CPD Research Fellow Introduces A New Evaluation Approach

The latest issue of CPD Perspectives on Public Diplomacy demonstrates the use and value of an integrated country image measurement instrument by CPD Research Fellow Diana Ingenhoff and Jérôme Chariatte.

In "Solving the Public Diplomacy Puzzle—Developing a 360-degree Listening and Evaluation Approach to Assess Country Images," Ingenhoff and Chariatte develop an innovative, multimethod approach that allows practitioners to strategically analyze how public diplomacy communication and publics contribute to the formation of country image. To illustrate the use of this approach, the authors highlight what key components shape the Swiss country image across five different countries: Germany, France, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States.

"In order to build good international relationships, Public Diplomacy (PD) requires a precise and complete understanding of who and what makes up a country’s image. However, previous research lacks a theoretical and methodological framework that allows for the systematic collection and analysis of the opinions of foreign publics to analyze the whole picture of a country," write Ingenhoff and Chariatte.

In this study, the authors discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each research method, however they advocate for the utilization of a multi-method approach that provides public diplomacy practitioners with a more holistic picture of country image formation: "Although this is a very demanding task, in order to orchestrate, monitor and facilitate public diplomacy communication activities in different channels for different audiences and aimed at different stakeholders, it is crucial to take into consideration the whole picture covering all measurement levels and channels."

Download "Solving the Public Diplomacy Puzzle—Developing a 360-degree Listening and Evaluation Approach to Assess Country Images" here.