The Essentials

of Nation Branding
Why Nation need to be marketed?
Sanjeev S Sahu Shailesh Gupta
Sarjeet Kaushik Shalini Singh
Satyam Kapoor Shyam VS
Saurabh Sharma
Components of Nation Branding

In the broadest sense, nation branding simply refers to the application of corporate
branding strategies to individual nations with the aim of influencing foreign affairs and
international interactions. Nation branding focuses on developing an appealing,
positive image in order to support a nation’s presence and influence in the
international realm.
The 4Ps of Nation Branding

The Product
 In designing its "products" and in acquiring a brand name, a country
makes use of and leverages natural endowments (history, geographical
location, tourism sites, climate, national "mentality”) and acquired
endowments (Public Goods, and Externalities Level of education,
knowledge of foreign languages, quality of infrastructure, the court,
banking, and public health systems) – Example: India

The Price
 The "price" of a country is comprised of two elements:

 The average (internal rate of) return on investments in its

infrastructure, human capital, goods, and services - adjusted for:
 The risks associated with doing business there.

Example : Singapore, Argentina

The 4Ps of Nation Branding

The Place
The distribution channel, the path from producer to consumer (in our
case, from country to foreign investor or tourist, for example) is less
encumbered by topography than it used to be…Even the poorest, most
remote, landlocked, arid, and disadvantaged country can nowadays
leverage air flight, the Internet, television, cell phones… Example: Kenya

Promotion, Sales, and Advertising

Promotion is not to be confused with marketing, it is concerned with
setting up a trained sales force, and with advertising, sales, and public
relations.
Sales: Countries will be hard pressed to cater to the pecuniary needs of
high-level and, therefore, expensive, salespersons. Setting up a body of
volunteers under the supervision, guidance, and training of seasoned
sales personnel maybe a more suitable solution. Example: UK
Image-formation factors

Personal
experience

Nation-brand Word of
campaigns mouth

Behaviour of COUNTRY National

citizens IMAGE stereotypes

Export
Politics
brands

Sports
performances
Place Brand Experience
Conceptual model of nation-brand
identity and image

Key components:
Nation-brand identity History, Language, Territory, Political
regime, Architecture, Sport, Literature, Art,
Religion, Education, system, Icons,
Landscape, Music, Food & drink Folklore

Branded exports, Sporting achievements,

Communicators of The diaspora, Marketing communications,
nation-brand identity Brand ambassadors, Cultural artefacts, Govt
foreign policy, Tourism experience,
Prominent personalities

Audiences:
Nation-brand image Domestic, Consumers - External consumers,
Domestic firms, External firms, Inward
investors, Governments, Media
Segmentation
Whom does a nation speak to?

tudents: Potential leaders of

tomorrow

edia: To create and sustain (+)ve

public opinion

iplomats: To create favourable

policy environment

ourists: To promote tourism

ountries: To keep a cordial

relationship (bilateral)

usinesses: To foster trade and

call for investment

itizens: The ‘feel good about us’

factor
Nation-brand positioning platforms
“Positioning is the act of designing the company’s offering and image to
occupy a distinctive place in the mind of the target market”
- Kotler & Keller, 2006

Nation-brand Positioning platform

South Africa “Alive with possibility”

Bolivia “The authentic still exists”

Scotland “The best small country in the world”

India “Fastest growing free market Democracy”

Thailand “Amazing Thailand”

Malaysia “Truly Asia”

Nation Branding Vs Product Branding
The Value Transfer Window
(The relationship between country brand values and corporate brand values,
and its outcomes for targets)
The FIST (fully inclusive stakeholder)
approach

Government

Public sector Private sector

Citizens
organizations organizations

Tourism board
Inward investment Trade associations
Not-for-profit
agency Chambers of commerce
organizations
Economic development PSC brands
Diaspora
agency
Asset Based Nation Brand Equity
Brand equity is the value of a brand based on the extent to which it has
high brand loyalty, name awareness, perceived quality, strong brand
associations, and other assets such as patents, trademarks, and channel
relationships (Kotler,Armstrong, 2001).

Brand equity must

be managed,
nurtured and
controlled in a
proper way by
integrating the tools
of a consistent
brand management.
Its central concept
consists of
perceptions of brand
identity
and brand image
(Kapferer, 1994).
 Case Study: Argentina

Argentina’s communications tell the world about their culture and tourism.
The communiques never announce the need for investment, but indirectly, all
the communication seeks FDI. This featured ad is a typical example make a
bold and inviting cultural statement while serving as an investment promotion
ad.
Case Study: India

India’s investment campaigns leverages events such as the World Economic

Forum and thereby gets a larger share of the media space. This campaign, a
Harvard University Case Study makes bold economic statements to invite
attention and appeals to CEOs and Media.
Case Study: UK

India’s tourism campaign focuses on riding over major events such as film
festivals and major sports events. This campaign ran on the sidelines of the
International Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen and sought to
leverage the global media mileage through specialised, tweaked
event-specific messages
Case Study: Singapore

Singapore is trying to acquire new investments in knowledge-based

industries. Its image as Asia’s financial capital had started biting by 2006 and
the nation as a whole formulated the policy to invite talent from across the
world.
Case Study: UK

UK believes that when it comes to people knowing the UK as a knowledge

hub, there was an evident gap between reality and perception. This global
campaign helped the UK create an environment where the country tried to
explain to students across the world what the UK was ding in various spheres
of applied sciences.