Nation Branding book!

NATION BRANDING BOOK – OUT NOW! We’re pleased to announce that the new book “Nation Branding” is now available. “Nation Branding – A handbook on how to use country brands for the good of nations and peoples” is an invaluable book for scholars, marketers and policymakers trying to leverage the power of country brands. Written by Andreas Markessinis, this handbook explores concepts,…

Wally Olins on BRIC countries’ brand potential

In January 2011 I wrote a short essay on how Bric countries were not taking full advantage of their country of origin. In there I argued that Brazil, China and India could build larger, more powerful brands by using nationality more, and that the world was ready for that. This is an excerpt from that…

An issue of national identity

Siegel+Gale, the NYC-based branding firm, has issued an interesting, yet short, article on country branding. On “An issue of national identity”, the author tackles how we relate to our country and our neighbours. The issue of national identity cropped up again last week at Siegel+Gale…..which got me thinking about nation brands. Europe is a patchwork quilt of different cultures,…

Branding Kenya video

Last week we looked at a video about Slovenia’s nation-branding efforts. Now it’s the turn for yet another keynote from the Berlin International Congress held earlier this year. It’s now Mary Kimonye, who some of you will remember from previous news and updates from Kenya’s project to develop a country brand.

Finnish nation branding workgroup unveils Brand Finland strategy

In 2030, Finland will be the world’s problem-solver, the report of the Country Brand Delegation states in its final report. “Our practical and forthright approach to dealing with challenges offers the country an excellent opportunity to earn distinction, for instance, in resolving problems associated with international conflicts, water shortage and education” – so says a press release…

Siegel+Gale on Egypt’s new tourism logo

Siegel+Gale reflects on Egypt’s recent change of logo in a new article published on their blog. For once,  I don’t agree with them. I loved the old Egypt logo – it was mystical, solar, serene, magic. And it featured colors we associate with Egypt. The new logo looks like a cheap watercolor painting.  And it’s not…

Video keynote – I feel Slovenia

We’ve refered to Slovenia’s nation-branding efforts before – and also to the country’s promotional ‘I feel sLOVEnia” tagline as early as in 2007. In this speech, Valerija Mencej, Head of the Slovenian State Promotion Section explains the strategy behind the tagline:

Nicolas Papadopoulos’ remarks on nation branding

One of the most knowledgeable academic experts in nation branding and the country of origin effect, Nicolas Papadopoulos, answered some questions in a recent interview – this is his remarks on the nation branding field: What must a successful branding campaign entail to not only develop a local economy, but also help sustain it? Long-term…

The Ripple Effect of Country Branding

Daniel Florian, associate director at the Berlin-based public affairs consultancy Dimap Communications, mentions a study by the Social Science Research Center Berlin (WZB) whose conclusions are pretty interesting: A study by the renowned Social Science Research Center Berlin (WZB) found that a positive image indeed helps to attract multinational companies. “Even after taking into account…

Survey on Brand Japan published

Following the March 11 disaster, Interbrand conducted a survey to understand changes in the way “Brand Japan” is perceived overseas. The survey looked at changes in perceptions about Japan before and after the disaster among consumers in the United States, the United Kingdom, and China. The survey covered five industries: automotive, consumer electronics, cosmetics and…

South Africa is Africa’s most valuable country brand, study says

South Africa was named Africa’s most valuable nation brand last Wednesday (May 25th, 2011) at the announcement of the fourth BrandFinance Global Nation Brands League. The BrandFinance Global Nation Brands League’s valuation is conducted every year by Brand Finance, an independent brand valuation consultancy. Now in their fourth year, the league covers a global sample…

Branding the Nenets region

We continue to look North. Some weeks ago we imagined how a country sitting around the Arctic Sea would be like if ruled by Tyler Brûlé (the Nippon-Nordic Confederation) and now we look at a region which could enter the confederation thanks to its Arctic credentials. In truth, we don’t normally look at anything below…