# Essential COSTA RICA

essential COSTA RICA is the nation branding of the Republic of Costa Rica, implemented to project the country's image in international markets. Its purpose is to promote exports, attract foreign direct investment, encourage tourism, and highlight Costa Rican culture. Additionally, it aims to foster competitiveness among national companies, improve quality standards, and generate a community of licensed companies that promote business both in Costa Rica and abroad.
The nation branding is led by an institutional council composed of the Costa Rican Foreign Trade Promoter (PROCOMER), the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT), the Ministry of Foreign Trade (COMEX), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship, and the Ministry of Culture and Youth (MCJ). It was created through Executive Decree No. 37669-RE-COMEX-TUR on March 22, 2013.
Companies seeking to obtain the nation branding seal must undergo an evaluation protocol covering the brand's five values: excellence, sustainability, social progress, innovation, and Costa Rican linkage. As of 2024, 751 companies hold the essential COSTA RICA license, including 482 from the commerce sector, 269 from tourism, and 66 from foreign direct investment.

## Background

Nation branding aims to measure, build and manage the reputation of countries (closely related to place branding). In the book Diplomacy in a Globalizing World: Theories and Practices, the authors define nation branding as "the application of corporate marketing concepts and techniques to countries, in the interests of enhancing their reputation in international relations." Many nations try to make brands in order to build relationships between different actors that are not restricted to nations. It extends to public and private sectors in a nation and helps with nationalism. States also want to participate in multilateral projects. Some approaches applied, such as an increasing importance on the symbolic value of products, have led countries to emphasize their distinctive characteristics. The branding and image of a nation-state "and the successful transference of this image to its exports - is just as important as what they actually produce and sell." This is also referred to as country-of-origin effect.
Nation branding is a developing field in which scholars continue their search for a unified theoretical framework. Many nations are aiming to improve their country's standing, as the image and reputation of a nation can heavily influence its economic vitality. They seek to attract tourism and investment capital, increase exports, attract a talented and creative workforce, and enhance their cultural and political influence in the world.

## History

The 2011–2014 National Development Plan recognized the importance of sustainable tourism for the country's economic growth, highlighting Costa Rica's existing positioning as a tourist destination. Previously, the campaign "Costa Rica, No Artificial Ingredients", promoted by the Costa Rican Tourism Institute, emphasized biodiversity and sustainability as key themes for promotional campaigns.
By 2012, Costa Rica was ranked 25th globally and first in Latin America in the Nation Branding Index by Future Brand. However, the brand's focus at the time was primarily on tourism, without integrating other sectors such as investment and exports. In response to this limitation, efforts were made to develop a more comprehensive nation branding that would reflect not only tourism but also other strategic elements. In 2013, through a presidential decree, the nation branding essential COSTA RICA was officially established to represent a coherent image of the country internationally.
An Inter-Institutional Committee for the Nation Branding was also created, tasked with overseeing and coordinating promotional efforts in areas such as tourism, investment, and international trade.

### Objectives

essential COSTA RICA has five main objectives:
* Attract foreign direct investment in strategic sectors such as high-tech manufacturing and high-value-added services.
* Promote the export of value-added products with a sense of exclusivity, distinction, and international quality.
* Attract selective types of tourism, such as business, adventure, and sustainable tourism.
* Promote domestic public participation on three levels: information, opinion, and decision, to achieve brand recognition and persuasion.
* Build a Country Brand through communication anchored in the present with a consistent vision for the future.

## Types of licenses

The types of licenses granted by the nation branding include:
* Corporate use: For institutional communication, websites, social media, professional materials, and physical locations. The license lasts 60 months, with an intermediate review at 30 months.
* Product use: For products, labels, and packaging. The corporate use license is required to apply.
* Tourism sector: Companies in the tourism sector must have a tourism declaration or the CST mark from the Costa Rican Tourism Institute.
* Use in events: Temporary licenses for promotional events aligning with the brand's five values.
The essential COSTA RICA license can be requested by individuals or legal entities, both national and foreign, engaged in economic activities related to tourism, attracting foreign direct investment, exports, export-oriented SMEs, companies related to foreign trade, and other areas aligned with the objectives of the Country Brand.

## Natural intelligence strategy

In October 2023, the government of Costa Rica announced that over the next decade, it would enhance the brand and image of essential COSTA RICA with a focus on sustainability and the concept of "natural intelligence." The initiative aims to strengthen the country's leadership on the global stage, building on Costa Rica's existing reputation for addressing the climate crisis and environmental preservation. The new strategy is based on concrete actions the country has implemented in these areas.
"Natural intelligence" highlights several milestones in Costa Rican history, such as the abolition of the military in 1949, the establishment of free and compulsory primary education in 1869, the protection of 25.5% of its land and 30.3% of its maritime territory, becoming the first tropical country to reverse deforestation, achieving 57.1% national forest cover, generating 98.6% of its electricity from renewable sources, housing 6.5% of global biodiversity on just 0.03% of the planet's surface, being ranked "the happiest country in the world" according to the Happy Planet Index 2024, and hosting one of the world's five "Blue Zones" in Nicoya, where inhabitants enjoy longer and healthier lives.

## Awards and recognitions

* 2019: "Country Brand of the Year", awarded by City Nation Place Awards, London.
* 2019: Silver Award in the Environment category, awarded by El Ojo de Iberoamérica.
* 2020: "Brand Strategy", awarded by the Place Marketing Forum, France.
* 2022: "Best Use of Design", for the redesign of the Costa Rican passport, awarded by City Nation Place Awards.