4.1Can a nation’s image be changed?
Unfortunately, the phrase I coined back in 1998, nation brand, soon became distorted, mainly by a combination of naïve (or perhaps lazy) governments and ambitious consulting firms, into nation branding: a dangerously misleading phrase which seems to contain a promise that the images of countries can be directly manipulated using the techniques of commercial marketing communications, and an ignored or less desirable country magically transformed into the destination of choice almost overnight.
Yet despite repeatedly calling for it over the last 15 years, I have never seen a shred of evidence to suggest that this is possible: no case studies, no research, and not even any very persuasive arguments. I conclude that countries are judged by what they do, not by what they say, as they have always been; yet the notion that a country can simply advertise its way into a better reputation has proved to be a pernicious and surprisingly resilient one.
The message is clear: if a country is serious about enhancing its international image, it should concentrate on the “product” rather than chase after the chimera of “branding”. There are no short cuts. Only a consistent, coordinated and unbroken stream of useful, noticeable, world-class and, above all, relevant ideas, products and policies can gradually enhance the reputation of the country that produces them.
Of course, sectoral promotion is a different matter, and much confusion is created by the conflation of sectoral promotion with national image. The confusion isn’t helped by the fact that people who are responsible for marketing places as investment, relocation, study or tourism destinations often describe their work as ‘branding’. However, the distinction is really quite clear: when you’re selling a mass-market product or service (such as holidays, investment opportunities, exported goods or even – at a stretch – culture) then of course advertising and marketing are legitimate and necessary. Each country’s competitors are doing it, and consumers accept it: the underlying message (buy this, it’s good) is fundamentally honest and straightforward. Nation branding, on the other hand, has nothing to sell, and the underlying message (please change your mind about my country) is government propaganda, which investors, high net worth individuals and indeed most other people rightly ignore.
Having made this distinction, however, it is important to stress that relocation and citizenship are in a rather different sub-category from tourism or cultural promotion, since they are targeted at a highly specialized audience, whereas tourism and culture are predominantly mass-market consumer matters. For this reason I have always been skeptical about the use of mass-marketing techniques, such as print or broadcast advertising campaigns, to promote foreign direct investment, citizenship or residence. The target audience is, after all, a small and easily defined one, and in such circumstances it’s difficult to justify the expense of mass-media exposure. Experience suggests that the administrations which focus their expenditure on a world-class sales operation rather than spending huge sums on consumer-style marketing, achieve better return on investment in the long run.
4.2Measuring the Images of Nations
I launched the Anholt Nation Brands IndexSM in 2005 as a way to measure the image and reputation of the world’s nations, to track their profiles as they rise or fall, and, if possible, to link these changes to the country’s performance in attracting foreign investment, significant individuals, tourism, major events and skilled workers or students, to its success in promoting exports, culture and ideas, and to its profile in the international media.
The study was originally carried out every three months and measured the images of between 10 and 30 countries. Since 2008, in partnership with GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media in New York City, the survey – now known as the Anholt-GfK Roper Nation Brands IndexSM – takes place annually and has been expanded to measure the image of 50 nations. Each NBISM survey is conducted in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Poland, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, Turkey, the UK and the US. Around 20,939 interviews are conducted with approximately 1,050 interviews per country. Using the most up-to-date online population parameters, the achieved sample in each country has been weighted to reflect key demographic characteristics such as age, gender, and education of the online population in that country. In all, the sample used for the NBISM represents approximately 60% of the world’s population and 77% of global GDP.
The Anholt-GfK Roper Nation Brands IndexSM measures the power and appeal of each country’s brand image by examining six dimensions of perceived national competence. Together, these dimensions make up the Nation Brand Hexagon®. The ‘points of the hexagon’ are the following:
Exports. This is what marketers call the ‘country of origin effect’ whether knowing where the product is made increases or decreases people’s likelihood of purchasing it, and whether a country has particular strengths in science and technology, and has creative energy. Perceived associations with particular industries round out that country’s image in this space.
Governance. This aspect incorporates perceived competency and honesty of government, respect for citizens’ rights and fair treatment, as well as global behavior in the areas of international peace and security, environmental protection, and world poverty reduction. Respondents also select one adjective that best describes the government in each country.
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