This year, Australia earns the first spot as the world’s top country brand for the third consecutive year. Not among the top 10 two years ago and rising from its sixth place ranking last year, Canada is recognized second and the United States rounds out the top three country brands in the 2008 study. Other countries making the top 10 include Italy, Switzerland and France. This is the Country Brands Index 2008 top-ten country brands:

1. Australia
2. Canada
3. United States
4. Italy
5. Switzerland
6. France
7. New Zealand
8. United Kingdom
9. Japan
10. Sweden

This year’s CBI touches on a variety of topics relevant to travelers and tourism professionals including: intergenerational travel (represented by countries such as the U.S., Canada and Japan), medical tourism, mainstream luxury (represented by countries like Japan and Spain), ‘stay’cations and a rise in the off-the-beaten-track trips. Other notable trends this year focus on niche travel opportunities and the changing destination landscape.

The Country Brands Index 2008 rankings for specific dimensions of the brand and here are some examples and the top performers:

Best Country Brand Ideal for Business: USA
Best Country Brand to Extend a Business Trip: Australia
Best Country Brand for Art & Culture: Italy
Best Country Brand for Authenticity: New Zealand
Best Country Brand for Beach: Maldives
Best Country Brand for Families: Canada
Best Country Brand for History: Egypt
Best Country Brand for Resort & Lodging Options: United Arab Emirates
Best Country Brand for Natural Beauty: New Zealand
Best Country Brand for Nightlife: Japan
Best Country Brand for Fine Dining: Italy
Best Country Brand for Outdoor Activities & Sports: Australia
Best Country Brand for Safety: Norway
Best Country Brand for Shopping: United States
Best Country Brand for Value for Money: Thailand
Best Country Brand You Would Most Like to Live In: Australia
Best Country Brand for Ease of Travel: Netherlands
Best Country Brand for Standard of Living: Sweden
Best Country Brand for Political Freedom: Netherlands
Best Country Brand for Quality Products: Japan

You can read more downloading the study here.

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With toursim as the world’s second largest industry, and countries spending more to promote themselves, their product and their assets, FutureBrand feels it is time to look at countries in a whole new way – as brands. Since I presented here the 2005 Country Brand Index, is time now the 2006 Top 10 (number in brackets are representing last year standings):

1. Australia (2)
2. USA (3)
3. Italy (1)
4. France (4)
5. Greece (6)
6. UK (-)
7. Spain (-)
8. New Zealand (-)
9. Maldives (5)
10. India (-)

Here are some excerpts from the FutureBrand report:

While the concept of countries as brand is becoming more accepted, the category continues to be dominated by generic marketing; true adoption of brand as a critical country assett ontinues to be underdeveloped. This study focuses on the tourism component of country brands, since it is currently the most visible and marketed manifestation of a country.

However, the Index also acknowledges other significant areas of country brand opportunities (for instance, investments and exports), and strongly encourages countries to view their brand holistically, rather than in discrete government silos.

While Tourism is often the most consciously marketed aspect of a country, it is only one of many country offerings. It is clear that the image, reputation and brand value of a country impacts the perception of its products, population, investment opportunities and even foreign aid or funding. A country brand at the highest level is much more than a logo or slogan, it is a unifying and identifiable platform that is manifested in the country experience, communicated by officials and citizens and delivered through different government and private agencies. The idea of a country brand is not merely a marketing wrapper, but a value proposition that changes perception and preference, drives usage and increases the economic interests of the country.

You can read the full report here.

Related or not with dropping from the 1st to the 3rd place, Italy now has a new logo and slogan to promote the country as a brand in areas like tourism.

The logo and slogan were presented Wednesday to the press by Premier Romano Prodi and Culture Minister Francesco Rutelli, who oversaw the tender for the initiative The presentation preceded by a day the one for a new Italia.it portal, which will be illustrated at the BIT international tourism trade fair in Milan.

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How a country is perceived, both domestically and from abroad, from the quality of its goods and services, to the attractiveness of its culture and its tourism and investment opportunities, to its politics, economic policies and foreign policy, can be shaped under a brand. The branding process strengthens democracy and helps both internal development and successful integration into the world community, on all levels.

To do their jobs well in the future, politicians will have to train themselves in brand management. Their tasks will include finding a brand niche for their state, engaging in competitive marketing, assuring customer satisfaction, and most of all, creating brand loyalty. “Brand states will compete not only among themselves but also with superbrands such as the EU, CNN, Microsoft, and the Roman Catholic Church (boasting the oldest and most recognised logo in the world, the crucifix),” Peter van Ham, a senior research fellow at the Netherlands Institute of International Relations Clingendael in The Hague, says.

A successful branding effort delivers benefits that exceed any government or administration. In the same way that Coca Cola is sold through a successful global branding and marketing campaign, year after year, irrespective of who owns or runs the company in Atlanta, so too a good branding and marketing campaign for a country can reap benefits for it, irrespective of who is at the top of its government.

More

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If a ‘brand’ is defined as an experience, then some of the world’s most powerful and recognizable brands should be countries. The challenge the industry faces is that it must move away from the traditional reactive and tactical marketing approaches and instead, create and deliver an overall brand experience that drives sales and turns visitors into country-brand evangelists

said Rene A. Mack, president of Weber Shandwick’s global travel practice.

Branding a country takes time,commitment and focus. While many of the countries that ranked high have scored well, not all of them have fully crafted their brands as places that differentiate, nor do theystand for something in the hearts and minds of key audiences, expand and drive business opportunities or perpetuate loyalty and preference.

As both tourism and international trade becomes morecluttered and competitive, brand is one of the few ways to truly differentiate. Those countries willing to truly work on brand building will be more likely to enjoy a competitive advantage, higher returns, longer term momentum and stronger advocates.

says the study.

The study has many interesting insights into the travel and destinaiton branding and has as its output an overall top of 2005 destinations:

1. Italy
2. Australia
3. USA
4. France
5. Maldives
6. Greece
7. Fiji
8. Thailand
9. Egypt
10. Bahamas

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Communities, cities, and states all compete in the world of everything — commerce, tax bases, cultural riches, hometown intellects, the creative class, and happy folks using it all. It’s the fuel to keep geographic areas going and growing.

It also brews healthy combat zones, the seduction of buyers to destinations. For business or pleasure, the game is called branding. As in, regional branding.

For decades, this practice has existed, but more recently it’s become in business vogue — and a powerful economic advantage.

As people and companies decide where to plop down their roots and cash, just like with any other buying decision, they need to feel the emotional connection to their needs and the earned trust to reduce their fears.

Destination branding is about:

• clearly defining a purpose
• distinct
• consistently communicating a persona
• delivering on a promise

Here is an interesting reading material on the subject from the online edition of Business Week magazine giving an overview on How States Project a Come-Hither Look, listing some of the strategies US states approached the subject, from logos, slogans, flags all the way to the licence plates.

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NBI report analyzes the brand values of more countries (25 compared to 11) than the first report published in May 2005. Australia, a new entry in the NBI, has replaced Sweden as the world’s strongest nation brand. Canada is ranked number two, Switzerland three and the UK is fourth, with Sweden fifth. Overall, the U.S. is now eleventh, rather than fourth.

Nation brand is an important concept in today’s world. A powerful and positive nation brand provides a crucial competitive advantage in today’s global marketplace, where countries compete with each other for the attention, respect and trust of investors, tourists, consumers, donors, immigrants, the governments of other nations and the media.

Here are the complete rankings:

1. Australia
2. Canada
3. Switzerland
4. UK
5. Sweden
6. Italy
7. Germany
8. Netherlands
9. France
10. New Zealand
11. United States
12. Spain
13. Ireland
14. Japan
15. Brazil
16. Mexico
17. Egypt
18. India
19. Poland
20. South Korea
21. China
22. South Africa
23. Czech Republic
24. Russia
25. Turkey

More info on: http://www.nationbrandindex.com/

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