For China, the film industry’s lure is evident. China hopes to tap into Hollywood’s expertise as it builds up its own nascent entertainment industry. It also understands popular culture’s potential as a PR platform for the Chinese Communist Party on the global stage.

The tourist market is getting broader, changing and becoming more competitive. Understandably, nations and cities are constantly battling for their share of the huge tourism revenues to sustain the viability of attractions that bring in tourists and travelers – whether they are pristine beaches, ancient monuments, or natural wonders. To attract more tourists, destinations strive to outdo one another in trying to be different through destination branding.

Companies carefully nurture their brand names because they know it affects business: A good name can bring in higher returns. Is it time for countries to cultivate their own brands? In this opinion piece, Wharton marketing professor David Reibstein explains that nations should pay attention to how they are perceived by others.

Madison Avenue has helped the U.S. government fight everything from wartime foes to teen smoking. But now that Washington is locked in conflict with ISIS, a deadly enemy with sophisticated propaganda skills, adland seems very far from the front. Where are the country's best communications professionals during the propaganda battle of our time?

The Prime Minister’s Office has recently issued a tender for setting up a new Internet site for “government news.” Observers and officials said the new site is intended mainly for public diplomacy and marketing. Sources familiar with the details said the site will have “considerable power to serve for PR purposes.”

Unlike sex, despotism doesn’t usually sell. That doesn’t stop some marketers from trying. Entrepreneurs around the world are profiting from businesses and products named after blood-stained dictators. Goods that invoke Hitler, for example, are popular in India, where, it seems, some businesses think the pull of his charisma outweighs the negative connotation of his crimes. A Mumbai restaurant was recently forced to rename its Hitler’s Cross pizza after outrage from Jewish groups.