Freedom Or Not?

[Moghrey Mie]

IMO ‘Freedom to Flourish’ could be a very good bit of branding for DTI. It’s catchy, simple, positive, forward thinking, and conveys idea that IoM has energy and dynamic that is aligned to successful new enterprises. I also like the tie in with the DLT branding: ‘Isle of Man, set yourself free’

 

However it doesn’t get douze points from me. The reason is the brand and the reality are too far apart, and this become hollow or even backfires.

 

In what sense is there ‘Freedom to Flourish’?

 

The things that go with top-performing economies and best business environment – low CPI (corruptions perception index), high rule of law, are things IoM wouldn’t score very well on.

 

‘Freedom’ in the sense of ‘Democracy’ is again something IoM where IoM fares poorly, rating as a ‘flawed democracy’, ranking nearer the middle than the top among countries.

 

Maybe a more accurate slogan would be ‘Taxation to Thrive’ – not quite so peppy though.

 

The DLT slogan really struck me. “Isle of Man – set yourself free”. I wondered if it perhaps came about from some sneaky Mec Vannin mole that had inflitrated IOMG. But if they were that good, they’d be spraypainting ‘No’ infront of ‘Freedom to Flourish’ in a guerilla brand-busting campaign.

 

I don’t think someone has thought the branding through properly.

 

However if IoM could bring itself to score tops in CPI index and democracy index, (as a result of which the economy would probably be a lot stronger), then this branding could be very strong and really draw attention to IoM as an attractive place for businesses. Meanwhile 2 out of 10.

 

 

 

 

Yes, the goods as promised must live up to expectations.Otherwise it will be seen as fraudulent.

Many people who live here know that all is not well.

Do we have wonderful facilities, transport, restaurants, housing, child care, community centres etc etc?

Those who have money will flourish anywhere. IOM Government should be concerned about everybody not just their rich friends.

[triskelion]

Do we have wonderful facilities, transport, restaurants, housing, child care, community centres etc etc?

Yes.

[La_Dolce_Vita]

IMO ‘Freedom to Flourish’ could be a very good bit of branding for DTI. It’s catchy, simple, positive, forward thinking, and conveys idea that IoM has energy and dynamic that is aligned to successful new enterprises. I also like the tie in with the DLT branding: ‘Isle of Man, set yourself free’

 

However it doesn’t get douze points from me. The reason is the brand and the reality are too far apart, and this become hollow or even backfires.

 

In what sense is there ‘Freedom to Flourish’?

 

The things that go with top-performing economies and best business environment – low CPI (corruptions perception index), high rule of law, are things IoM wouldn’t score very well on.

 

‘Freedom’ in the sense of ‘Democracy’ is again something IoM where IoM fares poorly, rating as a ‘flawed democracy’, ranking nearer the middle than the top among countries.

 

Maybe a more accurate slogan would be ‘Taxation to Thrive’ – not quite so peppy though.

 

The DLT slogan really struck me. “Isle of Man – set yourself free”. I wondered if it perhaps came about from some sneaky Mec Vannin mole that had inflitrated IOMG. But if they were that good, they’d be spraypainting ‘No’ infront of ‘Freedom to Flourish’ in a guerilla brand-busting campaign.

 

I don’t think someone has thought the branding through properly.

 

However if IoM could bring itself to score tops in CPI index and democracy index, (as a result of which the economy would probably be a lot stronger), then this branding could be very strong and really draw attention to IoM as an attractive place for businesses. Meanwhile 2 out of 10.

 

If you want to question the wording of the slogan of "Freedom to Flourish" it would seem plain what freedom means in this context. It is not meaning freedom itself, but as it says freedom TO FLOURISH. I think if anything it would be more useful to understand what is meant by flourish, I think here you can address the point of democracy better. Is having a "long, stable, continuous and independent history" (whatever that means) and a right economic model enough for the people to flourish?

But it does seem clear that it is a cynical attempt by the government to fuse a sense of national identification or pride with support for the Island's financial sector and new industries.

 

I don't really understand your reasoning about a higher CPI/democracy index leading to the Island being more attractive to business. Although in respect of the general public's attitude to Freedom to Flourish, I do not see how a higher CPI or democracy index would affect Freedom to Flourish. I think the concept is contrived and is nothing more than a marketing scheme. People can see right through it.

[Skeddan]

I don't really understand your reasoning about a higher CPI/democracy index leading to the Island being more attractive to business.

See '300% dividend' thread - that has link to Economist article - which also has links to relevant studies.

 

True it won't be attractive to all businesses. 'Freedom to flourish' in this sense is different from freedom from regulations such as child labour, health and safety, pollution etc. But I don't think IoM would really want to position itself in that way.

 

As I said, I think an emphasis on governance and achieving top scoring CPI/DI ratings would be a great strategy with real payoff. If 'Freedom to Flourish' were the slogan for the aspiration with real efforts to achieve this, that would put IoM on track to position itself with a very strong brand - not just a sham slogan.

[Twitch]

Some interesting comments here.

 

The final report to Tynwald provides a very comprehensive background to the Freedom to Flourish strategy and to the basis of managing the Isle of Man brand.

 

http://www.gov.im/lib/docs/cso/flourish/br...ynwaldfinal.pdf

[Moghrey Mie]

Some interesting comments here.

 

The final report to Tynwald provides a very comprehensive background to the Freedom to Flourish strategy and to the basis of managing the Isle of Man brand.

 

http://www.gov.im/lib/docs/cso/flourish/br...ynwaldfinal.pdf

 

 

Half a million spent and people still don't know where we are.

 

 

 

'Slick advertising is quickly exposed if the substance does not match the imge.' Quite!

[3549877]

IMO, if this is to go anywhere, it's time for the academics to drop out of this now, and for it to be put into the hands of an experienced business project team (DTI/DTL/FSC etc.) ensuring that they start doing something with it if they are going to get anywhere with it - and give them a decent budget to do so. Freedom to Flourish will remain nothing more than academic clap-trap until it lands on a desk in front of someone, and grabs their attention for coming here, moving business here etc. etc. We already know what the IOM strategy is - so let's start marketing to that now.

 

I notice that 'Freedom to Flourish' didn't appear once in the recent SR advert - it was all about 'set yourself free'. If the DTL paid anything toward this advert or had any say in it etc. then it shows the lack of joined up thinking in the project already.

 

I still don't know whether I do not fully understand what Freedom to Flourish represents because I haven't grasped some key point or whether the concept is so bizarre, deluded, and contrived that I am incapable of understanding it.

 

Is it a marketing campaign to advertise the Island for business? Or it a loads of fabricated ideas to inspire a sense of national pride? Or is it some form of 'belief system' that the government has created to drum up more support for public services.

I can understand how a branding/marketing scheme for the Island would work and would seem sensible enough and can even understand WHY a government may wish to run a scheme to improve support for itself or increase national pride. But the impression I get from Freedom to Flourish is that it is trying to do all three.

In trying to tackle all three things it seems more likely that its only use could ever be to advertise the Island to business, as it is clearly too contrived and structured like a marketing campaign that it has no hope of ever instilling any national pride. In my mind this just makes it seem very tacky.

 

Is it just me or does anyone else think this? Maybe I don't understand it fully.

nope it's not just you. I don't get it either (what the ultimate goal or transitional phases are)