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What has nation branding got to do with poor countries?

Much of Simon Anholt's work is with the governments of poorer and developing countries, often in collaboration with the United Nations.

Although the words 'brand' and 'poverty' don't often sit happily in the same sentence, the reality is that many emerging countries are battling against a reputation - a brand image - which prevents real economic development from getting started.

After all, if a country is perceived as war-torn, famine-ridden, poverty-struck, corrupt and utterly dependent on foreign aid, nobody is very likely to think of investing there, buying its products, going on holiday or going to work there. Sooner or later, the country's economy needs to get started - and that's when its negative brand gets in the way.

In these cases, brand strategy isn't about pretending everything's fine when it isn't, and it certainly isn't about switching off the supply of aid: but it is about helping tourists, investors and consumers learn about the good things that are going on there, to broaden and deepen their understanding of the country. It's about telling the story of the talent and the opportunity that the country has got, and giving it a chance to prosper in the global marketplace.

Many developing countries are progressing faster than the eye can see, or certainly faster than their reputation can keep up with. There have been big improvements in the skills, the infrastructure, the government and the business environment in many of the 'transition' economies, but if left to the natural course of events, these countries' reputations could take decades to catch up.

Developing countries don't have time to wait until the world finally realises how much progress they're making. In these cases, nation branding is about ensuring that reputation keeps pace with progress, and that the massive investments of time, effort, skill and money made by so many people, companies, governments and NGO's achieve their aims right now, and not when it's too late.

To read more about the relationship between branding and economic development, see Brand New Justice.