nation branding
Angry that only Americans can vote against Donald Trump? Bristling for a Brexit ballot though you’re not British? Now there’s a website that gives everyone worldwide the chance to cast their ballot. Global Vote is the brainchild of Simon Anholt, a U.K. independent policy adviser who has worked with leaders of more than 50 countries. The global vote is part of his Good Country movement, which aims to improve leadership for the good of humanity.
Every community in India has its own recipes, spices and cooking techniques. Or regions and states have the same general dish - but with their own unique twist. But food is not just limited to feasting. Indians stay focused on food even when fasting. [...] Indians also use food as a beautiful way of honouring the dead and celebrating life.
Most countries in the Americas still approach global and regional geopolitics through the realist prism, underpinned by a Westphalian view of international relations. It’s therefore no surprise that the great majority of Latin American foreign ministries do not consider that the ability to attract, coax, and persuade stems from soft power. Given this, brand or mission statement will not alter fundamental geopolitical or diplomatic circumstances.
Amb. Arturo Sarukhan on Latin America and soft power.
To those who study nation branding, this entrepreneurial bent is a strong part of America’s brand, or the image it projects to the world. Peter Hirshberg, CEO of The Re:Imagine Group and a former Apple executive, notes that the U.S. offers an “opportunity promise” to people around the globe, a promise that includes “a deep streak of individual liberty.”
Indeed, Nollywood has become a global phenomenon in the contemporary times. According to Tochukwu J. Okeke, the industry has grown so big today that it is considered a cultural export for Nigeria as it selects most of its themes from the culture of the people, not minding the multiplicity of Nigerian cultures since film can be used “as a catalyst towards the integration of the various ethnic cultures in Nigeria to the extent that it now commands a wide viewership across the African continent and beyond.
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.