the new era for investment promotion and attraction
TRANSCRIPT
The new era for investment promotion and attractionDr. Douglas van den Berghe – FDI 4.0 and NxtZones
Workshops Pakistan
3
Investment promotion versus facilitation
Image building
Investment
generation
Investment promotion
Investor servicing
Aftercare
Policy Advocacy
Implementation of
investment
facilitation-related
policies
Investment facilitation
Investment
promotion
agencies
Policy makers
Stakeholders
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IPA ACTIVITIES & PROMOTION LIFE CYCLE
Image Building & Marketing
Lead Generation & Targeting
Investor Servicing & Facilitation
Investor Aftercare & Policy Advocacy
Image Building &
Marketing
Create the market
perception of your
location as attractive
locations for international
investment.
Investor Servicing &
Facilitation
Facilitate the efforts of
foreign investors seeking to
invest by providing services
that can assist an investor in
analysing investment
decisions, establishing a
business, and maintaining it
in good standing.
Lead Generation &
Targeting
Attract new investment projects
by actively targeting specific
investors in (prioritized)
sectors. Lead generation entails
targeting specific sectors and
companies with a view to
creating investment leads.
Investor Aftercare &
Policy Advocacy
Facilitate the continuing
development of a foreign
affiliate with a view towards
maximising its contribution to
the local economic
development, including acting
as a conduit for foreign
investors.
Intelligence & Knowledge
© 2021 Douglas van den Berghe
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INVESTMENT PROMOTION LIFE CYCLE, FRAMEWORK
AND KEY IPA ACTIVITIES AND FUNCTIONS
Image Building & Marketing
Lead Generation & Targeting
Investor Servicing & Facilitation
Investor Aftercare & Policy
(Advocacy)
Image Building &
Marketing
Create awareness and the
market perception of your
location as attractive locations
for international investment.
Investor Servicing &
Facilitation
Facilitate the efforts of foreign
investors seeking to invest by
providing services that can assist an
investor in analysing investment
decisions and establishing the
business. Potential project start up.
Lead Generation &
Targeting
Attract new investment projects by
actively targeting specific investors in
(prioritized) sectors. Lead generation
entails targeting specific sectors and
companies with a view to creating
investment leads.
Investor Aftercare &
Policy Advocacy
Facilitate the continuing
development of a foreign affiliate
with a view towards maximising its
contribution to the local economic
development, including acting as a
conduit for foreign investors.
Organization, coordination, Intelligence & Knowledge
Investment facilitation. (post)
investment/project Client servicing and
after sales
Investment promotion. Pre-investment:
Business development. Awareness
© 2021 Douglas van den Berghe
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Combining site selection with IPA services
Strategy Building
Identifying Opportunities & Due Diligence
Site Visits & Implementation
Operational
Image Building & Marketing
Lead Generation & Targeting
Investor Servicing & Facilitation
Investor Aftercare & Policy Advocacy
Invest
men
t D
ecis
ion
-
Makin
g P
rocess
Invest
men
t P
rom
oti
on
Acti
vit
ies
& S
erv
ices
Dem
an
dS
up
ply
Pre-Investment Post-InvestmentInvestmentInitial Decision-
Making
© 2021 Douglas van den Berghe
8
Most effective marketing techniques?
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Technique 2014 2011 2008 2005 2002 1999 1996
Internet and website
67% 55% 56% 53% 34% 37% 18%
Planned visits to corporate executives
65% 57% 54% 55% 53% 46% 53%
Media relations and publicity
48% 33% 52% 50% 40% 38% 39%
Hosting special events
46% 33% 45% 49% 37% 42% 39%
Trade shows 38% 35% - 33% 32% 45% 39%
Advertising 17% 16% 15% 20% 21% 19% 19%
Direct mail 14% 15% 19% 23% 33% 25% 25%
Telemarketing 6% 4% 4% 6% 4% 6% 7%
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Which other marketing channels can you use?
▪ Newsletters
▪ Websites but also, and more research driven……
▪ Investor Guides
▪ Investment Opportunities Guides
▪ Value Propositions
▪ Sector Profiles
▪ Competitive Analysis of your country
– But you will need a Brand Book, Research Tools like Benchmarking Databases
and a database of contacts
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10
EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES & TOOLS - SELECTION
Image
Building &
Marketing
Lead
Generation
& Targeting
Investor
Servicing &
Facilitation
Investor
Aftercare
& Policy
Advocacy
Brand Book X
Competitiveness Benchmarks & Analyses X
Local Value Proposition X
Website & Social Media X X
FDI Benchmarks & Analyses X
Country Profiles X
Sector Profiles X
Investment Opportunities Booklet X
Investor Guide X X
Public Databases X X X X
Paid Databases X X X X
CRM System X X X
Training Needs Assessment & Program X X X X
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Digital tools for investment promotion and
facilitation
▪ IPAs are using three types of digital economy applications to promote and facilitate
investments:
1. Websites: include key features, local economic data, and testimonials. Often used as a
matchmaking platform.
2. Social Media: LinkedIn for investor identification and gathering intelligence; Facebook,
Instagram, and YouTube to advertise host location; SMS and WhatsApp for investor
queries.
3. Video Conferencing: used to remotely pitch their countries to foreign audiences,
showcase investment locations, and answer queries from interested parties.
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WEBSITE AND PURPOSE
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▪ The main purpose of a website is to:
– Educate and inform - providing learning resources
– Market – promote your location and the services you offer to potential
investors
– Support function - deal with investor requests via email, phone and feedback
– Support business - providing support information for an Investor application
or business process
– Community - building a forum or community that Investors use to share ideas,
experiences, issues, etc
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PROVIDE INFORMATION BUT ONLY
RELEVANT
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▪ Information that is relevant for business
▪ Sector specific information
▪ Information that can be used for benchmarking
▪ Factsheets
▪ Include investment opportunities
▪ Categorize information
▪ Use multiple metrics and currencies for international investors
▪ If aimed at foreign investors it must be in English
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Digitalizing your IPA services: virtual site visits
Given the COVID-19 pandemic many IPAs, Free Zone staff and corporate investors cannot travel. Many IPAs hence have limited opportunities to showcase the USPs of their location value proposition, attract investors or organize site visits. With the pandemic taking place ‘traditional’ internet and web-based marketing becomes even more important and many IPAs and Free Zones do not seem to be fully prepared or miss out on the many opportunities they have at their disposal. Some of which are very cost effective and can be very successful.
- Equal level playing field for all IPAs
- Harmonizing your IPA activities in line with the corporate investment and location decision making process
- What would investors like to see when you digitalize your IPA process of activities?
- Which digital tools can you use for which part of your IPA and Free Zone activities?
- How can you best use Virtual Reality in your IPA activities?
- How can you best organize a VR site visit and what should be included?
- How can you conduct a virtual site tour for potential corporate investors?
▪ Digitalizing your IPA services: virtual site visits
▪ During this pandemic many FZs have limited opportunities to showcase the USPs of their location value proposition, attract investors or organize site visits.
▪ With the pandemic taking place ‘traditional’ internet and web-based marketing becomes even more important. Equal level playing field.
▪ So in order to be prepared and not miss out on the many opportunities need to digitalize their investor attraction and marketing services. How to start this process and what to do?
▪
- What would investors like to see when you digitalize your IPA process of activities?
- Which digital tools can you use for which part of your IPA and Free Zone activities?
- How can you best use Virtual Reality in your IPA activities?
- How can you conduct a virtual site tour for potential corporate investors?
- How do you start?
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Investor Servicing & Facilitation
Investor Aftercare & PolicyAdvocacy
Intelligence &
Knowledge
Image
Building &
Marketing
Lead Generation
& Targeting
Investor Servicing &
Facilitation
Investor
Aftercare &
Policy
Advocacy
Leve
l of
Dig
italiz
atio
n
Phases of IPA Services
Virtual reality tools
Tradition
al digital
tools
o COVID-19
proof Website
o SEO
o Social Media
Toolkit
o Investor
Messaging
Image Building
& Marketingo LinkedIn targeting
o Webinars
o Virtual Meetings
o Zoom, Microsoft
Teams, Skype
o Podcasts,
YouTube
o Virtual Site Tour
app and Video
o Interviews with IPA staff and
Stakeholders
Lead Generation &
TargetingInvestor Servicing&
FacilitationInvestor Aftercare &
Policy Advocacyo Virtual Meetings
o Online Meetings
and Webinars
for existing
Investors
o Aftercare events
Digitalizing the IPA service cycle
© 2021 Douglas van den Berghe
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Online presence benchmark
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Country Website Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Youtube Newsletter Investor GuideInvestment
Opportunities GuideValue Proposition Sector Profiles Comment
Brunei * * Very brief and not communicated properly
Cambodia * Unefficient lay out and very minimal
Indonesia * Not active
Laos
Malaysia
Myanmar * Only in Burmese
Philippines * Unefficient lay out and very minimal
Singapore
Thailand * Not active
Vietnam
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Case studies
Invest HK
▪ An integrated approach between online
marketing and communication activities
▪ These tools include – advertising, social
media, public relations activities, and two
main websites.
▪ For campaigns – they coordinate across
all social media channels, email marketing
campaigns, as well as on their websites.
▪ Most recently, they even started their
own mobile app!
Invest India
▪ Online meetings
▪ Well structured
▪ Sector focus
▪ 1000 attendees
▪ Cost effective
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Social media content examples
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▪ Post a mix of external and relevant news updates &
internal relevant and engaging events/news updates
▪ Post content on all media channels, weekly, at least
Contact details:
Dr. Douglas van den Berghe
FDI 4.0 & NxtZones
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
+31 6 4628 6660
www.NxtZones.com (in development)