Costa Rica: First country in the world to use artificial intelligence to create its Nation Brand strategy

Together with Bloom Consulting, a global firm specializing in Nation Branding, essential COSTA RICA developed its 2035 Strategy using four key sources of information:

1. Previous studies on how Costa Rica is seen as a digital brand, including rankings.
2. Key documents about Costa Rica’s plans, like its decarbonization goals.
3. Global reports on future trends, such as Sitra Megatrends 2023, OECD Economic Outlook, and Global Trends 2030, among others.
4. Interviews with national stakeholders from both public and private sectors to understand their views on Costa Rica today and in the next 10 years.

To become the first country to use artificial intelligence (AI) in developing a nation strategy, essential COSTA RICA and Bloom Consulting fed the first three sets of information into an AI platform for in-depth analysis. This technology helped identify how Costa Rica is currently viewed and provided key insights into emerging trends, as well as the overall sentiment surrounding the country in global media.

The AI system also generated predictions about how Costa Rica might be covered in the media in the future. This helped identify opportunities to improve the country’s image and presence in key global markets, while enabling communication strategies to be adjusted for greater impact on international audiences.

A working session with key stakeholders and governing institutions then helped define priority projects for media coverage. The projects were chosen based on the AI analysis and perceptions of Costa Rica’s Nation Brand. This led to the focus of the country’s strategy: climate change and environmental preservation.

"One of the five values of essential COSTA RICA is innovation. By using AI to create the 2035 Strategy, we are very pleased with the results," said Adriana Acosta, Director of essential COSTA RICA. "This plan will help position Costa Rica as the world leader in sustainability and the fight against climate change."

How AI Helped Develop the Strategy

Using AI brought several benefits in shaping this strategy, including:

• Efficiency: AI allowed large amounts of data from different sources to be processed quickly, ensuring a thorough analysis.
• Deeper insights: AI helped detect patterns and connections within the data, offering a more detailed understanding of how Costa Rica is perceived.
• Forward-looking analysis: AI analyzed future trends, helping to create scenarios based on different factors and providing a comprehensive view of what lies ahead.
• Predictive models: AI helped predict future media trends based on global shifts, giving Costa Rica more accurate insights about how it might be viewed in the future.

"The fact that Costa Rica is the first country to develop a Nation Brand Strategy using artificial intelligence shows just how advanced the country is in nation branding," said José Felipe Torres, Global Director of Nation and Place Branding at Bloom Consulting.

The 2035 Strategy in Action

The 2035 Strategy was officially launched in late 2023, with the goal of communicating powerful messages about climate change and sustainability through the concept of Natural Intelligence. So far, the Costa Rican Nation Brand has been strengthening its image as a leader in climate change and environmental preservation in both national and international forums.

The initiative also works closely with Costa Rican businesses to incorporate sustainability and climate change solutions into their operations. Additionally, the Nation Brand is aligning its licensing program with this new vision. Digital campaigns and training sessions are also underway for local talent, especially young people, to engage with the strategy’s goals.

"Costa Rica is already recognized for its work in climate change and environmental preservation," said Adriana Acosta. "With Strategy 2035, and thanks to the insights provided by AI, we’re now focused on building on what the country has achieved over the years. Our specific actions will help boost Costa Rica’s international image and solidify its leadership in these areas."