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. You can see the new Italy logo and read more about it here.

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