Poland: the brand

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of the study is to examine “Poland the brand”, a project which has been funded to ascertain whether Poland had identifiable, quintessentially Polish, products of national origin, that if promoted could help improve Poland's standing within Europe.Design/methodology/approachThe approach taken is primary research with direct interviews methods. The interview questionnaire consisted of 15 questions, including six which were open ended.FindingsTypical character traits ascribed to Poles are: hospitality (28.5 per cent), creativity (12.5 per cent), diligence, familiarity and bravery. Foreigners more often than Poles appreciate the familiarity and openness of Poles. Traditional Polish features that should be kept and maintained are the family ties (92.9 per cent), the memory of the departed (88.2 per cent), patriotism (85.4 per cent), fantasy and romance (77.6 per cent), and courtesy towards women (77.6 per cent). Respondents believe that from the Europeans, Poles should adopt such characteristics as: optimism (96.1 per cent), professionalism (94.9 per cent), openness (94.5 per cent), respect for other people's property (93.3 per cent), tolerance (91.8 per cent), the importance of ties outside the family (90.6 per cent) and respect for law (90.6 per cent).Originality/valueThe paper offers an image of Poland according to Polish and foreign students, focusing on typical Polish brands and strengths of Poland in the eyes of young people (students) born in free Poland.