Public diplomacy, place branding and investment promotion in ambiguous sovereignty situations: The Cook Islands as a best practice case

Abstract

This article investigates how governments of places or regions with ambiguous sovereignty status can use public diplomacy, place branding and investment promotion strategies in cooperation with the private sector and other civil society actors to improve external perceptions of the identity of the place, and by doing so to facilitate economic growth and development. Both government and non-governmental actors are faced with the challenge of creating and projecting an identity for the place that outsiders can understand and view in a positive enough light that they will consider investing in, trading with and visiting the place. In a number of ambiguous sovereignty cases, these challenges are more significant than those faced by states fully recognized as sovereign. The article examines the Cook Islands, a self-governing state in Free Association with New Zealand, as a best practice case in public diplomacy, place branding and investment promotion by polities of ambiguous identity and poses two key questions regarding such cases: (a) to what extent is sovereignty an obstacle in creating and promoting an identity needed to attract investment, trade and tourism? and (b) how do regions that do this well, notwithstanding ambiguous sovereignty, achieve their success?