Country Brand Research Articles

Impact of TV dramas on consumers' travel, shopping and purchase intentions

AbstractCountries are increasingly competing with each other to attract tourists. However, little is known about how consumers' tourism‐related behaviors respond to country image endeavors, such as TV dramas. We propose that as an important image source TV dramas from a country contribute to crafting the country's brand image and thereby influence viewers' tourism related intentions. Considering the case of Turkish TV dramas and drawing on the Hierarchical Decision Model (HDM), a survey of 400 Arab viewers revealed that exposure to Turkish TV dramas results in increased intentions to visit and shop in Turkey as well as to purchase products made in Turkey. Furthermore, while increase in purchase intentions results primarily from enhanced experiential associations related to the country, increase in visit or shopping intentions results from improved status associations related to the country.

Country Brand Equity: The Decision Making of Corporate Brand Architecture in Cross-Border Mergers and Acquisitions

Cross-border merger and acquisition (CBM&A) is a dominant and sustainable antagonistic strategy, but a relevant concern like a country has inadequately been emphasized over the five decades of acquisition studies. Therefore, this article attempts to examine the impact of country brand equity (CBE) on corporate brand architecture (CBA) in post-CBM&A. It first originates a hypothetical model esteeming Resource-Based View (RBV) and Industrial Organization (IO) theory following the Structure-Conduct-Performance (SCP) paradigm. Then, it tests the model conducting a web survey on 124 acquiring corporates from 29 countries that accomplished CBM&A transactions between 1990 and 2014. The empirical findings clarify that the market aspect, such as the acquirer’s more substantial country brand equity, indirectly leads to the high degree of CBA standardization in the host market through prioritized intangible and strategic resources—corporate reputation and corporate brand management system. Individually, the acquirer’s corporate reputation cumulatively yields a high degree of CBA standardization with corporate brand power, which has only a direct effect. On the other hand, the corporate brand management system leads to a high degree of CBA standardization cumulatively with corporate reputation. It is deemed that the research findings as a whole reveal a framework for the application of country brand equity and corporate brand architecture in post-CBM&A.

Media diplomacy in public administration: analysis of the effectiveness of Ukrainian national branding

Since 1991, the Ukrainian authorities have repeatedly changed the vector of the country's development depending on the views and intentions of the ruling politicians, which has led to negative consequences for the development of all spheres of activity of Ukrainians. One of these consequences is a decrease in the country's authority in the world community. Among the threats facing our state on the way to protection of national interests and national security, the most vulnerable link was the information sphere. It should be noted that the issue of coordinated and proper use of communication opportunities at all levels of public policy – public diplomacy, public relations, military relations, information and psychological operations, measures aimed at promoting the goals of the state has always been acute. Public diplomacy is the realization of the soft power of the country in the international arena, the promotion of the interests of the state in the world by mobilizing the support of the foreign community. This support is achieved by stimulating the desire of the foreign community to consume the ideals of democracy, good governance, integrity, prosperity, security, success and unlimited opportunities for human development. Public diplomacy is one of the components of strategic communications, which has a key task – the formation of the image of the state and its institutions at the international level, the consolidation of important brands in the global information space. The development of state branding should be based primarily on the formation of the state/institutional narrative and broadcast to different target audiences. Thus, public diplomacy involves the formation of the image of all institutional components of the state. The success of economic growth and the dynamic development of relations with other countries largely depends on how the country's brand is formed and promoted in the domestic and global markets. Creating a positive image of the country should be the subject of special attention of the Government and any composition of the Supreme Rada of Ukraine. The most effective tool of public diplomacy is the media and social networks, which, as mass media, should work to promote national ideas among the population of the country and outside Ukraine.

The Northern Neighbor: memes about people and power as a tool for shaping the image of Russia in Chinese digital space

The phenomenon of Internet meme is not often discussed in academic discourse, despite its active use in applied communication, e.g. public relations, marketing and political communications, and branding. The Internet has made the distribution of memes a daily practice, and this term (a) has become an integral part of a publicly accessible network language; (b) an element of modern network culture with a high potential for the formation of sustainable images and stereotypes. In this paper, based on an analysis of two common memes about Russia in the Chinese segment of the Internet, we attempt (1) to trace how the image of Russia is developing in the Chinese Internet segment, (2) to identify the most stable images and tropes, and (3) to evaluate the prospects for using the memes in professional communication, in our case limited to the development of country image and brands.

Образ Великой степи в аспекте новой компаративистики (на материале поэмы Г. Зелинского «Киргиз» и повести Г. Гребенщикова «Ханство Батырбека»)

В статье исследован образ степи на материале литературной параллели: поэма польского поэта Г. Зелинского «Киргиз» — повесть Г. Гребенщикова «Ханство Батырбека». Названные произведения неоднократно становились предметом научного наблюдения польских, русских и отечественных исследователей. При этом в фокусе оказывался преимущественно этнографический комментарий. Оригинальность предпринятого в рамках статьи сравнения заключается не столько в предмете — образе степи — сколько в апробации нового ракурса. Описывая феномен взаимодействия художественныхмиров, авторы статьи применили современные компаративистские подходы, смещая акценты с выделения закономерностей в создании образа степи на интерпретацию истоков этого процесса в историко-литературной перспективе. Переход к приемам сравнительной имагологии позволяет отследить формирование образа от зарождения и бытования вплоть до исторического проецирования на современный страновой бренд Казахстана как страны Великой степи. Имагологическая методика аутентично передает глубинные истоки параллельных историко-литературных процессов на протяжении длительного времени. Текстологические иллюстрации в соответствии с научной версией авторов доказывают ментальную природу образа степи. Итогом научных наблюдений становится заключение о продуктивности новых компаративистских подходов при изучении литературных аналогий.

Nation branding, cultural identity and political polarization – an exploratory framework

PurposeThe objective of this research is to propose a framework which is apt to assess how a nation branding campaign could promote cultural identity by ultimately curbing political polarization.Design/methodology/approachBy relying on a multidisciplinary approach that blends theoretical constructs from different fields the methodology is based on a mixed-method approach whereby the qualitative data stemming from a set of interviews with key-informants is coupled by a survey of Colombian citizens in order to gain in-depth insights over the impact of nation branding on political polarization.FindingsFrom the findings, it emerges that a campaign based on nation branding and targeting domestic citizens could curb political polarization within Colombia, by also fostering cultural identity.Research limitations/implicationsThe study considers only Colombia. To fully assess the robustness of the framework it would be useful to extend the analysis to a broader range of countries and to a wider set of domestic issues.Practical implicationsThe research not only provides in-depth insights on how nation branding can be used effectively in order to curb political polarization but also practical guidance on how a nation branding campaign can be effectively designed. The findings are relevant to policy-makers that have the opportunity to implement informed and educated nation branding campaigns not just overseas, but also to strategically address important domestic issues by engaging the domestic stakeholders.Originality/valueWhile country branding has been extensively investigated within the context of international business, we have a relatively limited understanding of its domestic impact. In contrast to traditional country branding literature, this paper aims to theoretically advance our understanding of nation branding and its effect on political polarization, as well as gauging its impact on cultural identity.

Beyond Nation Branding to Building Country Brands through Marketing Mix

Beyond Nation Branding to Building Country Brands through Marketing Mix

Assessing the predictive validity of perceived globalness and country of origin of foreign brands in quality judgments among consumers in emerging markets

AbstractConsumers in emerging markets are known to have strong preferences for well‐known foreign brands. Drawing on schema and categorization theories, this study empirically investigates how accessible two components of brand foreignness – globalness and country of brand origin – are in consumer perceptions of brand quality in emerging markets. In addition, we argue that brand globalness can be shaped by inferential reasoning and test how consumer perceptions of brand globalness are affected by both a brand's country of origin and its perceived quality. Two different studies were conducted with young‐adult consumers in China. The study found that in their evaluations of foreign brands consumers are more influenced by country of origin than by brand globalness. It also found that consumers tend to perceive a high level of globalness in high‐quality brands and brands from a favorable country‐of‐origin. Further, this tendency was found to differ between well‐known and lesser‐known brands. These findings confirm the predictive validity of country of origin, but contrast with extant literature on the role of brand globalness as a principal quality cue for foreign brands among consumers in emerging markets. Our findings also imply brand globalness can be an inferred attribute of perceived brand quality and country‐of‐origin image. Keywords: brand foreignness, brand globalness, country‐of‐origin effect, emerging markets.

Toward more rigorous country brand assessments: the modified country brand strength index

PurposeThis study focuses on country branding indices. The main purpose of this study is to build an objective country brand strength index using secondary data. The new index, the Modified Country Brand Strength Index (MCBSI), builds on Fetscherin's (2010) Country Brand Strength Index (CBSI) but uses more rigorous methods and design to create a complementary index to be used together with the survey-based Anholt–GfK Nation Brands Index (NBI). The MCBSI also utilized human development, which is an important dimension of country brands not captured by CBSI.Design/methodology/approachThe MCBSI addresses three significant limitations of the CBSI by using an alternative methodology in constructing the index: specifically, it uses weights for the dimensions, longitudinal data, and relative values by dividing each factor by its cross-country maximum.FindingsOur index ranks 131 countries based on the strength of their country brand. A stronger correlation was found between the MCBSI and NBI than between the CBSI and NBI.Practical implicationsOur contribution has strong implications for both policymakers and academic researchers as it provides a tool for assessing the strength of country brands through accurate but less costly data compared to primary data collected by consultancies for country brand strength indices. The MCBSI informs country brand managers regarding how well their country brand performs across a range of critical dimensions, including export, tourism, foreign direct investments, immigration, government environment and human development.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the emerging academic literature on country brand indices. Currently, there is a lack of objective measurement instruments for assessing country brands. The MCBSI is designed for this purpose to complement the NBI by measuring country brands with objective secondary data. Viewed together, the NBI and our index overcome the obvious shortcomings inherent in each method by providing objective, factual data on country brand equity while providing insight into how people socially construct and evaluate nation brands.

Information and Image Policy of the Country in Cultural Paradigm

The purpose of this article is to identify and study the mechanisms of information and image policy that contribute to creating a positive image of the country; to reveal the role of information and image policy in the formation and promotion of national culture brands. The relevance of this article is due to the need to develop a scientifically based approach to the study of the country’s image from the standpoint of cultural studies, a complex discipline that is distinguished by its integrity and integrated attitude to the study of all cultural phenomena, taking into account the modern achievements of various branches of knowledge. Particular attention is paid to the concept of image in modern science. The theoretical basis was the provisions and concepts of classical works on cultural studies, the theory of mass and intercultural communication, the media, journalism, imageology, political science, sociology, marketing, psychology, philosophy, and ethnology. The article reflects the theory of the information society (D. Bell, M. Castells), the information space, information policy (I. Melyukhin, V. Popov), country branding (S. Anholt, W. Allins).

The Relationship Between Country Branding Components and Competitive Advantage

The goal of the current research work is examining the association between competitive advantage and country branding in view of citizens. Country branding is the core of managing which plays a vital role in managing the sustainable competitiveness of a nation. Country competitiveness is a concept which shows the degree to which a country can be differentiated from its rivals in the field of global competition. Data collected from Erzurum in Turkey and Urmia in Iran. Convenience sampling method was used in this study. Having determined the validity of data through excluding the missing inputs, 604 subjects were obtained to in order to conduct the considered analysis. Participants of the study involved 286 and 318 individuals from Turkey and Iran countries, respectively. Turkish citizens exhibited higher levels of emotional, physical, financial and social appeal than Iranian citizens. In addition, there was a significant positive correlation between physical, financial and leadership components and competitive advantage in both countries.Key Words: Country Branding, Competitive Advantage, Turkey, IranJEL Classification: M30, M31, N30

Host Country Brand Image and Political Consumerism: The Case of Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup

Abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate whether 2018 FIFA World Cup (FWC) consumers would engage in political consumerism to reduce a perceived dissonance between host country (Russia) brand image and FWC brand attributes. Literature has associated Russia-hosted sport mega-events (SME) with violations of human rights. Drawing on cognitive dissonance theory, we investigate UK consumers ( n = 417) on their perceptions about Russia’s brand image (cognitive and affective attributes) and FWC brand attributes before and after the event. Online questionnaires were used to collect data, which were analyzed via covariance-based structural equation modeling. Findings showed that intentions did not differ from behaviors of political consumerism toward 2018 FWC products. Lower evaluations of affective host image attributes led to more political consumerism. Higher perceptions of the FWC attributes led to less political consumerism. Results inform FIFA (and possibly other SME owners) on how poor human rights practices (affective attributes) may affect the consumption of their products. Results also inform hosts about ineffectiveness of associating themselves with brands like FWC without showing concerns about human rights.

How to boost place branding leveraging on community relations

PurposeThis paper aims to explore the relationship between community relations (CR) and the concept of place branding (PB) by analysing several companies in a developing sub-Saharan country – Ghana, and developing a framework that links the selected concepts together.Design/methodology/approachThe paper provides an analysis based on a multiple case study approach, with an interpretivist analysis of secondary and primary data derived from archival documents and in-depth interviews of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and brand managers from purposefully selected cases of private financial institutions. The data gathered were qualitatively analysed to identify and interpret common themes about CR, PB and other relevant factors such as culture. Based on analysis of the qualitative data, a comprehensive framework for CR and PB was formulated.FindingsFindings show that in the developing sub-Saharan country Ghana, the process of establishing a place brand is complex because of influences exerted on CR practices by culture, management agenda of private organisations, government intervention and the fragmentation of efforts to generate a coherent dialogue with numerous stakeholders.Practical implicationsThe study shows that managers can leverage on an array of CR elements, including moral and ethical obligations of the company, provision of economic benefits, integration, common goals between the corporation and its communities, responsibility to stakeholders, proactive action, partnerships across sector lines and active leadership, to boost PB. Thus, this research will help policymakers, country brand managers and communication professionals in structuring a proper PB starting from the efforts made in the CR field.Originality/valueThis research can be considered one of the few studies undertaken with a view to understanding and developing a CR framework that links with PB in a developing country. The study identifies several important moderators of PB and factors influencing CR. All issues are approached from the study of PB that promotes economic, commercial and political interests at home and abroad.

‘Land of Creation’: The Position, Brand Owners, and Contributors for Israel's Branding

Abstract The modern and independent State of Israel celebrated the seventieth anniversary of its proclamation of independence in 2018. Besides this landmark anniversary, the remarkable development of Israel's image in the past decade was also a cause for celebration. Nowadays, many people around the world consider Israel as a start-up nation, the stronghold of innovation and risk capital, and the home of outstanding researchers and research organizations – or at least people have this association. In recent years, the ‘industry of peace’, tourism has also undergone significant expansion in the country. This has not always been the case in the past – the change is the result of conscious efforts, which is primarily attributed to the real successes of the economic structure and secondarily to controlled positioning and country branding activity. How could this positive country brand of a ‘start-up nation’ and the ‘land of creation and creativity’ be created? How can it be that many people consider Israel as a country with vibrant, colourful, rich metropolises, the cradle of innovative enterprises, millions of USD in capital investment and world-changing patents instead of a powder keg and the Arab–Israeli conflict? The methodology to analyse the topic is based on an examination of relevant literature and in-depth interviews conducted by the authors in Israel, involving a synthesis of interviews with the important figures of the innovation ecosystem and organizations involved in country branding. The present article aims to describe the branding ecosystem of Israel, introduce its main actors and activities in order to pave the way for future in-depth research.

A STUDY ON CONTEMPORARY STATE AND POTENTIAL OF FRANCHISING IN INDIA

Franchise is an opportunity carrying huge growth potential, where an entrepreneur buys a proven business model and automatic recognition by paying a fee and a share in the revenue. To observe the current scenario of Indian Franchise, three prosperous brands i.e. Coffee day xpress, Goli vada pav, NIIT are studied thoroughly. The brands have been analyzed on various parameters i.e. investment, expected returns, presence, future business opportunity.. It has been found that more than 50 brands under a dozen of sectors are knocking on the doors of our country which includes foreign (Muffin Break, Yogen Fruz, Pollo Tropical, TM Lewin, Di Bella) as well as country brands (Shraman, Best Foods, Santhigram Kerala Ayurveda, Sportsfit). Moreover, the Coffee day Xpress (low-cost franchise) provides 20-30% returns on an investment of 2-5 lacs; Goli Vada Pav & NIIT also offers remarkable returns on an investment of 5-10 lacs and 15-20 lacs respectively. The research concludes that major sectors like F&B (Dunkin donuts, South Indies), Education (Beehive, Sesame street), Retail (KB fair price, LanMark), Lifestyle and health fitness (Puma, Talwalkars), offers high growth potential in the coming years in Indian market.

Country Brand Equity: The Role of Image and Reputation

ABSTRACT Country brand equity (CBE) is expanding in theory and in practice; however, little has been published on its conceptualization. By incorporating ‘reputation’ into the place brand equity construct at a country level, we provide a theoretical multidimensional framework for CBE. Seventeen interviews with international researchers were undertaken for theory building. A seven-dimensional CBE framework was developed according to the interpretations of two constructs - country brand reputation (‘share of experience’) and country brand image (‘share of mind’) - along with country brand associations, country brand awareness, country brand loyalty, country brand perceived quality, and channel relationships. We conclude by outlining potential further research avenues and implications for managerial practice. These contributions may guide policymakers, government officials, executives, and scholars in maximizing the value of a place brand (e.g., country, region, or city) by focusing on ‘reputation’ as an added (qualitative and/or quantitative) construct. This study may also inspire insights into joint efforts of public and private strategies and actions on economic performance, consumer welfare, and business decisions for national prosperity.

Conceptual Relationships Between Country Image and Economic Security

The paper deals with the analysis of the linking between country image and level of economic security. The studies confirmed that ongoing tendency on world competitiveness justified considering direct and indirect dimensions which influence on the country’s economic security. The authors generalised the factors which affected the economic security of the country. The finding proved that one of the significant indirect parameters is the country image. The authors analysed and summarised the most appropriate definitions of country brand and image. The authors analysed the frequency of country brand and image in the scientific paper. The paper aimed to identify the scientific clusters on the investigation of economic security and the country’s brand. The study used the bibliometric analysis using software VOSviewer, Web of Science and Scopus Tools Analysis. The data of analysis was obtained from the scientific database Scopus and Web of Science for 1991-2019 years. For the analysis, the papers were selected as the criteria as follows: English language; published for 1991-2019 years; contained the keywords brand, image, county and security. The results of the analysis proved that the paper which used the term “country image” is more than “country brand” in Scopus and Web of Science. The findings from the Web of Science and Scopus Tools Analysis confirm the hypothesis on the increasing tendency of publishing activities papers which focused on the analysis of security and country’s image. The visualising of co-authorship by country allowed identifying that the 50% papers published by the scientists with the American, Ukrainian, Canadian, Spanish and Russian affiliations. The VOSviewer results allowed identifying two significant scientific clusters as follows: country image and economic security. Besides, between the two most significant cluster were as mediators: governance, nation branding, developing countries and environment. Besides, analysing the new publication for 2015-2019 years, the most cited papers on economic security connected with analysis not only quantitively economic parameters but also with political, sustainable development and country’s image. The bibliometric analysis formed the background for checking the casual relationship between image and economic security of the country. Keywords bibliometric analysis, brand, brand management, country brand, VOSviewer.

Examining the relationship between Brazil's country brand equity and the specific conations towards the country

This article aimed to verify the relationship between Brazil's country brand equity of Brazil and the purchase intentions (so called conations) towards this country, because this is an emerging country that has a potential in the international market. A survey was conducted with foreign students and an analysis based on structural equation modelling technique was carried out. Our findings suggest that Brazil's country brand equity positively influences conations towards this country in terms of investment, business and work. These results are of substantial value to international marketing managers and government authorities designing country brand communications, especially in a highly competitive scenario. For instance, the government can adjust marketing programs aimed to international consumers and the trade of products abroad and also to modify the campaigns of Brazilian brands internationally, focusing in attributes related to business and in sustainability aspects.

Country branding comparison between Slovak Republic and United Kingdom in Future Brand Country Index

Nowadays are known many indexes, which are rating specific countries by their performance in chosen areas. This work will be concentrated on the brands of countries valuated by brand indexes. For purposes of job we have chosen the Future Brand Country Index in order to achieve the most objective result of comparison between Slovak Republic and Great Britain. Although they are known certain number of indexes, factors used in Future Brand Country Index are considered by us as the best suitable for this work. This index valuates strength of perception of the country brand across certain dimensions, which are Value System, Quality of Life, Business Potential, Heritage and Culture, Tourism and Made in. These dimensions consist of numerous associations with specific country which will be specified later. Purpose of our work is to analyse results of Slovak republic and Great Britain, their position in Future Brand Index in 2014 and in 2019 and find reasons of their improvement or deterioration. Since Future Brand Index does not publish data and analyses of these countries, our work will be concentrated on analysing key dimensions of index which could affect position of chosen countries in Future Brand index.

Raising the Effectiveness of Tourism Marketing and Branding: Evidence from Armenia

This research paper is a summary of the arguments and counterarguments about the scientific discussion on the issue of tourism marketing. The research aims at analysing tourism marketing in Armenia, find out the main gaps and suggest ways for raising its effectiveness. The analysis of the available literature sources and approaches for solving the problem indicates that the essence of tourism marketing is to understand and meet the needs of tourists. The importance of this scientific problem is that using marketing strategies is the primary mean to develop tourism. Also, destination branding is discussed, which may reflect the identity of a destination. Nowadays, the rise of the Internet gives various opportunities to present a country as an attractive tourism destination by using different marketing strategies and involve international tourists. Investigation of the topic of marketing and branding in the paper is carried out in the following rational arrangement. The essence and significance of tourism marketing and branding available in the literature are discussed, the main activities of tourism marketing in Armenia are analysed, and as a result, some suggestions are made for improving tourism marketing performance in Armenia. Besides, tourism brand of Armenia is processed, which reflects the history and culture of the country. Mainly qualitative methods were used in the research. The results of the empirical analysis are presented in the paper, which showed that having a good country brand strategy is a critical factor for achieving a high level of awareness among international tourists. The research analytically affirms that effective marketing and branding is the basis of tourism development. Armenian tourism stage in the tourism life cycle model is evaluated between involvement and development, so here marketing activities are necessary as well. The research results may be useful for state organs of the sphere for their marketing and branding strategic policies. Keywords tourism, marketing, branding, social media, destination, tourism area life cycle, strategy.