Nation Branding Seminar: How to make a country attractive, held at KEDGE on 30 October 2024
Students from the MSc International Business, PGE M1 International Business major, and external contributors partnered with the International Business research centre were invited to KEDGE on 30 October 2024 for a conference dedicated to the concept of Nation branding. The seminar was presented by scholar-researchers Musa Pinar and Aycan Duran Tekoglu (Valparaiso University, Indiana, USA).
Nation branding, or a nation's brand image, has become a strategic focus for global policymakers due to its influence in an increasingly competitive globalised environment. This concept, studied by researchers such as Anholt (2007) and Kotler and Gertner (2002), employs communication and marketing techniques to position a nation as a brand. Regarded as a "soft power" tool (Nye, 2004), nation branding enhances economic competitiveness by attracting residents, tourists, investors, and business partners (Anholt, 2005; Dinnie, 2008). It also plays a role in improving a country’s trade balance by drawing in foreign capital (Loo and Davies, 2006).
Hao et al. (2021) highlight the increasing complexity and fragmentation of nation branding over time, encompassing diverse theoretical and methodological approaches.
He et al. (2021) identify three perspectives to analyse this concept: a macro view (focused on political and cultural identity), a micro view (centred on a country’s image), and an integrative view (built on the notion of national equity).
The latter aims to enhance a nation’s brand image to attract foreign investment, boost exports, and draw in global talent.
While distinct conceptualisations exist, the relationship between these perspectives and their combined impact on building a strong national image remains underexplored.
A proposed framework integrates an "umbrella brand" and sub-brands to develop a coherent national branding architecture.
This framework seeks to define primary and secondary brand dimensions, develop reliable measurement scales for each, and analyse the interactions between the national umbrella brand, its sub-brands, and its brand equity.
It aims to offer valuable insights for national image development strategies, of particular interest to students and professionals in international business.
This seminar underscored the growing importance of nation branding in enhancing a country’s attractiveness and global standing.
