Costa Rica Becomes the World’s First Nation to Develop a National Brand Strategy Using Artificial Intelligence

On the tenth anniversary of launching essential COSTA RICA, the national brand has taken an innovative step by formulating a strategic plan for the next decade. For the first time, it has utilized one of its core values—innovation—becoming the world's first national brand to employ artificial intelligence in defining its 2035 vision.

essential COSTA RICA partnered with Bloom Consulting, an international firm specializing in national brand development, to co-create this strategy. They based their strategic formulation on four key information blocks: firstly, previous research on the digital identity and ranking of the national brand; secondly, Costa Rica's strategic documents such as the decarbonization plan; thirdly, over ten global reports on future trends, including Sitra Megatrends 2023, OECD Economic Outlook, and Global Trends 2030; and finally, in-depth interviews with national stakeholders from both the public and private sectors to understand their perceptions of the current state of the nation and their outlook for Costa Rica over the next decade.

Aiming to become the first country globally to integrate artificial intelligence into strategic development, essential COSTA RICA and Bloom Consulting input the first three information blocks into an AI platform for in-depth processing and analysis. This technology not only identifies and evaluates current perceptions of Costa Rica but also provides key insights into emerging trends and the overall sentiment related to Costa Rica in international media.

The system also generates forecasts about potential future media coverage, aiding in identifying opportunities to enhance Costa Rica's image and presence in strategic global markets. This enables more informed decision-making and allows communication strategies to be adjusted to maximize positive impact on international audiences.

During working sessions with stakeholders and national brand governance bodies, priority projects were identified. Based on the national brand perception classification model and AI analysis, it was determined which projects would receive the most media coverage. Ultimately, Costa Rica's strategic focus was set on climate change and environmental protection.

Adriana Acosta, head of essential COSTA RICA, stated: "One of essential COSTA RICA's five core values is innovation, which is why we aimed to use artificial intelligence in developing our 2035 strategy. We are extremely satisfied with the results. This roadmap will guide us in positioning Costa Rica as a global leader in sustainable development and climate change response."

Integrating artificial intelligence into the development of this strategy has provided numerous advantages, including increased efficiency, deeper insights, forward-looking analysis, and the creation of predictive models. These benefits ensure comprehensive analysis, offer more profound understanding of perception dynamics, and enable scenario modeling based on multiple variables, fostering an informed and holistic vision.

José Felipe Torres, Global Director of National and Local Brands at Bloom Consulting, added: "Costa Rica is the first country to use artificial intelligence in formulating its national brand strategy, which underscores its advanced status and leadership in the field of national branding."

essential COSTA RICA's 2035 strategy was launched at the end of 2023, aiming to create strong messaging focused on climate change and sustainable development through the concept of natural intelligence. To date, Costa Rica's national brand has been active in multiple domestic and international forums, strengthening its image as an innovator and a leader in climate change and environmental protection knowledge.

Additionally, essential COSTA RICA has collaborated with Costa Rica's private sector to introduce sustainability and climate change response concepts to businesses through a series of workshops. At the same time, it has coordinated the national brand licensing program with this new narrative. Various digital advertising campaigns and training courses covering relevant strategy topics have also been launched, targeting local talent, especially the youth.

Adriana Acosta concluded: "Costa Rica has already established a strong position in climate change and environmental protection. Through the 2035 strategy and future scenarios analyzed by artificial intelligence, we are committed to leveraging the assets the nation has built over the past decades, enhancing its international image through targeted actions, and reinforcing Costa Rica's leadership in these domains."