Kazakhstan is a former Soviet republic which, due to its wealth in ores and oil reserves, recorded a significant economic growth. In the midst of the vast Euro-Asian steppe, just 20 years ago, Kazakhstan established its capital, Astana, whose name literally means “the capital” in the translation from the Kazakh language. It’s an astonishing modern city characterized by a striking, futuristic architecture whose development and tourism strategy have been run for seven years now by the Zagreb office of the consulting firm Horwath HTL.
“Kazakhstan has set ambitious strategic development goals for the country and Astana as the youngest capital in the world for the next few decades,” says Siniša Topalović of Horwath HTL and adds: “Their goal is to become the business, financial and cultural hub of Eurasia, or rather Central Asia, and to position themselves as one of the most innovative cities in the near future.”
In cooperation with the internationally awarded Croatian agency Bruketa&Žinić&Grey, they have also developed a brand strategy for Astana whose core is the message “The Capital of Global Nomads”.
“This country has a long tradition of nomadic life marked by great hospitality, freedom and tolerance,” Topalovic points out, adding: “On the other hand, the nomadic lifestyle that is almost completely abandoned in Central Asia is becoming a global trend in the western world.” That’s way, the agencies say, the message of Astana as the Capital of Global Nomads stands on the border between the nomadic past and the innovative future of Kazakhstan.
“Astana is by many things a city of the future. Contemporary architecture and urbanism, great spatial and human potential, make it appealing to people who want to live in attractive locations, no matter where they are on Earth. Global nomads, the most active part of the human race, will have Astana on their list of desirable destinations. Investments in the years to come will increase Astana’s attractiveness for that part of the population. It is quite exciting for any brand consultant to work on a branding strategy for the city of the future. Our rich experience in this part of the world has helped us with this project,” said Davor Bruketa, Creative Director of Bruketa&Žinić&Grey.
Project team:
Bruketa&Žinić&Grey / Davor Bruketa (Creative Director), Ivanka Mabić Gagić (Head of International Business)
Željka Zrnić (Brand Consultant)
Horwath HTL / Siniša Topalović (Strategy of Tourism Development, Project Leader), Emanuel Tutek (Strategic Marketing Plan), Andrej Šimatić (Operative Marketing Strategy), Iva Rašica (Consultant), Nika Ružić (Junior Consultant)
