China launched its first cultural industry index on Friday to provide an indicator of how the sector is performing. Shenzhen Stock Exchange and Shenzhen Securities Information Co., Ltd. jointly issued the OCT Culture Index named after OCT group, a Shenzhen-based state-owned enterprise administered by the central government.

The November 9 The New York Times, reporting about the impeachment motion against Sri Lanka's Chief Justice now before the parliament, gave enough fodder to the Subcommittee on South Asian Affairs of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee detrimental to the image of Sri Lanka.

What can branding in the commercial sector teach us about nation-state image communication?

A case study on Israeli citizen diplomacy. 

Malaysia has emerged third among the “Future 15” countries that are on course to transform the global landscape economically, politically and culturally in the coming years. In a global survey by brand consultancy FutureBrand, Malaysia's inclusion in the list was attributed to its strengths in governance, investment, human capital, growth, sustainability and influence.

Future prejudices of China will be born not in the columns of the print media and in the radio and TV reports, but in the mushrooming blogs and micro-blogs of the digital world... Future stability will depend not only on what happens in the real world, but also on what happens in the digital world.

Through generations, our great nation has been asked great questions -- and we have answered them. Could we feed a people on this driest of lands? Could we unite a nation on a continent without the pressures of revolution or war? Could we carry our weight in the world and fight for the freedom of our friends? Could we defend ourselves in our greatest hour of need? Could we rebuild after decades of Depression and war? Could we embrace change and find new sources of wealth in demanding new times? Could we say Sorry?

VisitBritain’s ‘GREAT Britain’ campaign also draws together major events, sporting achievements and commercial partners to promote the UK as a great country in which to live, study, invest and do business – as well as to visit. In my book, the GREAT Britain campaign is a real winner. So what can it teach those of us in branding and brand management about the principles of country branding?