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Polish brand-building effort backfires, experts say country lacks cohesive narrative
🇵🇱 Poland /Culture & Society

Polish brand-building effort backfires, experts say country lacks cohesive narrative

From Rzeczpospolita · () Polish

Translated from Polish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

Interview Sources not specified Context piece
  • A Polish report intended to build the country's brand has instead become a public relations problem.
  • Barbara Mróz-Gorgoń, responsible for building Poland's brand, resigned after the report's release.
  • Experts argue Poland has many positive aspects to promote beyond history and figures like Chopin, but lacks a cohesive narrative.

A recent report, "Polaków portret własny" (Poles' Self-Portrait), intended to bolster Poland's international image, has instead triggered a significant public relations crisis, leading to the resignation of Barbara Mróz-Gorgoń, who was tasked with brand building.

It's scary to think what the worse specialists look like.

— Artur BartkiewiczArtur Bartkiewicz comments on the perceived lack of expertise in Poland's brand-building efforts following the resignation of Barbara Mróz-Gorgoń.

Artur Bartkiewicz, head of editors for rp.pl, discussed the situation on the podcast "Rzecz w tym." He expressed concern over the competence of brand-building specialists, noting that Mróz-Gorgoń, meant to be an expert, "in a matter of days ruined her personal brand." Bartkiewicz suggested that if she was considered a top specialist, the situation reflects poorly on others in the field.

Bartkiewicz highlighted that Poland possesses numerous compelling elements for international promotion, including economic growth, innovative startups, modern technology, tourism appeal, and the nation's creative spirit. He also pointed to the successful peaceful transition from communism to democracy as a significant success story. However, he lamented the absence of a unified and attractive narrative to showcase these strengths externally.

Indeed, we are dealing with a situation where the person who was supposed to build the brand of Poland has, in effect, ruined her personal brand in just a few days.

— Artur BartkiewiczArtur Bartkiewicz reflects on the impact of the 'Poles' Self-Portrait' report controversy on Barbara Mróz-Gorgoń's reputation.

The ongoing image crises, Bartkiewicz believes, reinforce the perception that the current government struggles with professional project execution. He also noted that such controversies, which quickly become internet memes, risk alienating undecided voters and further discouraging public engagement with politics. The discussion emphasized the need for a modern promotional strategy that moves beyond historical figures like Chopin and focuses on contemporary Poland's achievements and potential.

One could build a narrative of success here, but that is precisely the problem, because we do not have a cohesive narrative about Poland externally.

— Artur BartkiewiczArtur Bartkiewicz discusses the lack of a unified external narrative for promoting Poland.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Rzeczpospolita in Polish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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