If measured by wait time, Saudi Arabia has one of the most popular pavilions at the Shanghai Expo.  So what do visitors, who typically have to queue for 4-5 hours, actually see and experience?  Pavilion Director Abdulhamid Hasan discusses an innovative use of the conventional medium of film to present his country.

The global image of India as a poor country that receives large amounts of aid from rich nations is so well entrenched that it may come as a surprise to many, Indians among them, that the country is fast becoming a major donor.

Sri Lanka is one of many countries today that have developed a strong and active interest in its international image, and are beginning to try and understand whether it is possible to exercise some influence over it, rather than leave it to the mercy of international public opinion, ignorance, and the media.

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.