Simon Anholt likes to speak hard. And that’s one of the reasons why as many people love him as hate him. Here are his 10 most striking quotes:
- “You wouldn’t believe the number of countries which come to me and say “We’ve got a rubbish image, can we fix it?” and my question is always the same, “Is it perhaps because you have a rubbish country?”
- “If some bloke comes in TV and tell me that Kazakhstan is the most wonderful country on Earth, I’ll just be more persuaded that it’s rubbish”
- “A wicked waste of taxpayers’ money which people rightly ignore”
- “Perception, unfortunately, always trumps reality”
- “Nation branding is a monstruous scam”
- “The only reason why PR agencies exist is to manipulate”
- “Reputation is everything, reality is nothing”
- “The only remaining superpower is international public opinion.”
- “Brands are the rock stars of commerce, and create many fans, both at home and abroad.”
- “Nation branding does not exist; it is a myth, and rather a dangerous one.”
