COUNTRY IMAGE VS. COUNTRY BRAND:
DIFFERENCES AND SIMILARITIES
Denisa Adriana COTÎRLEA
Babeș-Bolyai University of Cluj Napoca, Romania cotirlea.denisa@yahoo.com Abstract
This article was written in order to provide an overview regarding the differences and similarities regarding two congruent, yet different concepts: country brand and country image. The geopolitical context and, implicitly, the current global context require a redefinition – or a more complex circumscription – of the “country image” and “country branding” concepts. In this paper, the author aimed to highlight the characteristics and particularities of the approached concepts in order to shape a framework of the context within these two operate; a brief analysis of the literature
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562) Country image is an overall image that is constituted by variables like peculiar products, economic and political development, historical events and relationships, traditions, level of industrialization and of technological development.
Martin – Eroglu
(1993, p. 193) Country image is the set of normative inferred and informational beliefs of individuals on a country.
Kotler et.al.
(1993, p. 141) Country image is the sum of people’s beliefs, ideas and impressions about a certain country.
Szeles
(1998, p. 96) Country image is an internal and external framework of the opinions and beliefs on a people, nation and country and the simultaneously objective and subjective psychological contents of eterogeneous and generalized value judgment thereof.
Verlegh – Steenkamp
(1999, p. 525) A mental interpretation of a country’s inhabitants, products, culture and national
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The image of Canada is not as favorable internationally as it should be. Therefore, developing an appealing brand identity has become an important part of attracting international investment to Canada, since its image is more prone to misconception while US has a strong brand image that does not require much active promotion internationally. Thus, Canada needs the help of a branding strategy to improve on a broader scale internationally.
through the eyes of the media and their coverages. Today, the media presents its opinions on
>. For many people national identity is very important and they take huge amount of pride in ones own country often giving a sense of responsibility and dedication. But how would you define an entire county, especial a country like Brazil with over 190 million people with so much cultural diversity. <
... concept of the stereotype. He was a journalist and media critics, who criticized the media for a false reality construction through stereotyping. The author argues that media influence views and give us ideas and the audience accept it as correct ones. ‘The media is producing simplified pictures, because stereotypes are the most common form of coercion, which may construct the world. We learn about many things, we had no experience about. Stereotypes are accepted as a leading process’.
The authors identify that there are three main factors that effect how people act, think, and make decisions. The first is religion, in some countries faith plays an important role in all areas of life in the culture of the country and can influence many of their customs and behavior. The second factor is that of fact. In many countries their greatest desire is to find the best deal and the best product or services. The final factor is feeling, if a culture is based on feelings the people will conduct business accordingly. For example it would be essential to make a personal connection with this type of individual.
Usually, we have stereotypes about persons who are members of groups with which we have not had firsthand contact. We regularly make these stereotypical generalizations based on experiences we have had ourselves, seen in movies or television, read about in books and magazines, or have had related to us by family and friends. Though all these are equally significant roots for the stimulation of stereotypes, media however, is the giant force. Media propaganda is one of the main functions of society that projects stereotypical opinions or perceptions. One of the most powerful forces, propaganda in the media combined with stereotypes often act together to accomplish a homogenized and often misleading view about society and its people.
Many people in the U.S. and I am sure many other countries tend to think of Britain as a land full of rose gardens, cricket, Oxford, and people drinking tea with their little pinky in the air with the Queen. Myths and legends stem from reality distorted, this in turn continues to affect the real image portrayed by a country.
Stereotypes is a big issue within the media industry. Representation within the media is to show someone or something, using a process of depicting, descripting and symbolization. Stereotypes, as described by Stuart Hall, is the “production of the meaning of the concepts in our minds through language which enables us to refer to either the ‘real’ world of objects, people or events, or indeed to imaginary worlds of fictional objects, people and events”. In his research Hall has suggested that there is two systems of representation, the first system regarding direct associations of events, people and objects that have certain mental representations and concepts that people have in their minds. Meaning is therefore
Globalisation can take on many different shapes and forms in its free flow of goods and services across national borders. Cultural globalisation is one of those forms. Capcioglu (2008) refers to cultural globalisation as a “Global circulation of information, signs and symbols on a global scale and the reactions shown to the various socio-cultural transformations as a result of these conflicts.” Ritzer and Barber (1996) first coined cultural globalisation as ‘Americanisation’ and ‘McDonaldisation’, referring to the spread of western culture from the United States across the globe. The American image was beamed around the globe in the 1950’s and 1960’s through Disney cartoons, music videos, television programs, Hollywood movies and products such as McDonalds and Coca Cola. The global appeal of these goods and services was centred on the fact that America is seen as the place of modernity around the world. It is a culture that is rich, powerful and exciting and thus captures global appeal.
Marion and Michael (1996, cited by Graby 1993) exposed that there are three concepts of image that are necessary to understand and can be applied to brands, companies or countries:
Gogel, R. and Larreche, J.C. (1991). Pan-European Marketing: Combining Product Strength and Geographical Coverage. San Francisco, California: Jossey-Bass
In today’s highly competitive global markets, the concept of brand equity holds a lot of significance, for the business survival and business
With every passing day the world is shrinking, and the globalization process is taking place. Advances in communication, transportation, and computer technology have all played a role in making the world a smaller place. With the right equipment, people can talk to friends and family from the other side of the world. Traveling from America to Europe, which once required days at sea, now only takes hours in the air. Computer networking and fax machines allow world businesses to conduct negotiations within a matter of seconds. Images and personas such as the McDonalds’s golden arches and Mickey Mouse are recognized worldwide. When Saddam Hussein was captured, nearly every country knew about it within a matter of hours. Yet, while globalization is taking place, it is not doing so without dispute. Many countries, in fact, feel threatened by Western culture and consequently, are acting out to preserve their own identities. Differences in currency and standardized measuring units indicate hesitancy and possibly even an inability for people to accept the conformity of a singular global society. Also, characteristics of different cultures are in such a way unique that to alter them or blend them into other cultures would, in some people’s opinion, destroy both of them. After all, one would not expect to find tacos served in Italian restaurants, nor would one expect pasta and breadsticks to be the major selling items in Mexican restaurants. So, while globalization is taking place on different levels, fundamental differences in culture and pride in one’s own heritage both exist as strong forces preventing the emergence of a homogenized world society.