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2010 COUNTRY BRAND INDEX


© 2010 by FutureBrand. All rights reserved. in partnership with BBC WORLD NEWS

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The FutureBrand 2010 Country Brand Index, presented in partnership with BBC World News, is our sixth and most comprehensive study of country brands to date. It is based on more respondents across more countries and questions than ever before. After five years of research, we know that country brand strength is driven by perceptions of five key dimensions: Tourism, Heritage and Culture, Good for Business, Quality of Life and Value System.

In addition, the strength of a country brand is determined in the same way as any other brand. We measure levels of awareness, familiarity, preference, consideration, advocacy and active decisions to visit.

But the most important factors, the aspects that truly differentiate a country brand, are its associations and attributes – the things that people think of when they hear a place name, or look at a photograph or plan a trip. But above all, a strong country brand is more than the sum of its attributes: it makes people’s lives better.

From progressive politics to openness, freedom of speech, movement and a positive outlook on the world, countries that are geared around their people and their needs score highly. They also have to create a strong emotional connection, making people want to visit, do business, learn and build their lives in a place. Not just that, but like any brand, they need to be consistent across all touch points, from advertising and public relations to political representatives, cultural ambassadors, tourists, companies and indigenous products. We need to be able to differentiate between country brand experiences, from people to places, from products to companies. Country brand ranking even correlates to how far a nation exports its values through its iconic brands. These features, coupled with a strong point of view and role on the world stage and a tireless effort to drive the world forward, encouraging tourism, immigration, cultural exchange and partnership, make the difference between a nation state and a genuine country brand. Also, as the 2010 Country Brand Index reveals, while economic performance is vital to brand strength, it is not enough to guarantee a high world ranking.

What Makes a Strong Country Brand?

Makes People’s Lives Better

Creates Emotional Desire & Demand

Consistent Across All Touchpoints

Point of View on the Future

Drives the World Forward

Economic Performance and Power



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Why Does It Matter?

Country brand strength is a nation’s ultimate intangible asset and goes beyond its geographic size, financial performance or levels of awareness. Managed properly across every measure, it can be a lasting vehicle for goodwill, encouraging forgiveness in difficult times and disproportionately boosting the value of exports, from people to products to entire corporations. Arguably, a strong country brand is a driver of brand strength in other contexts – when a product, service or corporation is identified with a strong country brand, it has a better chance of premium pricing, longevity and preference in emerging markets; consider the power of French luxury brands in China, for example. A weak country brand, like a weak product brand, leads to poor differentiation, ambiguous meaning and low recall in the minds of people who travel, invest and do business outside their borders. All of this affects a nation’s ability to stand out regionally and globally and to realise future ambitions beyond its natural resources.



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ABOUT FUTUREBRANDFutureBrand is global brand and innovation consultancy with 24 offices around the world. We bring together many diverse national identities, histories and experiences. As a company we share a simple belief: the future does not happen to us, we create it.

We have been pioneers in country branding for more than a decade, working with Mexico, Singapore, Peru, Australia, Saint Lucia and Qatar, to name a few, as well as shaping a number of country-branded export products – including flag carrier airlines – and helping to brand cities, regions and major national corporations.

ABOUT BBC WORlD NEWsBBC World News is the BBC’s 24 hour, international news and information service. With a global audience of over 70 million, it reaches in excess of 306 million households in more than 200 countries and territories with a mix of breaking news, award-winning current affairs and documentaries. As part of the world’s largest newsgathering operation, with a network of over 2,000 journalists in more than 70 international bureaux, BBC World News offers its audiences comprehensive coverage of global events. The channel also has a first-class line up of business programmes, beginning with World Business Report and Business Edition. These are backed by in-depth regional Business Report programmes focused on the Middle East, Asia, India, Africa, and Russia, giving viewers an in-depth view of the most important financial, economic and company stories from around the world. Away from business, BBC World News also broadcasts some outstanding factual content, including the hard-hitting interview programme, HARDtalk, technology strand, Click, and travel show fast:track.



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Our Methodology

AWARENEss: Do key audiences know that the country exists? How top of mind is it?

FAMIlIARITY: How well do people know the country and what it offers?

AssOCIATIONs: What qualities come to mind when people think of the country?We look at the measured perceptions of five key association dimensions: • TOURISM

• HERITAGE AND CULTURE

• GOOD FOR BUSINESS

• QUALITY OF LIFE

• VALUE SYSTEM

PREFERENCE: How highly do audiences esteem the country? Does it resonate?

CONsIDERATION: Is this one of the countries being thought about for a visit?

DECIsION / VIsITATION: To what extent do people follow through and visit the country?

ADVOCACY: Do visitors recommend the country to family, friends and colleagues?

The Country Brand Index is an annual study that examines and ranks country brands, based on FutureBrand’s proprietary research methodology. The sixth edition of CBI incorporates a global quantitative research study with 3,400 international business and leisure travellers from 13 countries on all five continents, qualified by in-depth expert focus groups that took place in 14 major metropolitan areas around the world. The overall country brand score is calculated using FutureBrand’s Hierarchical Decision Model (HDM), which measures overall country brand performance in the following areas:



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14 sPAIN

15 sINGAPORE

16 MAlDIVEs

17 IRElAND

18 BERMUDA

19 DENMARK

20 AUsTRIA

21 MAURITIUs

22 GREECE

23 INDIA

24 ICElAND

25 NETHERlANDs

01 CANADA

02 AUsTRAlIA

03 NEW ZEAlAND

04 UNITED sTATEs

05 sWITZERlAND

06 JAPAN

07 FRANCE

08 FINlAND

09 UNITED KINGDOM

10 sWEDEN

11 GERMANY

12 ITAlY

13 NORWAY

Top 25 Country Brands2010 RAnk

2010RAnk

#2 / 1

#4 / 2

#3 / 0

#1 / 3

#11 / 6

#7 / 1

#5 / 2

#16 / 8

#8 / 1

#21 / 11

#9 / 2

#6 / 6

#10 / 4

#13 / 2

#19 / 3

#12 / 5

#15 / 3

#23 / 4

#28 / 8

#26 / 5

#14 / 8

#18 / 5

#25 / 1

#31 / 6

#22 / 9

CountRy BRAnd CountRy BRAnd2009 RAnk / ChAnge 2009 RAnk / ChAnge



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The Strongest Country Brands in 2010

This year’s leading country brands share some common features. They are all democratic, progressive, relatively politically and economically stable, and doing business in English. As ever, there are rising and falling stars, but position is not the whole story. Themes are emerging in 2010 that hint at future drivers of country brand strength, including the importance of value systems and the freedom of communications: a major factor in world perception of a country and its culture, people, businesses and brands.

CANADA’s OlYMPIC YEARFirstly, 2010 is Canada’s year. Rising from second to first place, brand Canada displaced the USA in a coup mirroring its ice hockey gold win at the Vancouver Winter Olympics. In fact, as host of the Games, Canada not only secured a record number of gold medals but delivered a successful event overall: a fact that must have helped its image as a safe, friendly, fun, world-class country. All things considered, it is perhaps not surprising that Canada enjoyed increased awareness and visitation scores this year. But paradoxically, while Canada performs consistently well across every CBI measure, it fails to achieve the highest rank in any category – unlike its rival the USA, which continues to dominate when it comes to consideration and other scores.

THE ROlE OF MEDIA It should come as no surprise that the leading country brands have a healthy mixture of public and commercial broadcast networks with multiple stations, some international reach and a relatively free press. They also have excellent communications infrastructure with high levels of Internet and mobile phone penetration. In a world defined by user-generated content, borderless communication through social networks, and unprecedented access to news, information and rich media, a country brand is now partly built by aggregated sentiments and content arising from people’s personal experience. The more open a country, and the better its technological infrastructure, the more likely good (and bad) experiences will permeate and impact awareness and preference for its brand. So it is no coincidence that digital openness is a common feature of the strongest country brands.



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THE OBAMA EFFECT WEARs OFF Perhaps unsurprisingly, the USA has fallen three places this year, showing that the ‘Obama effect’ can work both ways. Just as its rise to the top spot in 2009 reflected global attention, hope and anticipation of change promised by the new administration, the USA has suffered in parallel with the waning approval ratings of its new president. This could indicate that brand USA was artificially stimulated by the charisma of an individual and his globally monitored election campaign, covering up some of America’s challenges in the wake of the global economic crisis. With unemployment nearing double figures and a slower than predicted recovery, the world’s largest economy has also been affected by the Gulf of Mexico disaster and sustained criticism over foreign policy. However, brand USA continues to communicate strong and desirable values in everything from popular culture and entertainment to food and retailing brands. The US economy’s importance for global business and the pre-eminence of US high-tech and pharmaceutical companies and brands means that the world still pays close and positive attention to America.

WEATHERING THE FINANCIAl sTORMThe economic crisis is also a powerful factor in country brand strength this year, but mainly for those that avoided it. The top three brands managed to escape the worst of the banking collapse and maintain relatively strong economies throughout 2010. Australia and New Zealand have both enjoyed consecutive-quarter growth thanks in part to continuing demand for commodities like iron ore, timber and milk from China. Canada has also shown strong performance among the G7 nations, being the last into recession and the first out, not least thanks to fiscal conservatism that helped it to avoid the sub-prime crisis. Other countries that have fallen down the rankings – notably the USA and the UK – have both suffered conspicuously as a result of high-risk ventures and the banking collapse.



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ENGlIsH As A FIRsT lANGUAGEWhat Canada, Australia and New Zealand have in common with the UK is English as a first language – the unifying force behind global communications and commerce. Rising business schools and universities position them well as education hubs providing talented, mobile students who act as international ambassadors for their countries’ brands. The strong tourism draw for all three markets is closely related to each country’s diversity of natural beauty and tourism-friendly urban centres. All three are notable for their strong commitment to natural and environmental causes, and are often used as locations for major films, television shows and commercial advertising as well as promoting themselves as diverse and affordable destinations for adventure and relaxation. It is not surprising that all three, often presented as offering the best of urban and rural living, are highly desirable when it comes to immigration in search of quality of life.

BRAND UK PlAYs TO ITs sTRENGTHsPerceptions of brand UK might have been particularly affected by recent public spending cuts and a move towards a new ‘austerity’ following this year’s change of government. However, despite a slight fall in 2010, brand UK is still a global contender. A major exporter of music, television, film, fashion and literary icons – from the BBC to the Man Booker Prize, syndicated TV talent show formats, Vivienne Westwood and James Bond – the UK still punches above its weight in global media and popular culture. It continues to be a centre of research and learning, with Oxford and Cambridge as well as notable business schools appearing prominently in global rankings. And global brands with UK provenance such as Burberry, M&S, GSK, Diageo, British Airways and Virgin Group do much for brand UK’s international image. Unlike more youthful counterparts among the leading country brands, the country also consistently achieves high scores in the dimension for Heritage and Culture that makes up for a rather weak performance in the dimension for Tourism this year. It is also important to remember that the UK hosts some of the most powerful sports brands in the world, from Manchester United to Chelsea and Arsenal as well as the English Premier League overall. It will be interesting to see whether brand UK maintains its Top 10 position over the next three years – particularly with the London 2012 Olympic Games firmly in view – with a new administration and hopes for a steady recovery from economic difficulty.



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THE RIsE OF BRAND sCANDINAVIAPerhaps most interestingly this year, the Top 20 performance of Sweden, Finland, Norway and Denmark reveals a strong emerging preference for ‘brand Scandinavia’ across the world. From Denmark’s role as the host of the Copenhagen Summit to Sweden’s internationally renowned welfare state, brand Scandinavia represents a commitment to freedom, well-being, global citizenship and quality of life that unites these Northern European countries in people’s perceptions. As a ‘rising star’ in 2010 – moving from 21 to 10 – Sweden in particular cultivates very strong perceptions around the dimensions for Value System and Quality of Life. Specifically, Sweden performs well in attributes such as Environmental Friendliness, Education System and Healthcare System – which are all ranked at number two. The strong performance of brands like the airline SAS that bring Scandinavia together shows the power of unifying individual country brands behind regional flag carriers or corporations that represent common values. For example, SAS Group’s airline companies are the only ones in the world with ISO 14001 and EMAS environmental certification, which is consistent with perceptions of brand Scandinavia’s environmental credentials. This sits alongside global household names such as H&M, Lego, Nokia, Volvo and Ikea – all national brands from the region that ‘travel well’ and provoke admiration and positive perceptions.

sWITZERlAND PUNCHEs ABOVE ITs WEIGHTIf economic stability matters, it also seems that size isn’t everything. New Zealand, Finland, Sweden and Switzerland all prove this with populations under 10 million. Their high position is thanks in no small part to perceptions of a strong value system and quality of life in each country. But Switzerland’s six-position jump from last year can be attributed to more than its historic reputation for political neutrality and high living standards. Above all, Switzerland dominates the rankings in the Good for Business dimension in 2010, which perhaps relates to several years of high-profile corporate headquarter relocations to major cities. From Kraft Foods to Novartis, Merck Serono, Google Europe, McDonald’s Europe, P&G, Nestle and the International Olympic Committee, new and established organisations in every industry have taken advantage of favourable corporate residency regulations, and cemented an already global reputation for Switzerland as a place for doing business.



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BRANDs IN COUNTRY BRANDINGAnd finally, this year’s leading country brands reveal a more lasting truth about brand strength. Despite crisis, economic downturn, political upheaval and public relations problems, countries with a clear identity, consistent values and a lasting heritage continue to perform at the highest level. For example, brand China’s position has actually dropped in the 2010 ranking while simultaneously displacing Japan as the world’s second-largest economy, showing that economic strength alone is not enough to build a strong brand. Japan, on the other hand, has risen one position in the ranking, amid high-profile national PR problems such as the Toyota recall, economic slowdown and a weakened yen. Similarly, the BP crisis – widely feared to impact brand UK – seems not to have significantly damaged perceptions of the brand. Its continued high performance in heritage and culture as well as consideration and visitation show that legacy value and a strong identity as a nation can overcome austerity drives and corporate disasters. Similarly, while France has fallen this year, its biggest strength remains in Heritage and Culture, and it makes great use of that in exporting some of the world’s most famous brands – from Chanel to LVMH Group – all of which continually reinforce its authentic history, culture and style. It is no coincidence, for example, that the emerging super-rich in China choose French luxury brands over others as emblems of their newly found economic and social status. French brands such as Carrefour, Danone, L’Oréal, Evian and Renault also carry great appeal to the mass market, which reinforces a more populist aspect to French culture and specialisation in retail, cosmetics and dairy products. France also continues to be a very strong tourist destination for the same reasons, remaining at number one in awareness and decision/visitation, and jumping to first place in familiarity this year. Undoubtedly, French music and cinema continue to influence global culture for the Francophone world, and France 24 and Canal+ are major vehicles for French culture.

FAllING sTARs FOR 2010And what of those top 2009 country brands that have fallen in the rankings this year? Greece presents the most conspicuous shift, dropping 8 places from 14 to 22, set against a high-profile financial crisis and subsequent industrial relations problems following government spending cuts and tax increases. Associations of Greece as a tourist destination are traditionally strong in this study, but during sustained periods of bad news – affecting confidence around core services and infrastructure – consideration and advocacy are threatened. India is another falling brand, dropping five places to 23 this year, straight off the back of negative global media coverage of health and safety concerns at this year’s Delhi Commonwealth Games, as well as attacks on tourists leading up to the event. Spain and Ireland also move down the table, showing that even traditionally strong tourist destinations are not immune to shifting brand strength in straightened economic times. Italy also falls down the ranking despite increased efforts to boost tourism this year with high-profile internal and external advertising initiatives featuring the prime minister himself. However, this is set against a backdrop of sustained criticism of Silvio Berlusconi’s premiership and the financial difficulties the country has faced in the global economic crisis.



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CONsIsTENCY Is KEYWhat do these leading country brands have in common? Above all else, they stand for something and carry their values into politics, business, tourism and culture – from the brands they export to the celebrities they cultivate. A strong sense of identity, developed over time and presented consistently across touch points, is critical to brand success of any kind. It can provide the forgiveness that a country brand needs to weather short-term difficulties that hamper public perception and decisions to travel and do business. At the end of the day, like company, product or service brands, country brands create strong and positive impressions that generate desire and demand. The consistency of impressions and messages across media and channels keeps them top of mind and promotes them across audiences and categories of relevance, from business to travel and tourism.

Above all, if brands are a promise, the 2010 leading country brands are keeping theirs.



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Top 10 Country Brands – Strengths

2010 offers a potent reminder that strong, consistent country brands hold their value in the long term. Canada, Australia and New Zealand have all occupied the Top 10 for at least four editions of the CBI. And eight of the Top 10 remain from 2009. But while there is no single formula for success, many countries have particular strengths that differentiate their brand in audiences’ minds. FutureBrand’s proprietary Hierarchical Decision Model (HDM) is the methodology used to evaluate key dimensions of brand strength, from awareness to associations and advocacy. The ultimate rank of a country is based on how it scores across all these measures.

Interestingly, although Canada is very strong in Tourism (4), Quality of Life (5), Good for Business (8) and Value System (8), it does not achieve a number one ranking in any specific measure or association within the HDM framework. Its secret lies in consistent strength across every metric.



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TOP 10 COUNTRY BRANDs – sTRENGTHs

1 2

AWARENESSRanking

FAMILIARITYRanking

PREFERENCERanking

CONSIDERATIONRanking

ADVOCACYRanking

DECISION / VISITATIONRanking

#7 #9

#7 #9

#14 #1

#9 #4

#7 #16

#5 #1

CANADA AUsTRAlIA

HERITAGE & CULTURE • natural Beauty

TOURISM • Value for Money • Attractions • Resort & Lodging options

GOOD FOR BUSINESS • Investment Climate • Regulatory environment • Skilled Workforce

QUALITY OF LIFE • education System • healthcare System • Standard of Living • Safety • Job opportunity • Most Like to Live In

VALUE SYSTEM • Political Freedom • environmental Friendliness • Stable Legal environment • tolerance • Freedom of Speech

TOURISM • Attractions • Resort & Lodging options

GOOD FOR BUSINESS • Investment Climate

QUALITY OF LIFE • healthcare System • Standard of Living Job opportunity • Most Like to Live In VALUE SYSTEM • Political Freedom

• environmental Friendliness • Stable Legal environment • tolerance • Freedom of Speech

COMPONENTS

STRONGEST PERFORMING ASSOCIATIONS

= Top 10 ranking= #1 ranking



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3 4

AWARENESSRanking

FAMILIARITYRanking

PREFERENCERanking


ADVOCACYRanking


#23 #6

#19 #2

#5 #2

#11 #1

#27 #4

#4 #12

NEW ZEAlAND UsA

HERITAGE & CULTURE • Authenticity • natural Beauty

TOURISM • Value for Money Attractions

GOOD FOR BUSINESS • Regulatory environment

QUALITY OF LIFE • Safety • Most Like to Live In


TOURISM • Resort and Lodging options

GOOD FOR BUSINESS • Investment Climate • Advanced technology

QUALITY OF LIFE • Job opportunity • Most Like to Live In

COMPONENTS






16

5 6

AWARENESSRanking

FAMILIARITYRanking

PREFERENCERanking


ADVOCACYRanking


#8 #20

#8 #16

#10 #7

#10 #12

#8 #21

#14 #23

sWITZERlAND JAPAN


TOURISM • Attractions • Resort & Lodging options

GOOD FOR BUSINESS Investment Climate • Advanced technology Regulatory environment Skilled Workforce

QUALITY OF LIFE • education System • healthcare System Standard of Living Safety • Job opportunity Most Like to Live In

VALUE SYSTEM • Political Freedom • environmental Friendliness • Stable Legal environment • Freedom of Speech

HERITAGE & CULTURE • Art & Culture • Authenticity

TOURISM • Food

GOOD FOR BUSINESS Advanced technology • Regulatory environment • Skilled Workforce

QUALITY OF LIFE • education System • healthcare System • Standard of Living • Safety

COMPONENTS






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7 8

AWARENESSRanking

FAMILIARITYRanking

PREFERENCERanking


ADVOCACYRanking


#1 #33

#1 #36

#3 #47

#2 #36

#1 #35

#9 #47

FRANCE FINlAND

HERITAGE & CULTURE • history • Art & Culture

TOURISM • Food

QUALITY OF LIFE • Most Like to Live In


TOURISM • Attractions

GOOD FOR BUSINESS • Investment Climate • Advanced technology • Regulatory environment • Skilled Workforce


VALUE SYSTEM • Political Freedom • environmental Friendliness • Stable Legal environment • tolerance Freedom of Speech

COMPONENTS






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9 10

AWARENESSRanking

FAMILIARITYRanking

PREFERENCERanking


ADVOCACYRanking


#5 #24

#3 #23

#6 #42

#3 #29

#3 #26

#11 #29

UK sWEDEN

HERITAGE & CULTURE • history • Art & Culture

VALUE SYSTEM • Political Freedom • Stable Legal environment

GOOD FOR BUSINESS • Advanced technology • Regulatory environment • Skilled Workforce



COMPONENTS






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While the Top 10 list includes the best overall performing country brands in 2010, none is universally strong across every quality or asset. Even brand Canada fails to achieve a number one ranking in any specific measure or association, despite coming top this year.

A number of these brands have significant perceived weaknesses relative to other nations. A weak score is considered to be anything lower than rank 40 in our index. This shows that no country brand can be a leader across every dimension or attribute. In fact, brand success is not about being perfect as much as it is about turning assets into perceived strengths.

AUsTRAlIA NEW ZEAlAND2 3

Top 10 Country Brands – Weaknesses

CANADA UsA1 4

Australia’s least strong performance is in the Heritage and Culture dimension, however increasingly strong associations with wine production and festivals like Mardi Gras are starting to balance out an historic emphasis on surf and sport in the lucky country.

If brand New Zealand wants to move up to the top spot, an overall ranking of 15 in the dimen-sion for Good for Business is an opportunity to improve. New Zealand has found success with its 100% Pure New Zealand campaign, and the recent Air New Zealand advertising about the ‘new long haul’ might just pull the right levers.

Brand USA has an opportunity for a quick win by addressing perceived weaknesses in Heritage and Culture. Its middle ranking scores in attributes for History, Art & Culture and Natural Beauty are quite a surprise for the home of Hollywood and some of the world’s most distinctive natural landmarks.

It is hard to find legitimate weaknesses for Canada, but its lowest score is in perceptions of History, as part of the Heritage and Culture dimension, with an overall ranking of 61. This offers an opportunity for further improvement in the communication of Canada’s heritage.

Attribute Rank

history #50

Art & Culture #43

Attribute Rank

history #51

Art & Culture #45

Authenticity #58

natural Beauty #48

Attribute Rank

history #58

Art & Culture #41

Attribute Rank

history #61



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Value for Money and Tourism overall are brand UK’s Achilles’ heels this year with an overall position of 84 and 52, respectively. But very high scores for the Heritage and Culture dimension and consistent performance across other measures suggest opportunities to em-phasise cost-effective leisure travel and some of the UK’s historic and cultural attractions.

To crown an emerging pattern across the leading country brands, Sweden also shows its weakest performance when it comes to Value for Money, with borderline poor perceptions of History and Resort & Lodging Options.

UNITED KINGDOM sWEDEN9 10

Switzerland seems to have no problem attract-ing corporations and the wealthy to relocate to its major cities. However, relatively weak per-ceptions in Value for Money this year suggest more work needs to be done to raise awareness of the real costs of leisure and business in the country.

Japan is the only country with no scores lower than 40 this year across the board. But sixth position overall still leaves room for further excellence across all measures.

Like the UK, brand France is a strong perform-er in the Heritage and Culture dimension, but also like the UK, our study shows that France is perceived as offering poor Value for Money. Our number seven country brand might need to concentrate on shifting perceptions of the cost of living and tourism as competition heats up.

Finland performs moderately well against most measures this year, with positive spikes in key areas like Value System. If there are any specific perception shifts needed, they lie in associations with History – where the brand drops to the middle rankings overall.

JAPAN FRANCE FINlAND6 7 8sWITZERlAND5

Attribute Rank

history #60

Attribute Rank

Value for Money #67

Attribute Rank

Value for Money #43

Attribute Rank

none n/a

Attribute Rank

natural Beauty #61

Value for Money #84

Attractions #51

Food #42

Attribute Rank

history #45

Value for Money #64

Resort & Lodging options #40



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Worst-Performing Country Brands

01 ZIMBABWE02 IRAN03 PAKIsTAN04 DR CONGO05 NIGERIA06 El sAlVADOR07 lIBYA08 sENEGAl09 BANGlADEsH 10 sUDAN

a relatively weak communications infrastructure, the Bottom 10 brands reinforce the vital role for media and travel in building and maintaining country brand strength – whatever the natural assets of a country. Similarly, while these countries have complex histories, they are not celebrated for exporting global consumer or corporate brands – a stark contrast with this year’s leaders.

African countries are well represented in the Bottom 10, with Zimbabwe topping the table. Like many of its counterparts, Zimbabwe has suffered from over a decade of political and economic turmoil, not least surrounding the globally controversial land reform programme and subsequent hyperinflation. This, combined with a poor human rights reputation and some of the most severe restrictions on press freedom, forms the backdrop to the country’s weak brand performance in 2010. In keeping with this, our research reveals perceptions of Zimbabwe as the worst country for Business (110), Quality of Life (110) and Value System (110). Perhaps surprisingly, however, brand Zimbabwe also suffers from relatively low levels of awareness – good or bad – despite high-profile news coverage over recent years, the recent power-sharing initiative with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, and President Mugabe’s continued high-profile and controversial presence on the international stage – an indicator that notoriety is not enough in itself to generate strong global awareness of a country brand.

Libya moves up from the bottom place this year, breaking a two-year pattern, but continues to suffer from low awareness and advocacy and remains in the Bottom 10 for the Tourism and Value System dimensions. But unlike in 2009, Libya is no longer bottom of the table for the Quality of Life or Good for Business dimensions – both key associations to nurture for long-term brand strength.

This year’s weakest country brands struggle variously with political instability, security concerns, corruption, economic turmoil, natural disasters and high levels of state control, all of which confirm an unavoidable correlation between perceived brand strength and political, social and economic realities in the world’s most challenged countries. As a group, these country brands perform poorly in the assessed dimensions of Tourism and Value System. But it is important to consider that low awareness remains a strong part of the problem for these country brands, rather than merely negative associations. With significant formal or informal constraints on media freedom (with notable exceptions like El Salvador and Senegal), frequent travel restrictions, and



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Rising and Falling Stars

Levels of country brand awareness and familiarity are influenced by world events and media coverage, but people’s preferences are determined by how positive that coverage is. Sometimes, very little can tangibly change about a country in real terms, but perceptions shift as a result of major news events. Most successful country brands use levers like advertising and public relations to boost awareness. This year, our rising and falling stars are no different, but trends indicate that it takes more than awareness to compete in 2010.

NUMBERs:Every measure, from Awareness to Advocacy, improved. Perceptions around Safety improved (up 14 places), as did Standard of Living (up 32 places) and Political Freedom (up 20 places).

OUR PANEls sAY: “Chile is one of the fastest-growing, wealthiest economies in the world. It is fast becoming known as a country for investment and forward-looking thinking and innovation.”

NUMBERs:Improvements across key Tourism metrics, including Authenticity (up from 20th to number 1) and History (up from 4th to number 1).

OUR PANEls sAY: “The atmosphere in Israel is great; it doesn’t feel as unsafe as some media may suggest.”

CHIlE / #40 +19

RIsING COUNTRY BRANDs

IsRAEl / #30 +11 Chile has improved across every measure this year with huge leaps in Awareness and Advocacy, as well as in perceptions of Political Freedom. The San José miners’ rescue became a global news event generating extraordinary goodwill for President Pinera and brand Chile. This, coupled with growing economic stability, makes Chile a brand to watch in the region.

With Obama-brokered peace talks and significant marketing investment for tourist destinations, Israel moves in the right direction in 2010 – particularly in Tourism metrics like Authenticity and History, which align very well with campaigns promoting heritage and culture.



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NUMBERs:Awareness is up 11, Familiarity is up 25 and Advocacy is up 33.

OUR PANEls sAY: “Argentina has everything: landscape, cultural diversity, tourism and adventure.”

NUMBERs:Familiarity is up 22 places from 2009.

OUR PANEls sAY: “The volcanic ash had no impact on perception of Iceland. Natural disasters can happen anywhere in the world.”

ARGENTINA / #33 +10

RIsING COUNTRY BRANDs

ICElAND / #24 +1 Scores are up across the board for brand Argentina this year – particularly for Advocacy. After a quarter-finals position in the World Cup and significant GDP growth in the first half of the year, Argentina became the first Latin American country to legalise same-sex marriage in a move signalling a triumph of liberal values in the region.

Iceland’s rise is a counter-intuitive development for a beleaguered country that suffered negative global attention during the banking crisis and the Eyjafjallajökull ash cloud flight ban affecting millions of travellers. Perhaps a signal that the world’s oldest democracy still carries some goodwill with international audiences, as well as highlighting the impact of efforts to market Iceland as an attractive transatlantic stopover at a time of unprecedented global brand awareness, scores for Familiarity have leapt up this year.



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NUMBERs:Political Freedom is down from 65 in 2009 to 107 in 2010.Awareness, Preference and Advocacy are all down.

OUR PANEls sAY: “Corruption, networks and political dominance are still the main drivers in China’s business landscape.”

NUMBERs:Value for Money is down from 32 to 70 in 2010.

OUR PANEls sAY: “Economic crisis issues and political tension, plus the lack of proper tourism branding, are damaging the country brand.”

CHINA / #56 -8

FAllING COUNTRY BRANDs

GREECE / #22 -8

The Olympic effect seems not to have lasted long for China, with 2010 bringing public relations challenges around post-Copenhagen environmental impact and high-profile censorship battles with Google. Significant decline in perceptions of Political Freedom contribute most to this year’s drop in the rankings. A fall for China despite its promotion to the second-largest economy shows that financial growth is no guarantee of brand strength.

Greece suffers with traditionally loyal travellers this year in the wake of strikes, austerity measures and a very public European Union bailout. Falling perceptions of the country’s Value for Money are the key to this year’s declining rank, although scores in the Heritage and Culture dimension indicate that brand Greece has a solid foundation from which to rebuild its position.



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NUMBERs:Political Freedom went from 56 in 2009 to 93 in 2010.

OUR PANEls sAY: “Russia has a fast-growing market and economy, but they find it hard to grow and attract talent due to a lack of international capabilities. Russia is not an expat-friendly place due to safety concerns, corruption, lack of IP law and regulation, and it has received bad publicity in the media.”

NUMBERs:Preference is down 8 places and Consideration is down 2 places.

OUR PANEls sAY: “The UAE is a failed business venture; the glitz and glamour have made it look a bit artificial.”

RUssIA / #81 -9


UAE / #28 -5

Anti-government protests surrounding March elections, ongoing corruption scandals and economic uncertainty provide the backdrop to a steep fall for Russia this year. Specifically, a steep drop in the score for Political Freedom has hit this emerging market in the 2010 rankings.

While Tourism metrics overall remain relatively strong, falls in Preference and Consideration contribute to brand UAE’s decline in 2010. Despite significant investment in brand building over recent years, high-profile economic troubles affecting Dubai and the other Emirates impact a country brand keenly associated with wealth and prosperity, but traditionally scoring less well on the dimension for Value System.



26

NUMBERs:Safety dropped 19 places, from 76 in 2009 to 95 in 2010. Value for Money also dropped 9 places.

OUR PANEls sAY: “Mexico’s country brand has been declining over the last few years. Drug trafficking, violence, crime and terrorism are winning.”

NUMBERs:Advocacy is down 46 places, and Safety falls from 82 in 2009 to 102 in 2010.

OUR PANEls sAY: “Violent crime is a major problem affecting tourism in Jamaica right now. Illegal drug use also seems prevalent.”

MEXICO / #48 -11 JAMAICA / #62 -15


Already relatively low in previous years, scores for Safety for brand Mexico have fallen to the bottom of the table in 2010. High-profile drug cartel violence, a large earthquake and the Gulf of Mexico oil spill contribute to an overall picture of instability in the fifth-largest country in the Americas this year.

Jamaica is now ranked below 100 for Safety, and Advocacy is down 46 places. The Caribbean as a whole suffers this year, but stories about violence and general concerns about tourist safety provide a backdrop to a declining brand Jamaica in 2010.



27

NUMBERs:Preference and Advocacy are down, and Political Freedom dropped 31 places from 35 in 2009 to 66 in 2010.

OUR PANEls sAY: “The bombings in the Philippines and constant warring and insecurities derail the perception of its vibrant private sector and natural beauty.”

PHIlIPPINEs / #65 -29


The Philippines has been beset by high-profile violent incidents this year that might have overshadowed the election of a new president pledging to reform a country troubled by perceptions of corruption. Time will tell if the Philippines’ natural, historical and cultural assets, a relatively stable economy, and a new government will reverse this downward trend for the brand.



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Country Brand Dimensions

The following pages provide an in-depth look at five key dimensions that make up a country brand: Tourism, Heritage and Culture, Good for Business, Value System and Quality of Life. In order for country brands to perform in today’s increasingly connected world, it is not sufficient to focus on only one dimension. The best country brands have shaped brand images that span multiple dimensions, while the weakest country brands do not have recognisable profiles in any dimension.

TOURISM

HERITAGE & CULTURE

GOOD FOR BUSINESSQUALITY OF LIFE

VALUE SYSTEM

1

25

34

COUNTRY BRAND



29

The Top 25 Country Brands for Tourism

Overall, the scores from a number of attributes determine rankings for the Tourism dimension; these include ‘Attractions’ ‘Resort & Lodging Options,’ ‘Food’ and ‘Value for Money.’

A very diverse group of countries lead the ranking for Tourism this year, with Mauritius – a leading favourite for a global audience – making it to the top spot, and a number of other island nations ranking in the Top 25.

While mainly Asian destinations – Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia and Indonesia – are perceived as the strongest-performing nations for Value for Money, New Zealand and Canada are also seen as leading country brands for the attribute.

When it comes to Shopping and Nightlife, the USA, France and the UK have occupied the top spots, while Australia is perceived as having the world’s best Beaches.

1 MAURITIUs2 AUsTRAlIA3 NEW ZEAlAND4 CANADA5 THAIlAND6 sWITZERlAND7 FINlAND8 JAPAN9 MAlDIVEs 10 UNITED sTATEs11 COsTA RICA12 sPAIN 13 FRANCE14 AUsTRIA15 ITAlY16 PORTUGAl17 sINGAPORE18 BAHAMAs19 MEXICO20 sWEDEN21 NORWAY22 MAlAYsIA 23 GERMANY24 BARBADOs25 sOUTH AFRICA

oVeRALL RAnk

#21

#20

#2

#12

#3

#29

#1

#15

#26

#37

#5

#48

#8

#10

#4

#11

#6

#13

#27

#32

#16

#42

#14

#31

#7



30

1 THAILAND #26

2 VIETNAM #63

3 NEW ZEALAND #3

4 CAMBODIA #90

5 LAOS #88

6 CANADA #1

7 GUATEMALA #86

8 MALAYSIA #42

9 INDONESIA #72

10 URUGUAY #53

1 MAURITIUS #21

2 MALDIVES #16

3 SWITZERLAND #5

4 UNITED ARAB EMIRATES #28

5 UNITED STATES #4

6 COSTA RICA #27

7 CANADA #1

8 SPAIN #14

9 BAHAMAS #37

10 AUSTRALIA #2

1 ITALY #12

2 JAPAN #6

3 FRANCE #7

4 THAILAND #26

5 SINGAPORE #15

6 SPAIN #14

7 LEBANON #71

8 MAURITIUS #21

9 MALAYSIA #42

10 VIETNAM #63

VAlUE FOR MONEY oVeRALL RAnk REsORT & lODGING OPTIONs oVeRALL RAnk FOOD oVeRALL RAnk

Top 10 Tourism Highlights



31

1 AUSTRALIA #2

2 UNITED STATES #4

3 MALDIVES #16

4 BRAZIL #41

5 BAHAMAS #37

6 THAILAND #26

7 GREECE #22

8 ITALY #12

9 FIJI #39

10 SPAIN #14

1 UNITED STATES #4

2 UNITED KINGDOM #9

3 FRANCE #7

4 SPAIN #14

5 BRAZIL #41

6 AUSTRALIA #2

7 ITALY #12

8 THAILAND #26

9 GERMANY #11

10 JAPAN #6

1 UNITED STATES #4

2 FRANCE #7

3 ITALY #12

4 UNITED KINGDOM #9

5 CHINA #56

6 SINGAPORE #15

7 JAPAN #6


9 THAILAND #26

10 GERMANY #11

BEACHEs* oVeRALL RAnk NIGHTlIFE* oVeRALL RAnk sHOPPING* oVeRALL RAnk

Top 10 Tourism Highlights

*Scores in beaches, nightlife and shopping did not contribute to a country’s overall rank.



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The Top 25 Country Brands for Heritage and Culture

Overall, the scores from a number of attributes determine rankings for the Heritage and Culture dimension; these include ‘Authenticity,’ ‘History,’ ‘Art & Culture’ and ‘Natural Beauty.’

Italy is a country that combines the best of both worlds – natural beauty and a rich history – so it is no surprise that it is considered to be the strongest country brand for Heritage and Culture this year. 2010 sees Israel in the number 2 position. Also the top country for Authenticity this year, Israel is a nation that not only has a rich and storied past, but also invests a significant amount of money promoting it each year.

A number of more exotic travel destinations, such as Peru, Greece, Egypt, Cambodia, India and Jordan, also make it into the Top 25 for this dimension. Each of these countries speaks to rich history and historic monuments: Machu Picchu in Peru, the Parthenon in Greece, the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, the Taj Mahal in India and Petra in Jordan. The impact of these icons only helps to further foster and contribute to a nation’s image in the minds of visitors, investors and citizens. Countries with a dominant icon also tend to be rated very highly for History, Art & Culture and Authenticity.

1 ITAlY2 IsRAEl3 PERU4 FRANCE5 GREECE6 JAPAN7 UNITED KINGDOM8 EGYPT9 NEPAl 10 sWITZERlAND11 sPAIN12 AUsTRIA 13 CAMBODIA14 NORWAY15 NEW ZEAlAND 16 IRElAND17 INDIA18 CZECH REPUBlIC19 MOROCCO20 sWEDEN21 CANADA22 PORTUGAl 23 TURKEY24 GERMANY25 JORDAN

#12

#30

#47

#7

#22

#6

#9

#5

#58

#14

#59

#20

#90

#13

#3

#17

#23

#43

#60

#10

#55

#1

#11

#29

#75

oVeRALL RAnk



33

Top 10 Heritage and Culture Highlights

1 ISRAEL #30

2 ITALY #12

3 EGYPT #58

4 GREECE #22

5 UNITED KINGDOM #9

6 PERU #47

7 FRANCE #7

8 JORDAN #75

9 SPAIN #14

10 CZECH REPUBLIC #43

1 NORWAY #13

2 NEW ZEALAND #3

3 SWITZERLAND #5

4 MALDIVES #16

5 MAURITIUS #21

6 COSTA RICA #27

7 ICELAND #24

8 NEPAL #59

9 CANADA #1

10 FINLAND #8

1 ITALY #12

2 FRANCE #7

3 UNITED KINGDOM #9

4 GREECE #22

5 SPAIN #14

6 JAPAN #6

7 AUSTRIA #20

8 ISRAEL #30

9 EGYPT #58

10 CZECH REPUBLIC #43

HIsTORY oVeRALL RAnk NATURAl BEAUTY oVeRALL RAnk ART & CUlTURE oVeRALL RAnk



34

The Top 25 Country Brands Good for Business

Overall, the scores from a number of attributes determine the rankings for the Good for Business dimension; these include ‘Investment Climate,’ ‘Skilled Workforce,’ ‘Advanced Technology’ and ‘Regulatory Environment.’

Switzerland, Germany and Japan are this year’s leading country brands for doing business. A number of Middle Eastern nations also perform strongly in this dimension, with the UAE at 19, Qatar at 22, Bahrain at 23 and Saudi Arabia at 26.

The USA, once perceived as the centre for business, industry, economy and innovation, appears to be falling behind. While it is one of the strongest country brands in the measure for Advanced Technology – for Skilled Workforce and Regulatory Environment the USA isn’t as well perceived as it has been in previous years.

The BRIC nations appear to have a long journey ahead of them to improve perceptions of a less-than-favourable business climate. All four suffer from weak scores in their Regulatory Environment; however, there are greater differences of perception when it comes to the other attributes. Comparatively, China shows particular strength in Investment Climate, while India is the stronger performer in the measure for Skilled Workforce. Of the BRIC countries overall, India and China come out slightly ahead.

1 sWITZERlAND2 GERMANY3 JAPAN4 NORWAY5 FINlAND6 sWEDEN7 DENMARK8 CANADA9 sINGAPORE 10 NETHERlANDs11 UNITED sTATEs12 AUsTRAlIA13 UNITED KINGDOM14 IsRAEl15 NEW ZEAlAND16 AUsTRIA17 BElGIUM18 FRANCE19 UAE20 ICElAND21 sOUTH KOREA22 QATAR23 BAHRAIN24 IRElAND25 BERMUDA

#5

#30

#11

#3

#6

#20

#13

#34

#8

#7

#10

#28

#19

#24

#25

#80

#1

#44

#4

#17

#15

#70

#2

#18

#9

oVeRALL RAnk



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Top 10 Good for Business Highlights

1 JAPAN #6

2 GERMANY #11

3 UNITED STATES #4

4 SWITZERLAND #5

5 SWEDEN #10

6 FINLAND #8

7 SINGAPORE #15

8 ISRAEL #30

9 NORWAY #13

10 DENMARK #19

1 SWITZERLAND #5

2 SINGAPORE #15

3 GERMANY #11

4 NORWAY #13

5 AUSTRALIA #2

6 FINLAND #8

7 CANADA #1

8 UNITED STATES #4

9 QATAR #70

10 NETHERLANDS #25

1 SWITZERLAND #5

2 GERMANY #11

3 JAPAN #6

4 SWEDEN #10

5 NORWAY #13

6 DENMARK #19

7 FINLAND #8

8 CANADA #1

9 NETHERLANDS #25

10 SINGAPORE #15

ADVANCED TECHNOlOGY oVeRALL RAnk INVEsTMENT ClIMATE oVeRALL RAnk sKIllED WORKFORCE oVeRALL RAnk



36

The Top 25 Country Brands for Quality of Life

Overall, the scores from a number of attributes determine rankings for the Quality of Life dimension; these include ‘Education,’ ‘Healthcare,’ ‘Standard of Living,’ ‘Job Opportunity,’ ‘Safety’ and being ‘Most Like to Live In.’

1 sWITZERlAND2 NORWAY3 sWEDEN4 FINlAND5 CANADA6 DENMARK7 AUsTRAlIA8 sINGAPORE9 GERMANY 10 NETHERlANDs11 NEW ZEAlAND12 JAPAN 13 AUsTRIA14 UNITED KINGDOM15 FRANCE16 UNITED sTATEs17 ICElAND18 BElGIUM19 UAE20 QATAR21 sPAIN22 PORTUGAl 23 IsRAEl24 BERMUDA25 BAHRAIN

#5

#13

#10

#8

#1

#19

#2

#25

#15

#3

#11

#6

#20

#9

#7

#4

#24

#34

#28

#70

#30

#14

#18

#29

#80

The leading country brands for Quality of Life are Switzerland, the Scandinavian nations and Canada. From Healthcare and Education Systems to Job Opportunity and Safety, these countries show strong performance across every attribute.

In third position for Job Opportunity, the United States can still be considered the ‘land of opportunity’; however, brand USA falls behind on measures for Healthcare System and Safety, which at 33 this year, is one rank behind Saudi Arabia.

There are a wide variety of countries that are perceived as unsafe, and whether it is due to terrorism, violence, crime or health concerns, being in the news can overshadow any goodwill a country has built and developed in other dimensions. Nations such as Brazil, Mexico, Russia, Indonesia, the Philippines, South Africa, Kenya and Jamaica, which perform well in other categories, find themselves at the lower end of the tables for Safety. Even if the issues are addressed, country brands can continue to struggle to increase their overall profiles, as negative associations are hard to shake. Mozambique, for example, a nation that has left its violent past behind, still scores 107 for safety in 2010 — a similar ranking to Pakistan and Zimbabwe.

oVeRALL RAnk



37

Top 10 Quality of Life Highlights

1 SWITZERLAND #5

2 CANADA #1

3 AUSTRALIA #2

4 NEW ZEALAND #3

5 SWEDEN #10

6 NORWAY #13

7 UNITED STATES #4

8 SINGAPORE #15

9 FINLAND #8

10 FRANCE #7

1 SWITZERLAND #5

2 FINLAND #8

3 NORWAY #13

4 DENMARK #19

5 SWEDEN #10

6 SINGAPORE #15

7 ICELAND #24

8 CANADA #1

9 NEW ZEALAND #3

10 JAPAN #6

1 AUSTRALIA #2

2 CANADA #1

3 UNITED STATES #4

4 GERMANY #11


6 NORWAY #13

7 SINGAPORE #15

8 SWITZERLAND #5

9 SWEDEN #10

10 FINLAND #8

MOsT lIKE TO lIVE IN oVeRALL RAnk sAFETY oVeRALL RAnk JOB OPPORTUNITY oVeRALL RAnk



38

Top 10 Quality of Life Highlights

1 NORWAY #13

2 SWEDEN #10

3 FINLAND #8

4 SWITZERLAND #5

5 DENMARK #19

6 GERMANY #11

7 NETHERLANDS #25

8 JAPAN #6

9 CANADA #1

10 SINGAPORE #15

1 NORWAY #13

2 SWEDEN #10

3 FINLAND #8

4 SWITZERLAND #5

5 DENMARK #19

6 GERMANY #11

7 CANADA #1

8 NETHERLANDS #25

9 JAPAN #6

10 AUSTRALIA #2

1 SWITZERLAND #5

2 SWEDEN #10

3 NORWAY #13

4 FINLAND #8

5 DENMARK #19

6 CANADA #1

7 JAPAN #6

8 NETHERLANDS #25

9 AUSTRALIA #2

10 GERMANY #11

EDUCATION sYsTEM oVeRALL RAnk HEAlTHCARE sYsTEM oVeRALL RAnk sTANDARD OF lIVING oVeRALL RAnk



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The Top 25 Country Brands for Value System Overall, the scores from a number of attributes determine the rankings for the Value System dimension; these include ‘Political Freedom,’ ‘Environmental Friendliness,’ ‘Stable Legal Environment,’ ‘Tolerance’ and ‘Freedom of Speech.’

As with Quality of Life, ‘brand Scandinavia’ also takes the lead in the Value System dimension. These nations are seen to be among the world’s most free and tolerant societies.

Surprisingly, the United States is ranked number 16 in this category, with weaker perceptions for attributes including Environmental Friendliness and Tolerance. China, ranked 102 for the Value System dimension, is perceived to be one of the least environmentally friendly and politically free nations in the world. Similarly, Russia, suffers from less-than-stellar perceptions around its legal environment and level of political freedom.

The weakest country brands for Value System are Zimbabwe, Kenya, Indonesia, Ukraine, Mozambique, Iran, Pakistan and Vietnam.

1 NORWAY2 FINlAND3 sWEDEN4 DENMARK5 NETHERlANDs6 NEW ZEAlAND7 sWITZERlAND8 CANADA9 AUsTRAlIA10 ICElAND11 UNITED KINGDOM12 AUsTRIA13 BElGIUM14 GERMANY15 JAPAN16 UNITED sTATEs17 FRANCE18 sINGAPORE19 PORTUGAl20 IRElAND21 MAlTA22 BERMUDA23 URUGUAY24 sPAIN25 slOVENIA

#13

#11

#8

#6

#10

#4

#19

#7

#25

#15

#3

#29

#5

#17

#24

#53

#1

#64

#9

#14

#2

#18

#20

#54

#34

oVeRALL RAnk



40

Top 10 Value System Highlights

1 NORWAY #13

2 SWEDEN #10

3 FINLAND #8

4 DENMARK #19

5 SWITZERLAND #5

6 NEW ZEALAND #3

7 ICELAND #24

8 CANADA #1

9 NETHERLANDS #25

10 AUSTRALIA #2

1 NORWAY #13

2 FINLAND #8

3 NETHERLANDS #25

4 DENMARK #19

5 SWEDEN #10

6 NEW ZEALAND #2

7 CANADA #1

8 ICELAND #24

9 AUSTRALIA #2

10 BELGIUM #34

1 FINLAND #8

2 NORWAY #13

3 NETHERLANDS #25

4 SWEDEN #10

4 NEW ZEALAND #3

6 CANADA #1

7 DENMARK #19

8 SWITZERLAND #5

9 ICELAND #24

10 AUSTRALIA #2

ENVIRONMENTAl FRIENDlINEss oVeRALL RAnk TOlERANCE oVeRALL RAnk FREEDOM OF sPEECH oVeRALL RAnk



41

What Does the Future Hold for Country Brands?

As global competition increases for access to limited intellectual, financial and natural resources, the role of national identity and origin makes a difference. As people, organisations and companies compete in a more interconnected and global economy, the role of a country’s brand to attract, promote, create and sustain growth cannot be underestimated or left to chance. A country’s brand is a vital asset and important for global competitive advantage.

1. AMONGsT THE sTRONGEsT COUNTRY BRANDs, THE GAPs OF DIFFERENTIATION ARE NARROWING.

At the top of the Country Brand Index, amongst the strongest country brands, it is increasingly difficult to identify a single leading indicator of strength. From overall awareness to perceptions of quality of life, values and culture, the gaps are narrowing every year. Above all else, the Top 10 country brands show the importance of a consistent and integrated approach to combining political, economic, social and commercial strategies for stability and growth.

Decisions about where we live, travel and do business are increasingly influenced and guided by our perceptions and experience of country brands. So, if leading countries are becoming more similar across hard measures, their brands will be even more vital to differentiation in the long term. Brands will need to be multi-dimensional, going beyond a logo to capture the combined values and unique cultural characteristics of a country. They will also need to stretch beyond travel and tourism marketing to embrace the concept of a country, both as an investment and an asset, to be leveraged for competitive advantage. A country’s brand will need to be proactively managed and continuously developed for differentiation in the marketplace: for tourism, business investment, education, innovation and immigration.



42

2. WHAT MAKEs A ‘COUNTRY’ WIll CHANGE.

If homogenisation is blurring boundaries between our leading brands, global communications technology is dissolving their geographic borders. Post-war trends towards supra-national political and economic blocs like the European Union, and the increasing power of global corporations and non-governmental bodies, have put pressure on national sovereignty in recent years, moving centres of power beyond state boundaries. The rise of the web and global communication and information exchange in the digital age further threatens traditional definitions of a ‘country’.

The global social network Facebook now has the same number of members as the Top 5 country brand populations combined and is approaching twice the size of the USA. The connections that are formed and reinforced across these digital platforms are less about where people come from than about their shared interests, family networks and work associations. As we project into the future, the nature of a country brand will shift in this context and depend as much on people as ambassadors of values and culture as it does on specific places. It also makes English more important as the definitive language of global communications and business, which starts to put greater pressure on the survival of national languages in future generations. Frictionless communication also leads to an increased awareness of the authentic

national assets of a country – from heritage and beauty spots to cuisine and value systems – as seen through the eyes of travellers in real time. Increasingly, country brands will be mediated more through people’s real experiences and less through advertising and marketing. They will need to consider the role of advocacy and ‘fans’ across industries and age groups to help promote and sustain their image and message. The nature of open and transparent social media and communications means that a country’s brand cannot be artificially created or marketed to a new generation of savvy consumers or investors. Instead, it will need to be authentically represented and communicated in a relevant and appropriate manner.

Similarly, as the idea of borders starts to dissolve, people are increasingly migrating in search of work and quality of life. The strength of Canada, Australia and New Zealand is as much about a combination of high standards of living and value systems as it is about their economic stability – factors that are central to decisions about raising families and retirement as the global population ages. So where you are ‘from’ could start to take on new meaning depending on life stage.



43

3. THE EAsT WIll CONTINUE TO RIsE.

The rising economic power of countries like China and India is indisputable, but declining CBI performance for both countries this year shows that financial strength does not necessarily make for a strong country brand. However, as they stabilise and gain confidence as economies and consumer marketplaces, already strong trends in tourism towards the East in search of ‘value for money’ experiences will lead to a growing global understanding of culture and heritage in the region. The challenge for these brands will be to capture their unique values and start to tell new stories about travel, tourism and business that overcome stereotypes.

The strength of Australia and New Zealand in 2010 is a future indicator of country brands in the region that have matured economically and culturally and have promoted their assets as places of business and tourism. They will become even more vital English-speaking Asian hubs over coming years, but it will be interesting to see how quickly the balance shifts to other Asian country brands as they create more rounded portraits of themselves. Falling performance for the USA and the UK this year shows the opposite effect for better established brands, and we will see significant threats to the primacy of 20th-century Western country brands over the coming decade – with a very different Top 10 listing forecast for 2020.



44

4. CONsUMER AND CORPORATE BRANDs WIll INCREAsINGlY HElP TO BUIlD COUNTRY BRANDs.

This year’s Top 10 reinforces the critical need to build strong global consumer and corporate brands as part of this story. We will start to see, as one of the vital touch points of country brand experience, new global brands emerge from developing countries, carrying the unique heritage, qualities and aspirations of nations such as India and China to worldwide markets. The ‘Made in’ litmus test of consumer perceptions of quality, value, ethics and innovation will apply as much to services as to products. The thorny issue of outsourcing will continue to prompt questions about late-20th-century economic models and whether corporations are truly global or local. It will be particularly interesting to see the extent to which these organisations begin to use national origin as a differentiator, as opposed to appearing neutral and international, and the values they espouse as a result.

As global headquarters’ locations are increasingly determined based upon favourable tax and regulatory regimes, the role of national identity as a differentiator for products or services becomes questionable. And yet some of the inherent strengths of the Top 10 country brands indicate how much national value systems and culture contribute to a positive economic, social and cultural formula. If ‘glocal’ multinational corporations can reflect this more open, diverse and transparent approach while tapping into the unique attributes of specific communities and populations, it hints at a future source of competitive advantage not just for country brands but for people, organisations and companies.



45

Full Index2010 2009 RANKING RANKING

1 CANADA 2

2 AUSTRALIA 3

3 NEW ZEALAND 4

4 UNITED STATES 1

5 SWITZERLAND 11

6 JAPAN 7

7 FRANCE 5

8 FINLAND 16

9 UK 8

10 SWEDEN 21

11 GERMANY 9

12 ITALY 6

13 NORWAY 22

14 SPAIN 10

15 SINGAPORE 13

16 MALDIVES 19

17 IRELAND 12

18 BERMUDA 15

19 DENMARK 23

20 AUSTRIA 28

21 MAURITIUS 26

22 GREECE 14

23 INDIA 18

24 ICELAND 25

25 NETHERLANDS 31

26 THAILAND 20

27 COSTA RICA 28

28 UAE 23

29 PORTUGAL 34

30 ISRAEL 41

31 SOUTH AFRICA 31

32 BARBADOS 33

33 ARGENTINA 43

34 BELGIUM 48

35 SAINT LUCIA 29

36 NAMIBIA 46

37 BAHAMAS 38

38 DOMINICAN REP. 26

39 FIJI 32

40 CHILE 59

41 BRAZIL 35

42 MALAYSIA 40

43 CZECH REPUBLIC 50

44 SOUTH KOREA 39

45 CYPRUS 52

46 BELIZE 53

47 PERU 49

48 MExICO 37

49 CROATIA 62

50 CUBA 44

51 BOTSWANA 54

52 TRIN. & TOBAGO 42

53 URUGUAY 55

54 SLOVENIA 65

55 TURKEY 51

56 CHINA 48

57 OMAN 61

58 EGYPT 45

59 NEPAL 60

60 MOROCCO 68

61 ALBANIA NA

62 JAMAICA 47

63 VIETNAM 57

64 MALTA 80

65 PHILIPPINES 36

66 HUNGARY 56

67 PANAMA 69

68 KENYA 58

69 SAUDI ARABIA 70

70 QATAR 66

71 LEBANON 79

72 INDONESIA 64

73 TANZANIA 73

74 ECUADOR 71

75 JORDAN 67

76 BULGARIA 76

77 VENEZUELA 63

78 GHANA NA

79 SLOVAKIA 78

80 BAHRAIN 81

81 RUSSIA 72

82 POLAND 85

83 TUNISIA 77

84 SERBIA NA

85 COLOMBIA 87

86 GUATEMALA 88

87 SYRIA 82

88 LAOS 93

89 ESTONIA 90

90 CAMBODIA 89

91 UGANDA NA

92 ROMANIA 83

93 RWANDA NA

94 SIERRA LEONE NA

95 MOZAMBIQUE 86

96 ETHIOPIA NA

97 CAMEROON NA

98 NICARAGUA 84

99 UKRAINE 75

100 ALGERIA 91

101 SUDAN NA

102 BANGLADESH NA

103 SENEGAL 95

104 LIBYA 96

105 EL SALVADOR 92

106 NIGERIA 94

107 DR CONGO NA

108 PAKISTAN NA

109 IRAN 98

110 ZIMBABWE 97

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KEY CONTACTs

For more information about the Country Brand Index, marketing seminars or FutureBrand’s services, or to purchase customised data, please contact:

USADaniel RosentreterChief Strategy Officer, North AmericaTel. +1 212 931 6017Email: [email protected]

UKTom AdamsChief Digital OfficerTel. +44 (0) 207 067 0270Email: [email protected]

Victoria BerryStrategist, North AmericaTel: +1 212 931 6051Email: [email protected]

Mel BigoniMarketing Communications ManagerTel. +44 (0) 207 067 0227Email: [email protected]

Documents

2010 COUNTRY BRAND INDEX - sete.gr › _fileuploads › entries › Online library... · Also, as the 2010 Country Brand Index reveals, while economic performance is vital to brand