Americans have a complicated relationship with authenticity. We celebrate our national ability to reinvent our lives, to leave the past behind or get a makeover , but we simultaneously bemoan the absence of an authentic American culture.

Manchester is the city that tried to turn itself around by turning itself into a brand. The result has been an undeniable improvement. Here is the most astonishing fact about Manchester's regeneration: where residents were once desperate to leave the city, now, for the first time in 50 years, people are flocking back.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are the most glamorous young couple in the world. They have the capacity to do great things, not just for the monarchy but also for Britain on their foreign trips and it is the Commonwealth countries that should be their priority in the years to come.

Nations, too, come branded, sometimes willfully and sometimes by accident. A nation gets a brand identity based on its strength of delivering a quality product consistently over time (Eg: Switzerland for tourism and banking, USA for freedom, Italy for food and fashion, etc.)

In a related high-profile "Brand USA" job opening, the U.S. State Department is looking for someone to replace former Discovery Communications CEO Judith McHale, when she leaves her position as Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs on July 1st.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper is the most pro-monarchy Canadian leader since the 1950s, and his ambition is to foster a national identity that is more conservative and more aware of its historical roots. He has just come out of a general election greatly strengthened, and now he gets to bask in the aura of William and Kate on their first official overseas trip as a married couple.

Against the backdrop of a sputtering economy and a spate of scandals battering India's global image, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is in Washington today. The visit -- largely touted as a damage-control and public relations initiative -- will see the senior minister...reinforce the message that the Indian growth story is still robust and that the country remains an attractive investment destination.