Does your country need some nation branding?

This week I wrote about 12 recipes for country branding – that is 12 ways to ‘brand’ your country and take the appropriate measures to prompt your country’s image to move towards the desired direction. But, how do you know that your country needs some country branding? You aren’t sure about it?

Maybe it’s hard to tell, but this quick test will help you dispel doubts. This list reflects 14 situations showing the need for a country to embark on a nation branding programme (and a living example of a country in that situation). Do this test and if you identify 5 or more questions as happening to your country, then your country does need some nation branding, no doubt.

  • Your country has changed a lot in the last years, but people still think it is as it was in the 90s. Living example: Colombia
  • It is irritating, but it continues to happen every time you say your country’s name that people say ‘You’re from where? Never heard of that”. Living example: Gabon
  • Your country name is associated with bad weather, bad food, bad living standards. Living example: Latvia
  • Bad image prevents your country to fully reach its ambitions. Living example: Turkey
  • People confuse it with your neighbour and things like traditions, language, flags, names, religion are mixed up. Living example: Tajikistan
  • You have a worse-than-deserved reputation because you’re put in a sack with many others. Living example: Slovenia
  • Your country has recently gone through a severe image crisis. Living example: Greece
  • People can’t tell where your country is on a map. Living example: Belize
  • Your country is virtually non-existent – it never makes it to the news. Living example: Mauritania
  • People can’t spell your country’s name correctly. Living example: Zimbabwe
  • You can’t dispell myths, negative stereotypes and prejudiced cliches about your country. Living example: Mexico
  • People from your country are sometimes not too much welcomed. Living example: Israel
  • Products coming from your country are unjustly perceived to be of low value. Living example: South Korea
  • People could never recognize your country’s flag. Living example: Armenia

OK! This was my last post before the August vacations break – I’ll be back soon!

Andreas Markessinis

 

For a Russian translation of this article, check this out: 12 Retseptov iz povarennoy knigi brendinga stran