though there are many ways to present the Balkans in a more positive light, the process to leverage these strengths should be made easier as well. There is a lack of strategy as well within the Balkans as on the European level on what they want to get out of it. Moreover, he thinks that is remains difficult to talk about strengths of the Balkan as long as the people in the separate countries have a problem with their own identity. Borders have changed and history has been rewritten before and after the war. People first need a sense of belonging and identity, before they can talk on how to promote it. 

As a conclusion Suus van den Akker presented the audience with a new brand for the Balkans, based on the discussion. As much emphasise was put on the process of leveraging the strengths instead of the strengths itself, her brand focuses on moving forward and future change: The Balkan Boost!