Costa Rica has become the first country to incorporate artificial intelligence into its nation branding strategy, applying advanced data insights to shape its future vision. This new approach will guide the country’s direction over the next decade, focusing on climate change and environmental preservation as central themes.
Partnering with the consulting firm Bloom Consulting, the national initiative, essential COSTA RICA, drew on four key areas of data: past studies on Costa Rica’s digital image, the nation’s existing strategic plans like its decarbonisation goals, future-oriented global reports, and feedback from national stakeholders across the public and private sectors. The data-driven approach enabled Costa Rica to anticipate future perceptions, identify growth opportunities, and adjust strategies to strengthen its presence on the international stage.
The AI system processed data from a variety of global trend reports, including sources like Sitra Megatrends, the OECD Economic Outlook, and Global Trends 2030. With this broad scope, the system analysed current sentiment around Costa Rica in international media, identified emerging trends, and provided forward-looking insights into how the nation could be perceived in the years to come.
In a unique move, Costa Rica used AI to model future media coverage scenarios, allowing the government to predict areas of opportunity for enhancing the country’s image abroad. By understanding potential future trends and challenges, the AI-powered insights can enable essential COSTA RICA to better align its messaging with global markets, particularly regarding sustainability.
Following the data analysis, a series of strategy meetings were held with stakeholders and national brand managers, where climate change and environmental preservation were identified as top priorities for Costa Rica’s brand identity. These values reflect Costa Rica’s long-standing commitment to environmental issues, with the AI insights reinforcing the importance of this focus for maintaining its leading image in sustainability.
“One of essential COSTA RICA’s core values is innovation, which we’re applying directly through the 2035 Strategy with AI,” said Adriana Acosta, Director of essential COSTA RICA. “This roadmap will position Costa Rica as a global leader in sustainability and climate action.”
The AI technology offered significant benefits, providing both efficiency and depth. Large volumes of data were quickly processed from multiple sources, creating a thorough analysis and enabling insights on subtle patterns within the data. The AI also enabled predictive modelling, giving Costa Rica a clearer picture of likely future scenarios in international media.
José Felipe Torres, Nation and Place Branding Global Director at Bloom Consulting, praised Costa Rica’s leadership in using AI for nation branding: “Costa Rica’s use of AI in developing the Nation Brand Strategy demonstrates its commitment to innovation and to leading in sustainable nation branding.”
Launched in late 2023, the 2035 Strategy also includes workshops with the Costa Rican private sector to promote climate and sustainability goals, alongside digital campaigns and training for young people. The initiatives focus on aligning Costa Rica’s national image with sustainability, while also integrating climate-focused measures into local businesses.
Adriana Acosta added, “Costa Rica already has a strong foundation in climate action. With Strategy 2035, and insights from AI, we are building on this legacy with actions that elevate our international image and support Costa Rica’s leadership in environmental issues.”
