2010 Country Brand Index: Brand value goes North

A noteworthy trend can be seen by looking at the rankings in the 2010 Country Brand Index. In Europe, nation branding value is moving from South to North. Without a doubt, the countries winning more nation-brand value this year at the Country Brand Index were the Scandinavian ones. They all have improved their ranks in…

Boost for ‘Made in France’ label on debate

A plan to create a ‘Made in France’ label to emphasize the Frenchness of products has been met with mixed reactions from business people, ConnexionFrance reports. The idea, being pushed by former Overseas Minister Yves Jégo, was labelled “xenophobic” by one businessman, while others said it was ecological or good for the image of their…

A weird nation branding story

One of the most curious and successful nation branding efforts was that of the Polish plumber, who came into life in 2004 in France. Before the European Constitution referendum in May 2005, heated debates started in France about the newly joined countries. The ‘Polish plumber’, a persona created by French anti-constitution campaigners, emerged as the…