Dear Editor,
I participated in the ‘Re-Branding of Anguilla Exercise’ held at the Teachers’ Resource Centre on Friday, 10th October, and I would like to voice my thoughts and feelings.
At the exercise, the Britto Agency, with responsibility for the global marketing of Anguilla, presented three new tag lines for Anguilla. The agency seems to believe that ‘Tranquility Wrapped in Blue’ is no longer true and such promise is not being kept to visitors. Change is therefore needed. The preferred new tag line from the agency appears to be ‘Our Island. Your Home’.
I find ‘Our Island. Your Home’ to be a likeable tag line. But is it the best tag line? Should ‘Tranquility Wrapped in Blue’ be scrapped because upgrades are needed at ports to reflect our upscale market? Should it be scrapped because there are relatively few incidents of crime? Should it be cast away because some people may be tired of hearing about our tranquil beaches? (A perception the agency communicated.)
Firstly, with good management of human resources and funds and the networking of contacts, our ports can be re-modeled in a short span. Secondly, I believe that we as a people and effective government need to intentionally and deliberately work on solving our issues with crime.
But let’s consider Anguilla’s tranquility. The blue that wraps the tranquility is the water. The tranquility is also our calm people, our sparse traffic, our mannerisms, our slow pace, AND our beaches. At this exercise, however, our tranquility seemed to be limited to just the beaches. I submit that there are many other aspects of our tranquility which can be marketed.
I really believe sage inspiration was the impetus behind the penning of ‘Tranquility Wrapped in Blue’. Branding it strongly and healing our society’s weak spots, and making it our goal in this period of our country’s life, is the adjustment I believe God would like us to make. I prefer this option rather than adopting any of the three proposed tag lines. I find them to be generic, at the best nice, but certainly not inspired. They lack depth. They lack a wow factor. They lack inspiration.
My fellow Anguillians who truly love Anguilla, our tranquility is for us to MAINTAIN or we will certainly lose it. It certainly is endangered. Key to its maintenance are parents being present more, government being more effective, earnest unceasing prayer, citizens obeying laws and looking out for each other and all groups in society working for the common good.
Lastly, I opine that the current tag line can work globally if the Britto Agency invests itself thoroughly in working it.
Avenella Griffith
