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NATION BRANDING 

HOW COUNTRIES ARE POSITIONED IN THE MINDS OF CONSUMERS 

BY JOHN KEAVENEY | BRAND STRATEGY DIRECTOR | Y&R EMEA

1 

COUNTRY BRANDING - OVERVIEW 

Nations can be thought of as brands. 

While some have global appeal, others are hardly known, 

but all have the potential of clearly standing for 

something that sets them apart. 

Art, culture, people, gastronomy, geography and business 

all can help position a country in the mind. 

However, if these varied perceptions are not carefully 

managed, their sum total can lead to a stereotypical and 

inaccurate reflection of the nation, and this can prove 

very hard to change.

2 

WHY DOES IT MATTER? 

Understanding the ways in which a country can project 

itself, as well as the general laws that appear to govern 

such things, is essential for anyone who is tasked with 

the job of branding a nation. 

It should also be of interest to any involved in the 

marketing of consumer brands closely tied to their 

specific country of origin (even if just implied). 

• Would a car made in Kazakhstan be as well engineered as one made in 

Germany? 

• Would a financial institution from Nigeria be as reliable as one from Switzerland? 

Perhaps they would be, but it’s our perception rather 

than reality that counts.

3 

THE ANALYSIS 

By looking through the world’s largest brand database, 

Y&R’s BrandAsset® Valuator (or BAV for short), we can 

explore how over 100 different countries are seen around 

the globe. 

We can also shed some light on the universal rules and 

factors that appear to play a role in positioning a 

country. 

{Note pages have been included in parts of this presentation}

4 

CONTENTS 

1. The nine fundamental ways of positioning a country 

2. Managing international consistency 

3. The influence of national brands in positioning a 

country 

4. Using brand partnerships to help position a country 

5. Appendix (the measurable DNA of countries)

THE NINE FUNDAMENTAL WAYS OF 

POSITIONING A COUNTRY

6 

POSITIONING A COUNTRY 

Although many countries have a unique set of associations (DNA – 

see appendix) that define their core image and standing in the 

world, common themes do emerge. 

While some countries are more known for the sociability of their 

people, others are known for their industries. 

By conducting a “cluster analysis” on the perceptions of over 100 

separate countries measured on the BrandAsset ® Valuator we can 

reveal the main ways that country brands have become positioned 

in the minds of consumers. 

The analysis found that nine distinct country brand types 

(positionings) can be identified across the world. 

It is important to understand how these clusters are perceived 

before one can plan how best to strategically position a given 

country; especially if the country needs to differentiate itself 

from competing tourist or investment destinations.

7 

THE NINE COUNTRY BRAND POSITIONINGS 

- ILLUSTRATED BY SOME VISUAL EXAMPLES 

TRUSTED CLASS STYLISH & INNOVATIVE DOWN TO EARTH & SOCIAL 

SUPERIOR QUALITY LEADING PERFORMANCE UNAPPROACHABLE 

SIMPLE & EASYGOING WELCOMING SEDUCTIVE & AUTHENTIC 

Source: BrandAsset ® Valuator 

Base: All Adults

8 

THE NINE COUNTRY BRAND POSITIONINGS 

- DEFINED BY THEIR DISTINGUISHING BAV TM 

IMAGERY ASSOCIATIONS 

TRUSTED CLASS STYLISH & INNOVATIVE DOWN TO EARTH & SOCIAL 

Trustworthy 

Reliable 

Prestigious 

Intelligent 

Upper Class 

Innovative Prestigious 

Stylish Glamorous 

Up To Date Distinctive 

Energetic 

High Quality 

Dynamic 

Trendy 

Straightforward Social 

Simple Good Value 

Down To Earth 

Obliging 

Cares for its Customers 

Kind 

SUPERIOR QUALITY LEADING PERFORMANCE UNAPPROACHABLE 

Reliable 

High Quality 

Trustworthy 

High Performance 

Intelligent 

Best Brand in its Category 

Leader Unapproachable 

Progressive Rugged 

Innovative 

Arrogant 

High Performance 

Intelligent 

Restrained 

Unapproachable 

Simple 

Arrogant 

Rugged 

Daring 

SIMPLE & EASYGOING WELCOMING SEDUCTIVE & AUTHENTIC 

Simple 

Kind 

Friendly 

Carefree 


Base: All Adults 

Cares for its Customers 

Worth Paying More For 

Trustworthy 

Obliging 

Carefree 

Helpful 

Gaining in Popularity 

Sensuous 

Unique 

Authentic 

Charming

9 



MOST COUNTRY BRANDS POSITION THEMSELVES AS 

‘SEDUCTIVE & AUTHENTIC’ 

CLUSTER TYPE % OF ALL FOREIGN 

COUNTRY PERCEPTIONS 

SEDUCTIVE & AUTHENTIC 18.8% 

UNAPPROACHABLE 17.2% 

LEADING PERFORMANCE 12.3% 

STYLISH & INNOVATIVE 12.0% 

SIMPLE & EASYGOING 9.5% 

TRUSTED CLASS 9.3% 

DOWN TO EARTH & SOCIAL 8.8% 

WELCOMING 6.8% 

SUPERIOR QUALITY 5.4%

Can stem from a lack 

of positive branding/PR/ 

media coverage 

More business / 

brands related 

10 



MOST COUNTRY BRANDS POSITION THEMSELVES AS 

‘SEDUCTIVE & AUTHENTIC’ 

CLUSTER TYPE % OF ALL FOREIGN 

COUNTRY PERCEPTIONS 

SEDUCTIVE & AUTHENTIC 18.8% 

UNAPPROACHABLE 17.2% 

LEADING PERFORMANCE 12.3% 

STYLISH & INNOVATIVE 12.0% 

SIMPLE & EASYGOING 9.5% 

TRUSTED CLASS 9.3% 

DOWN TO EARTH & SOCIAL 8.8% 

WELCOMING 6.8% 

SUPERIOR QUALITY 5.4% 

More generic 

tourism related

Brand Strength 

11 

(DIFFERENTIATION & RELEVANCE) 

‘WELCOMING’, ‘STYLISH & INNOVATIVE’ AND ‘SUPERIOR 

QUALITY’ POSITIONINGS ARE GENERALLY THE STRONGEST 

TOP 25 COUNTRY BRANDS PER CLUSTER (PLOTTED FOR ILLUSTRATION) 

Source: BrandAsset ® Valuator (‘Classic’ Powergrid) 


STYLISH & INNOVATIVE 

LEADING PERFORMANCE 

UNAPPROACHABLE 

SIMPLE & EASY GOING 

DOWN TO EARTH & SOCIAL 

Brand Stature 

(ESTEEM & KNOWLEDGE) 

WELCOMING 

SUPERIOR QUALITY 

SEDUCTIVE & AUTHENTIC 

TRUSTED CLASS 

The ‘Powergrid’ is a 

diagnostic tool in the 

BrandAsset® Valuator 

that can summarize the 

strength and 

development of a 

brand, as well as the 

associated level of 

consumer attraction. 

The strongest brands 

are in the top right 

hand quadrant (above 

the diagonal), while 

the weakest brands 

have low ‘Brand 

Strength.’

12 

TRUSTED CLASS 

DIFFERENT NATIONALITIES CAN PERCEIVE THE SAME 

COUNTRY VERY DIFFERENTLY 






SIMPLE & EASYGOING 

WELCOMING 




ITALIAN 

PERCEPTIONS 

BRITISH 

PERCEPTIONS 

Spain Spain 

JAPANESE 

PERCEPTIONS 

Spain

13 

TRUSTED CLASS 






SIMPLE & EASYGOING 

WELCOMING 




DIFFERENT NATIONALITIES CAN PERCEIVE THE SAME 

COUNTRY VERY DIFFERENTLY (CONT.) 

ITALIAN 

PERCEPTIONS 

USA 

BRITISH 

PERCEPTIONS 

USA 

JAPANESE 

PERCEPTIONS 

USA

14 

CONCLUSION 1 

Most countries (or holiday destinations) talk about 

their authenticity and sensuality in some shape of 

form. 

This seems to work fairly well, but the three types of 

positioning that work better are… 

1. Superior Quality, which is about reliability, quality, performance and 

intelligence 

� This territory will most likely have an affect on business (national brands) perceptions 

2. Welcoming, which is about being caring and helpful 

� Being welcoming and trustworthy is essential for foreign attention. It will help to attract and 

retain tourists and investors alike 

3. Style and Innovation, which is about fashion and modernity 

� Countries must not just rely on their traditions and heritage, but look to the future by 

demonstrating they are committed to innovation

MANAGING INTERNATIONAL CONSISTENCY

16 

PERCEPTUAL CONSISTENCY 

The findings from the nine country cluster analysis can 

be used to assess how consistent (or not) a country brand 

is around the world. 

The more clusters or positionings that relate to any one 

particular nation, the more inconsistent they are as a 

brand.

17 

BRAND USA IS GENERALLY ASSOCIATED WITH BEING 

A COUNTRY OF ‘LEADING PERFORMANCE’ 

…AND THEREFORE HIGHLY CONSISTENT 

TRUSTED STYLISH & DOWN TO EARTH SUPERIOR LEADING UNAPPROACHABLE SIMPLE WELCOMING SEDUCTIVE 

CLASS INNOVATIVE & SOCIAL QUALITY PERFORMANCE & EASYGOING & AUTHENTIC 

Australian Russian British 

Canadian Brazilian Mexican 

Japanese Chinese 

New Zealander French 

German Hungarian 

Guatemalan Italian 

Dutch 

Spanish 

Thai 

Turkish 

Greek 

Austrian 

Czech 

Polish 

Saudi 

Swiss 

Argentine 

Chilean 

Colombian 

Uruguayan 


Base: All Adults

18 

BRAND RUSSIA IS GENERALLY PERCEIVED AS 

‘UNAPPROACHABLE’ 




Chinese Mexican Austrian Brazilian Australian 

Hungarian Canadian 

Turkish Czech 

French 

German 

Greek 

Italian 

Japanese 

Dutch 

Polish 

Spanish 

Swiss 

Thai 

British 

American 


Base: All Adults

19 

BRAND BRAZIL IS SEEN AS ‘SEDUCTIVE & 

AUTHENTIC’ 




Chinese Argentine Colombian Uruguayan Canadian 

Guatemalan Mexican French 

Australian German 

Chilean Hungarian 

Italian 

Japanese 

Dutch 

Polish 

Spanish 

Swiss 

Thai 

British 

American 


Base: All Adults

20 

BRAND UK HAS A MULTI-DIMENSIONAL IMAGE 

…AND THEREFORE HIGHLY INCONSISTENT 



American Canadian Mexican Czech Argentine Brazilian Australian 

Chinese French Japanese Chilean Guatemalan Austrian 

Dutch Italian Polish Greek 

German New Zealander Russian Saudi 

Hungarian Spanish 

Swiss Thai 

Turkish 


Base: All Adults

21 

CONCLUSION 2 

A country like the USA is a very consistent national brand. 

Why? Partly because of the many years we have seen and 

experienced its image via successful lifestyle brands (e.g., 

Nike, MTV), category shaking businesses (e.g., Starbucks, iPod), 

as well as its huge entertainment industry (music, film, etc). 

Whereas a brand like the UK is very inconsistent. 

Why? Probably because it has various sides to its character…from 

the Royal Family & the Queen to football fans and pop groups. The 

various sides of its character can also be seen amongst its 

national brands (see next section). 

Just like with consumer brands, a country may find it beneficial 

to project itself in a consistent fashion around the world. 

Having a globally consistent image doesn’t mean you have to have 

a global face/campaign …as core associations can be locally 

communicated to ensure they are interpreted in a desired and 

relevant way.

THE INFLUENCE OF NATIONAL BRANDS IN 

POSITIONING A COUNTRY

23 

THE INFLUENCE OF NATIONAL BRANDS 

Would Germany still be associated with performance and engineering if the 

likes of Mercedes and BMW cars were never manufactured? 

Or would France be associated with glamour and style if the likes of 

Chanel and YSL never graced our stores? 

Perhaps not, although now the perceptions of these nations are so 

ingrained in our minds that the answers to these questions are somewhat 

irrelevant now. 

However, by observing how closely linked the image of consumer brands are 

with their country of origin we can begin to gain an understanding into 

how the image of such nations can be developed over time. It will also 

provide us with food for thought on how less globally developed nations 

can begin to reposition themselves by better leveraging their sole 

exports. 

The following analysis takes a varied sample of global brands from a 

number of leading nations and then goes on to assess how closely linked 

their image is with their country of origin.

24 

UNDERSTAND NATIONAL BRANDS 

A number of countries that have a significant number of 

truly global brands have been taken for this analysis. 

These brands have been assessed as an aggregated bundle 

(or “pot”) so that general conclusions can be sought. 

This analysis reveals a number of things: 

1. Brands can and are used (beyond tourism) to project the image of a 

nation abroad 

2. A country’s national DNA can be seen in their exported brands to varied 

degrees 

� Note: National DNA was determined from a separate analysis (see appendix) 

3. If national brands are inconsistent, this may affect the image of a nation

25 

INTERNATIONALLY KNOWN JAPANESE BRANDS 

JAPANESE BRANDS

26 

INTERNATIONALLY KNOWN USA BRANDS 

USA BRANDS

27 

INTERNATIONALLY KNOWN FRENCH BRANDS 

FRENCH BRANDS

28 

INTERNATIONALLY KNOWN GERMAN BRANDS 

GERMAN BRANDS

29 

INTERNATIONALLY KNOWN BRITISH BRANDS 

BRITISH BRANDS

30 

INTERNATIONALLY KNOWN ITALIAN BRANDS 

ITALIAN BRANDS

31 

Average Percentile Ranking 

80 

70 

60 

50 

40 

30 

20 

10 

0 

JAPANESE BRANDS ARE BETTER ABLE TO CONSISTENTLY 

PROJECT THE IMAGE OF BRAND JAPAN ABROAD 

..EVERY COUNTRY NEEDS TO CAREFULLY DECIDE HOW EXPORTS WILL AFFECT THEIR NATIONAL IMAGE 

Japanese 

Brands 

Externally Perceived National DNA Levels 

French 

Brands 

USA 

Brands 

German 

Brands 

British 

Brands 

Italian 

Brands

32 

CONCLUSION 3 

Measuring the level of country DNA within each “bundle” of brands 

perhaps wasn’t needed for this analysis. 

Our own subjective judgement can compare the general associations 

we have when looking at each “bundle” with the DNA related to the 

country of origin. 

It is very clear that Japanese brands are generally associated 

with innovation and technology. 

While French brands are about style and glamour (just as France 

the country is generally perceived). 

British brands appear to be inconsistent. Some are linked to 

former prestige and heritage, while others appear to be a more 

youthful breed of international champions. 

The effect that brands have on a country – especially when tourism 

advertising is not present – should not be ignored.

USING BRAND PARTNERSHIPS TO HELP 

POSITION A COUNTRY

34 

BRAND PARTNERSHIPS 

The image of a country is developed over time due to a 

variety of reasons; from tourism to exports to simple 

media coverage. 

These associations are often ingrained in the general 

public’s collective mind, and without large scale 

experience or exposure to the country itself, it may 

prove very hard to change whatever image they have 

formed. 

However, there is hope that goes beyond just using new 

tourism advertising or exports, and that is from brand 

partnerships.

35 

BRAND PARTNERSHIPS HAVE BEEN USED TO HELP 

PROMOTE AND POSITION A COUNTRY 

E.G.BRAND BRAZIL AND SELFRIDGES 

In May 2004, Selfridges ran a month-long 

promotion “Brazil 40º”: 

� The “celebration of the icons, the passions and the rhythms 

of a culture on the move,” as Selfridges itself quoted 

The centerpiece to Brazil 40° was a giant 

replica of Rio de Janeiro’s "Christ the 

Redeemer" which stood 13 metres high on the 

front of Selfridges Oxford Street store. 

From the windows in, a “touristy Brazil” 

and a “Brazil of business” was presented 

and experienced. (Source: www.apexbrasil.asia/) 

Brazil was identified as one of the most 

influential forces in fashion, design and 

performance and selected because of its 

"creative centre bursting with fertile new 

ideas and a spirit of experimentation." 

(Source http://www.brandrepublic.com/)

36 

48 Image 

attributes 

IMAGE EXCHANGE MAP – ASSESSES THE DEGREE OF 

EXCHANGE BETWEEN TWO BRANDS 

..The further away the attribute from the line, the greater the difference 

between the brands 

STRONG 

WEAK 

EXCHANGE ZONE 

LOW ASSOCIATION 

MUTUAL 

REINFORCEMENT 


WEAK STRONG 

Brand “Y” Imagery

37 

Brazil Imagery (London/SE - 2002) 

BRAZIL (& SELFRIDGES) COULD GAIN MANY 

POSITIVE ASSOCIATIONS FROM SUCH A PARTNERSHIP 

Fun 

Carefree 

Different 

Daring 

Charming 

15 

Sensuous 

Tough 

Rugged 

Energetic 

Dynamic 

Gaining In Popularity 

British Perceptions of Brazil vs. Selfridges (London/SE - 2002) 

30 


25 

20 

Social 

10 

Unique 

Authentic 

Original 

Down to Earth 

Friendly 

Independent 

Distinctive 

Glamorous 

Trendy 

Traditional 

Simple 

Progressive 

0 5 

5 

10 15 Good Value 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 

Innovative Best Brand 

Unapproachable 

Worth More 

Healthy 

High 

Arrogant 

Performance 

Prestigious 

Socially Responsible 

Cares Customers 

Helpful Reliable 

High quality 

Kind 

Straightforward 

Restrained 

Obliging Intelligent 

Up To Date 

Trustworthy 

Leader 

0 

LOW ASSOCIATION 


Selfridges Imagery (London/SE - 2002) 

MUTUAL 

REINFORCEMENT 

Stylish 


Upper Class

38 

Response (raw %’s) 

16 

14 

12 

10 

IN 2005 BRAZIL HAD INCREASED ON MANY OF THE 

ASSOCIATIONS THAT SELFRIDGES HAD TO OFFER 

6.0 

14.9 


8 

6 

4 

2 

0 

British Perceptions of Brazil in the 

London/South East Region (2002 vs. 2005) 

6.9 

0.9 0.9 

3.5 

2.0 

2002 2005 

6.2 

1.7 

4.1 

4.2 

3.6 

2.1 2.0 1.8 

2.4 

5.0 

6.6

39 

OVERALL SUMMARY 

There are generally nine different types of positioning 

that country brands tend to adopt. 

The first challenge is to quantitatively and 

qualitatively assess and understand which positioning 

areas does your country and/or competing tourist 

destinations fall within. 

Once known, a country brand can then go on to break the 

conventions of the tourism industry by creating truly 

differentiated communication ideas.

40 

FURTHER THOUGHTS 

It should be noted that leading nations like Japan and 

Germany have “brand champions” that appear to have 

strongly positioned their country in the minds of the 

world. 

If a country wants to project a specific side of its 

character, then the powerful impact of brands should 

additionally be taken into account. 

Finally, brand partnerships can be used to help reinforce 

or develop a country’s brand positioning in the minds of 

people around the world.

APPENDIX

42 

UNDERSTANDING THE BASICS OF COUNTRY DNA 

Before we begin to explore in more detail how nations can develop 

their own brand identity, we must first understand what words – 

imagery associations – the general public tend to use when 

describing any country brand. 

To answer this we have compared how citizens generally describe 

their own home country with how non-citizens generally perceive 

any foreign country. 

By assessing which traits are commonly used as well as those that 

aren’t we can establish the most basic rules that govern the 

nature of country brands. This information will help us later on 

to reveal what truly differentiates individual countries from the 

international norm.

43 


TO MAKE SENSE OF HOW COUNTRIES ARE PERCEIVED WE 

MUST FIRST APPRECIATE THE GENERIC ASSOCIATIONS 

THAT ARE INVOLVED 

Top 10 Average Imagery Associations 

HOME COUNTRIES FOREIGN COUNTRIES 

Unique Unapproachable 

Charming Charming 

Friendly Independent 

Independent Different 

Traditional Unique 

Down to Earth Arrogant 

Social Friendly 

Authentic Traditional 

Socially Responsible Daring 

Kind Fun 

= Home country generics (citizens rating their own country) 

= Foreign country generics (foreigners rating other countries) 

= Country brand generics (traits associated with all countries)

* Top 7 traits (if applicable) versus the international 

average of “foreign” perception (all studies) 

Only differences of > 10% Rank are shown 

44 


EXAMPLE 1 – THE BRAND DNA OF JAPAN & UK




45 


EXAMPLE 2 – THE BRAND DNA OF FRANCE & ITALY




46 


EXAMPLE 3 – THE BRAND DNA OF GERMANY & THE 

USA

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