nation branding

The US remains deeply popular around the world, as soft power and branding are used as tools of cultural imperialism.

Landscape
January 2, 2015

The debate over the strengths and weaknesses of Israel's public diplomacy efforts have been a point of interest for the Jewish state and its supporters around the world.

The CIA was never among the world's most trusted global brands, even among U.S. allies, but torture revelations have diminished U.S. claims to moral leadership and reduced its "soft power".

In recent years the debate over Israel’s efforts in public diplomacy, or hasbara, has been a recurring topic on the agenda of the Jewish state and its supporters around the globe.

The Australian government has an elaborate campaign, including a 600-page bureaucratic handbook, to build its international image using koalas.

Photo by Danny Choo- retrieved from flickr

Takeshi Matsui’s new article, "Nation Branding through Stigmatized Popular Culture: The Cool Japan Craze Among Central Ministries in Japan", has recently been published in Hitotsubashi Journal of Commerce and Management. This article explains how various Japanese ministries are competing to promote “Cool Japan” and make Japanese “content industry” more attractive in order to enhance Japanʼs soft power.

America is a meticulously constructed brand; it is the indispensable nation with exceptional power. There is no country as adept at branding as the United States.

Canada’s once-admired internationalist brand has been spoiled, mutating into a cross between warrior nation wannabe and fossil of the year.

Pages