Branding a Country

Branding a country? Nation branding is when counties use corporate style advertising techniques in order to boost a nation’s image, encourage tourism and pique the interest of business investors. This process involves a lot of people and organizations working together in order to form a cohesive image of a region.

Branding a nation entails much more than flags, and colors. It involves every aspect of a country’s heritage from the art, to the government, sports teams, businesses education and the overall culture. A well-developed brand can encourage new businesses, tourism, skilled workers, increase political stability and the label associated with that country will aid in the sale of goods overseas. Branding holds the power to change the way the world views a country and can be a powerful tool.

While outright marketing of a country can help with initial views of the cultural atmosphere it seems that a few well regarded international consumer products can be instrumental in the quest for a country brand. Think  of the many products and services directly associated with certain countries; French wines, Swiss watches, Japanese electronics and Irish pubs. All of these speak to the overall world view of these places. France is known for its luxury in food, clothing and overall atmosphere while Japan is known for being cutting edge in all things from transportation to household appliances. These notions have been shaped by the way these countries have used and distributed their resources and goods over the years.

Nation branding is in of itself a fairly new concept. We’ve all seen the emerging commercials: “Ontario Canada, More to Discover” and “Find Yourself in Tel Aviv”. While we have all “branded” a country because of worldwide or national perceptions, the intentional act of advertising and creating visual representations that depict a country’s values has just begun to be explored.

The Bahamas have done an exceptional job creating an imagery that is representative of the Bahamas colorful history and values. Iterations of this logo have been integrated into the government pamphlets, tourism, local businesses and throughout the area in order to create a cohesive visual that is associated with the Bahamas.

Visual recognition paired with a well-developed internet presence can be powerful in changing or enhancing world view of a country. The Northern Ireland Tourist Board has recently launched a new website to accompany its new marketing strategy. discovernorthernireland

South Africa has used their opportunity to host the 2010 World Cup to improve their country’s brand. They have eagerly shown the world that the country many saw as an unsuitable place to hold a world renown event, is more than capable of hosting a successful event.

Branding is helpful in creating a positive world view of a country. There are many benefits that are received from creating this new or enhanced view; increased tourism, increased business ventures and a renewed sense of national pride are just of the few positive things associated with a positive international presence. National branding, though a new concept, has seen good success rates and benefits many countries around the world