Nation branding, a special issue of Monocle magazine

The new issue of the Monocle magazine is devoted to how nations can change how they’re perceived, that is, nation branding. “With corporate brands more powerful than country brands, there’s a lot of work out there for agencies keen to rethink a nation’s identity. Monocle looks at the construct of countries.” Very interesting for nation branding insiders, evangelists and enthusiasts.

Over 40-plus pages, the magazine looks at how countries are built. In fact, one of the main stories in this issue is about Costazzurra (or Costazzurria) , an imagined country created by letting Liguria and Monaco join forces to become Costazzurra – a thriving Mediterranean powerhouse to rule the region.

In this issue the themes of national reputation and brand-building extend across six stories but express themselves in different forms with the future of each nation secured, undecided or grim.