The summit’s main theme was “Ghana in search of a competitive identity” and it was organized in a formal opening session and follow-up workshops with about 23 syndicate groups to explore branding-related areas in governance, business, investment and human development.

Now it’s time to shift our thoughts and talk about a rarely mentioned issue: our nation’s branding at the Shanghai World Expo 2010, a grand gathering for the world to boil down the essence of participating countries into a medley of striking pavilions.

In addition to leadership, brand name also transcends the fields of business and national security. “Notre Dame has a brand … America has a brand as well. It’s our value system,” [Tom] Ridge said. “We have to be consistent with [our value system]. The rest of the world is watching.”

The national pavilions at the Expo are, in essence, a themed, branded environment, that aims to convey a positive and distinctive narrative about a country. So, how is the mundane space of a pavilion transformed into a stylized and, for some countries, a spectacular location that gives it meaning, identity and, above all, resonance with visitors? The pavilions being a field of cultural production, they pursue a wide range of communication approaches to create and deliver an ultimate nation-brand experience.

From texts and visuals, to experiential

Nation Branding: Japan at Expo 2010 Shanghai.

A Tale of Two Japans

More than anyone else, it is the Chinese who fear the dragon that is supposed to symbolise their gargantuan, swallow-you-whole economy, which has just overtaken Japan to become the world's second largest. China wants to be seen as the loong, which is a softer, entirely auspicious dragon-like being that is loathe to, in fact incapable of, breathing fire.

The Chie of Staff, Henry Martey Newman has urged Ghanaians to support initiatives aimed at finding a brand identity for Ghana. Mr. Newman was of the opinion that to build a better brand identity for Ghana, cocoa, which is the major foreign exchange earner of the country, should be rebranded and redesigned to look more attractive.