People, Places, Power | Season 2, Episode 44: Weighing Image Strategies for Low-Income Countries

Note from the CPD Blog Manager: This post features the podcast People, Places, Power co-hosted by CPD Faculty Fellow Nicholas J. Cull and Good Country Index founder Simon Anholt and features their weekly discussions on international reputation, foreign policy and related issues along the way. 

Season 2 launched in May 2022 and covers nation-ranking indices, the impact of COVID-19 on national images, branding indices, transnational issues and much more.

Season 1: Ep. 1: Biden's America | Ep. 2: Brexit Britain | Ep. 3: In Search of the Good Leader | Ep. 4: The European Union | Ep. 5: What Price Monarchy? | Ep. 6:  Cities and International Image | Ep. 7: Mega Events? Buyer Beware. | Ep. 8: Germany: From Pariah to Paragon | Ep. 9: Culture: Decorative or Useful? | Ep. 10: Can Individuals Make a Difference? | Ep. 11: Migration Nations | Ep: 12: Credible India? | Ep. 13: The Bad Image | Ep. 14: Populism | Ep. 15: Oh, Canada! | Ep. 16: Digital Disruption: New Technology & Soft Power | Ep. 17: Japan at the Crossroads I Ep. 18: Scotland's Next Step | Ep. 19 Public Diplomacy and Place Branding | Ep. 20: The Talent Trade: Who's Looking for Einstein? | Ep. 21: France: Trouble at the Top? | Ep. 22: Systems and Structures: Organizing Public Diplomacy | Ep. 23: Trust: The Linchpin of Reputation | Ep. 24: Nordics: The Saga of Success? | Ep. 25: The Media: Friends or Foes of Country Image? | Ep. 26:  Israel: Branded by Conflict? | Ep. 27: Afghanistan

Season 2: Ep. 28: War in Ukraine | Ep. 29: Meet the Goodest: The Good Country Index for 2022 | Ep. 30: Issues in the Index: The Nation Brands Index, 2021 | Episode 31: Honest to God: The Image of Religions and other Transnational Groups | Episode 32: COVID-19, Image, Media and Communication | Ep. 33: What’s in a Name? Renaming Places as a Strategic Gambit | Ep. 34: The Power of “From:” The Country-of-Origin Effect | Ep. 35: Northern Ireland Peace and the Challenge of 'Relevance' | Ep. 36: The Power of Language | Ep. 37: For the Love of Mexico | Ep. 38: Of Greenwashing and 'Hipster Nations' | Ep. 39:  Italy: Rising or Falling? | Ep. 40: Nations and Truth: International Reputation in an Age of Disinformation | Ep. 41: Visions of Progress and Country Image | Ep. 42: All About Me? National Images and Personal Identity | Ep. 43: Britain in Transition: The UK's Image and the New King and Prime Minister

Episode 44: Weighing Image Strategies for Low-Income Countries

This episode considers the utility of place branding and soft power strategies for countries least developed in these areas. The conversation begins by separating the value of a focused tourism promotion campaign from more general promotion strategies. Simon notes that even a successful tourism campaign can be a liability later, citing the difficulty that Jamaica has had being seen as anything other than a holiday place. Simon and Nick concur that the first step to develop an image must be grounded in research/listening to audiences to discover exactly what the image is. They note the success of some smaller countries in developing specializations that are relevant to international audiences, with the digital work seen in Estonia and Rwanda as good examples. Simon sums up the situation by saying that 'grand strategy is more important than brand strategy' and that the best way to a good image is through a good reality in a relevant field.