Nations as Brands

Almost 20 years ago, Simon Anholt set out the idea that we could look at countries, the nations of the world, from the perspective of branding.  His started using the phrase “nation brand” and asked us to consider the how we perceive countries as a brand as we might look at phones, cars, cereal or any other consumer product.

Today his original research has expanded to an annual survey known as the Anholt-GfK Roper Nation Brands Index.  To create the 2014 index researchers constructed over 20,000 interviews in 20 countries.  They ranked 50 countries across six dimensions:  Tourism, Exports, Governance, People, Culture & Heritage and Investment & Immigration. (http://www.gfk.com/Documents/GfK-Place-Branding.pdf)

The ten countries that ranked highest in the survey, in order of one to ten?  Germany, United States, France, Canada, Japan, Ireland, Switzerland, Australia and Sweden.  This was the first time Germany was ranked #1, swept ahead of the US by excellent scores in the sporting category.  (http://www.gfk.com/us/news-and-events/press-room/press-releases/Pages/Germany-knocks-USA-off-top-spot-for-%E2%80%98best-nation%E2%80%99-after-5-years.aspx)

How do you see your country as a brand?  And do you agree with their ranking?