The Foreign Ministry and Israeli representatives abroad are hoping to "rebrand" Israel by focusing less on the regional conflict and more on Israel's achievements in science, culture and other areas.
In cooperation with the Advertisers Association, the foreign and finance ministries and the Prime Minister's Office have started drafting PR firms, associations and businesspeople in efforts to find a new branding for Israel in keeping with commercial PR and marketing models.
The move was decided on following an analysis of findings from a study carried out by the Wunderman marketing research institute, a division of the well-known American firm Young and Rubicam. The company specializes in studying brandings, among them of countries wishing to improve their image.
The study, which will be presented Sunday at a PR seminar at Bar-Ilan University, shows that for most most Americans, the Arab-Israeli conflict is losing relevance. They are experiencing information overload on the subject and a concomitant loss of sympathy for Israel.
The Foreign Ministry's PR chiefs have taken up the suggestion of the study's author, David Sable, who toured the separation fence recently, that they stop trying to counter the Palestinians' claims that the fence impairs everyday life.
Instead, they will be focusing on Israel's contributions in technology, medicine, culture and other fields. The Foreign Ministry will be sending scientists, businesspeople and artists to the U.S. and other countries to further the new approach.
