Top Country Brands; 2010

2010 COUNTRY BRAND INDEX

in partnership with

2010 COUNTRY BRAND INDEX 2

The FutureBrand 2010 Country Brand Index, presented in partnership From progressive politics to openness, freedom of speech, movement
with BBC World News, is our sixth and most comprehensive study of and a positive outlook on the world, countries that are geared around
country brands to date. It is based on more respondents across more their people and their needs score highly. They also have to create a
countries and questions than ever before. After ﬁve years of research, strong emotional connection, making people want to visit, do business,
we know that country brand strength is driven by perceptions of ﬁve key learn and build their lives in a place. Not just that, but like any brand,
dimensions: Tourism, Heritage and Culture, Good for Business, Quality they need to be consistent across all touch points, from advertising
of Life and Value System. and public relations to political representatives, cultural ambassadors,
tourists, companies and indigenous products. We need to be able to
In addition, the strength of a country brand is determined in the same differentiate between country brand experiences, from people to places,
way as any other brand. We measure levels of awareness, familiarity, from products to companies. Country brand ranking even correlates to
preference, consideration, advocacy and active decisions to visit. how far a nation exports its values through its iconic brands.

But the most important factors, the aspects that truly differentiate These features, coupled with a strong point of view and role on the
a country brand, are its associations and attributes – the things that world stage and a tireless effort to drive the world forward, encouraging
people think of when they hear a place name, or look at a photograph or tourism, immigration, cultural exchange and partnership, make the
plan a trip. But above all, a strong country brand is more than the sum difference between a nation state and a genuine country brand.
of its attributes: it makes people’s lives better. Also, as the 2010 Country Brand Index reveals, while economic
performance is vital to brand strength, it is not enough to guarantee a
high world ranking.

© 2010 by FutureBrand. All rights reserved. in partnership with BBC WORLD NEWS


Country brand strength is a nation’s ultimate intangible asset and
goes beyond its geographic size, financial performance or levels
of awareness. Managed properly across every measure, it can be a
lasting vehicle for goodwill, encouraging forgiveness in difficult times
and disproportionately boosting the value of exports, from people to
products to entire corporations. Arguably, a strong country brand is a
driver of brand strength in other contexts – when a product, service or
corporation is identified with a strong country brand, it has a better
chance of premium pricing, longevity and preference in emerging
markets; consider the power of French luxury brands in China, for
example. A weak country brand, like a weak product brand, leads to
poor differentiation, ambiguous meaning and low recall in the minds of
people who travel, invest and do business outside their borders. All of
this affects a nation’s ability to stand out regionally and globally and to
realise future ambitions beyond its natural resources.



ABOUT FUTUREBRAND ABOUT BBC WORLD NEWS
FutureBrand is global brand and innovation consultancy with 24 offices BBC World News is the BBC’s 24 hour, international news and
around the world. We bring together many diverse national identities, information service. With a global audience of over 70 million, it
histories and experiences. As a company we share a simple belief: the reaches in excess of 306 million households in more than 200 countries
future does not happen to us, we create it. and territories with a mix of breaking news, award-winning current
affairs and documentaries.
We have been pioneers in country branding for more than a decade,
working with Mexico, Singapore, Peru, Australia, Saint Lucia and Qatar, As part of the world’s largest newsgathering operation, with a network
to name a few, as well as shaping a number of country-branded export of over 2,000 journalists in more than 70 international bureaux,
products – including flag carrier airlines – and helping to brand cities, BBC World News offers its audiences comprehensive coverage of
regions and major national corporations. global events. The channel also has a first-class line up of business
programmes, beginning with World Business Report and Business
Edition. These are backed by in-depth regional Business Report
programmes focused on the Middle East, Asia, India, Africa, and
Russia, giving viewers an in-depth view of the most important financial,
economic and company stories from around the world.

Away from business, BBC World News also broadcasts some outstanding
factual content, including the hard-hitting interview programme,
HARDtalk, technology strand, Click, and travel show fast:track.



The Country Brand Index is an annual study that examines and ranks country brands, based on FutureBrand’s proprietary research methodology.
The sixth edition of CBI incorporates a global quantitative research study with 3,400 international business and leisure travellers from 13 countries on
all five continents, qualified by in-depth expert focus groups that took place in 14 major metropolitan areas around the world. The overall country brand
score is calculated using FutureBrand’s Hierarchical Decision Model (HDM), which measures overall country brand performance in the following areas:

AWARENESS: PREFERENCE:
Do key audiences know that the country exists? How top of mind is it? How highly do audiences esteem the country? Does it resonate?

FAMILIARITY: CONSIDERATION:
How well do people know the country and what it offers? Is this one of the countries being thought about for a visit?

ASSOCIATIONS: DECISION / VISITATION:
What qualities come to mind when people think of the country? To what extent do people follow through and visit the country?
We look at the measured perceptions of five key association dimensions:
ADVOCACY:
Do visitors recommend the country to family, friends and colleagues?



2010 2010
RANK COUNTRY BRAND 2009 RANK / CHANGE RANK COUNTRY BRAND 2009 RANK / CHANGE

01 CANADA #2 / 1 14 SPAIN #10 / 4

02 AUSTRALIA #4 / 2 15 SINGAPORE #13 / 2

03 NEW ZEALAND #3 / 0 16 MALDIVES #19 / 3

04 UNITED STATES #1 / 3 17 IRELAND #12 / 5

05 SWITZERLAND #11 / 6 18 BERMUDA #15 / 3

06 JAPAN #7 / 1 19 DENMARK #23 / 4

07 FRANCE #5 / 2 20 AUSTRIA #28 / 8

08 FINLAND #16 / 8 21 MAURITIUS #26 / 5

09 UNITED KINGDOM #8 / 1 22 GREECE #14 / 8

10 SWEDEN #21 / 11 23 INDIA #18 / 5

11 GERMANY #9 / 2 24 ICELAND #25 / 1

12 ITALY #6 / 6 25 NETHERLANDS #31 / 6

13 NORWAY #22 / 9



This year’s leading country brands share some common features. They are all democratic, progressive, relatively politically and economically stable, and
doing business in English. As ever, there are rising and falling stars, but position is not the whole story. Themes are emerging in 2010 that hint at future
drivers of country brand strength, including the importance of value systems and the freedom of communications: a major factor in world perception of
a country and its culture, people, businesses and brands.

CANADA’S OLYMPIC YEAR THE ROLE OF MEDIA
Firstly, 2010 is Canada’s year. Rising from second to ﬁrst place, brand It should come as no surprise that the leading country brands have
a healthy mixture of public and commercial broadcast networks with
multiple stations, some international reach and a relatively free press.
Canada not only secured a record number of gold medals but delivered They also have excellent communications infrastructure with high
a successful event overall: a fact that must have helped its image as levels of Internet and mobile phone penetration. In a world deﬁned
a safe, friendly, fun, world-class country. All things considered, it is by user-generated content, borderless communication through social
perhaps not surprising that Canada enjoyed increased awareness and networks, and unprecedented access to news, information and rich
visitation scores this year. But paradoxically, while Canada performs media, a country brand is now partly built by aggregated sentiments
consistently well across every CBI measure, it fails to achieve the and content arising from people’s personal experience. The more open a
country, and the better its technological infrastructure, the more likely
to dominate when it comes to consideration and other scores. good (and bad) experiences will permeate and impact awareness and
preference for its brand. So it is no coincidence that digital openness is
a common feature of the strongest country brands.



THE OBAMA EFFECT WEARS OFF WEATHERING THE FINANCIAL STORM
The economic crisis is also a powerful factor in country brand strength
this year, but mainly for those that avoided it. The top three brands
spot in 2009 reflected global attention, hope and anticipation of change managed to escape the worst of the banking collapse and maintain
relatively strong economies throughout 2010. Australia and New
the waning approval ratings of its new president. This could indicate that Zealand have both enjoyed consecutive-quarter growth thanks in part
to continuing demand for commodities like iron ore, timber and milk
from China. Canada has also shown strong performance among the G7
his globally monitored election campaign, covering up some of America’s
nations, being the last into recession and the first out, not least thanks
challenges in the wake of the global economic crisis. With unemployment
nearing double figures and a slower than predicted recovery, the world’s
largest economy has also been affected by the Gulf of Mexico disaster and
and the banking collapse.
to communicate strong and desirable values in everything from popular

pharmaceutical companies and brands means that the world still pays
close and positive attention to America.



BRAND UK PLAYS TO ITS STRENGTHS ENGLISH AS A FIRST LANGUAGE
What Canada, Australia and New Zealand have in common with
public spending cuts and a move towards a new ‘austerity’ following
this year’s change of government. However, despite a slight fall in global communications and commerce. Rising business schools
and universities position them well as education hubs providing
television, film, fashion and literary icons – from the BBC to the Man
talented, mobile students who act as international ambassadors for
Booker Prize, syndicated TV talent show formats, Vivienne Westwood
their countries’ brands. The strong tourism draw for all three markets
is closely related to each country’s diversity of natural beauty and
media and popular culture. It continues to be a centre of research and
tourism-friendly urban centres. All three are notable for their strong
commitment to natural and environmental causes, and are often used as
locations for major films, television shows and commercial advertising
as well as promoting themselves as diverse and affordable destinations
youthful counterparts among the leading country brands, the country for adventure and relaxation. It is not surprising that all three, often
also consistently achieves high scores in the dimension for Heritage and presented as offering the best of urban and rural living, are highly
Culture that makes up for a rather weak performance in the dimension desirable when it comes to immigration in search of quality of life.

some of the most powerful sports brands in the world, from Manchester

10 position over the next three years – particularly with the London

hopes for a steady recovery from economic difficulty.



SWITZERLAND PUNCHES ABOVE ITS WEIGHT THE RISE OF BRAND SCANDINAVIA
If economic stability matters, it also seems that size isn’t everything. Perhaps most interestingly this year, the Top 20 performance of
New Zealand, Finland, Sweden and Switzerland all prove this with Sweden, Finland, Norway and Denmark reveals a strong emerging
populations under 10 million. Their high position is thanks in no small preference for ‘brand Scandinavia’ across the world. From Denmark’s
part to perceptions of a strong value system and quality of life in each role as the host of the Copenhagen Summit to Sweden’s internationally
country. But Switzerland’s six-position jump from last year can be renowned welfare state, brand Scandinavia represents a commitment
attributed to more than its historic reputation for political neutrality and to freedom, well-being, global citizenship and quality of life that unites
high living standards. Above all, Switzerland dominates the rankings these Northern European countries in people’s perceptions. As a ‘rising
in the Good for Business dimension in 2010, which perhaps relates star’ in 2010 – moving from 21 to 10 – Sweden in particular cultivates
to several years of high-profile corporate headquarter relocations to very strong perceptions around the dimensions for Value System and
Quality of Life. Specifically, Sweden performs well in attributes such as
Environmental Friendliness, Education System and Healthcare System
Committee, new and established organisations in every industry have – which are all ranked at number two. The strong performance of brands
taken advantage of favourable corporate residency regulations, and like the airline SAS that bring Scandinavia together shows the power
cemented an already global reputation for Switzerland as a place for of unifying individual country brands behind regional flag carriers or
doing business. corporations that represent common values. For example, SAS Group’s

EMAS environmental certification, which is consistent with perceptions
of brand Scandinavia’s environmental credentials. This sits alongside
global household names such as H&M, Lego, Nokia, Volvo and Ikea – all
national brands from the region that ‘travel well’ and provoke admiration
and positive perceptions.



BRANDS IN COUNTRY BRANDING
And finally, this year’s leading country brands reveal a more lasting
truth about brand strength. Despite crisis, economic downturn,
political upheaval and public relations problems, countries with a
clear identity, consistent values and a lasting heritage continue to
perform at the highest level. For example, brand China’s position has
actually dropped in the 2010 ranking while simultaneously displacing

other hand, has risen one position in the ranking, amid high-profile
national PR problems such as the Toyota recall, economic slowdown
FALLING STARS FOR 2010 and a weakened yen. Similarly, the BP crisis – widely feared to impact
And what of those top 2009 country brands that have fallen in the
rankings this year? Greece presents the most conspicuous shift, brand. Its continued high performance in heritage and culture as well as
dropping 8 places from 14 to 22, set against a high-profile financial consideration and visitation show that legacy value and a strong identity
crisis and subsequent industrial relations problems following as a nation can overcome austerity drives and corporate disasters.
government spending cuts and tax increases. Associations of Greece Similarly, while France has fallen this year, its biggest strength remains
as a tourist destination are traditionally strong in this study, but in Heritage and Culture, and it makes great use of that in exporting
during sustained periods of bad news – affecting confidence around some of the world’s most famous brands – from Chanel to LVMH Group –
core services and infrastructure – consideration and advocacy are all of which continually reinforce its authentic history, culture and style.
threatened. India is another falling brand, dropping five places to It is no coincidence, for example, that the emerging super-rich in China
23 this year, straight off the back of negative global media coverage choose French luxury brands over others as emblems of their newly
of health and safety concerns at this year’s Delhi Commonwealth found economic and social status. French brands such as Carrefour,
Games, as well as attacks on tourists leading up to the event. Spain
and Ireland also move down the table, showing that even traditionally market, which reinforces a more populist aspect to French culture
strong tourist destinations are not immune to shifting brand strength in and specialisation in retail, cosmetics and dairy products. France also
straightened economic times. Italy also falls down the ranking despite continues to be a very strong tourist destination for the same reasons,
increased efforts to boost tourism this year with high-profile internal remaining at number one in awareness and decision/visitation, and
and external advertising initiatives featuring the prime minister himself.
However, this is set against a backdrop of sustained criticism of Silvio and cinema continue to influence global culture for the Francophone
Berlusconi’s premiership and the financial difficulties the country has world, and France 24 and Canal+ are major vehicles for French culture.
faced in the global economic crisis.



CONSISTENCY IS KEY
What do these leading country brands have in common? Above all else,
they stand for something and carry their values into politics, business,
tourism and culture – from the brands they export to the celebrities they
cultivate. A strong sense of identity, developed over time and presented
consistently across touch points, is critical to brand success of any kind.
It can provide the forgiveness that a country brand needs to weather
short-term difﬁculties that hamper public perception and decisions to
travel and do business. At the end of the day, like company, product or
service brands, country brands create strong and positive impressions
that generate desire and demand. The consistency of impressions and
messages across media and channels keeps them top of mind and
promotes them across audiences and categories of relevance, from
business to travel and tourism.

Above all, if brands are a promise, the 2010 leading country brands are
keeping theirs.



2010 offers a potent reminder that strong, consistent country brands
hold their value in the long term. Canada, Australia and New Zealand
have all occupied the Top 10 for at least four editions of the CBI.
And eight of the Top 10 remain from 2009. But while there is no
single formula for success, many countries have particular strengths
that differentiate their brand in audiences’ minds. FutureBrand’s
proprietary Hierarchical Decision Model (HDM) is the methodology
used to evaluate key dimensions of brand strength, from awareness to
associations and advocacy. The ultimate rank of a country is based on
how it scores across all these measures.

Interestingly, although Canada is very strong in Tourism (4), Quality
of Life (5), Good for Business (8) and Value System (8), it does
not achieve a number one ranking in any speciﬁc measure or association
within the HDM framework. Its secret lies in consistent strength across
every metric.



TOP 10 COUNTRY BRANDS – STRENGTHS

1 2
COMPONENTS CANADA AUSTRALIA
AWARENESS
Ranking #7 #9

FAMILIARITY
Ranking
#7 #9

STRONGEST PERFORMING HERITAGE & CULTURE Natural Beauty TOURISM Attractions
ASSOCIATIONS Resort & Lodging Options
TOURISM Value for Money
= Top 10 ranking
Attractions GOOD FOR BUSINESS Investment Climate
= #1 ranking
Resort & Lodging Options
QUALITY OF LIFE Healthcare System
GOOD FOR BUSINESS Investment Climate Standard of Living
Regulatory Environment Job Opportunity
Skilled Workforce Most Like to Live In
VALUE SYSTEM Political Freedom
QUALITY OF LIFE Education System
Healthcare System Environmental Friendliness
Standard Of Living Stable Legal Environment
Safety Tolerance
Job Opportunity Freedom of Speech
Most Like to Live In

Environmental Friendliness
Stable Legal Environment
Tolerance
Freedom of Speech

PREFERENCE
Ranking #14 #1

CONSIDERATION
Ranking #9 #4

DECISION / VISITATION
Ranking #7 #16

ADVOCACY
Ranking #5 #1




3 4
COMPONENTS NEW ZEALAND USA
AWARENESS
Ranking #23 #6

FAMILIARITY
Ranking
#19 #2

STRONGEST PERFORMING HERITAGE & CULTURE Authenticity TOURISM Resort and Lodging Options
ASSOCIATIONS Natural Beauty
GOOD FOR BUSINESS Investment Climate
= Top 10 ranking
TOURISM Value for Money Advanced Technology
= #1 ranking
Attractions QUALITY OF LIFE Job Opportunity
GOOD FOR BUSINESS Regulatory Environment Most Like to Live In

QUALITY OF LIFE Safety

Tolerance
Freedom of Speech

PREFERENCE
Ranking #5 #2

CONSIDERATION
Ranking #11 #1

Ranking #27 #4

ADVOCACY
Ranking #4 #12




5 6
COMPONENTS SWITZERLAND JAPAN
AWARENESS
Ranking #8 #20

FAMILIARITY
Ranking
#8 #16

STRONGEST PERFORMING HERITAGE & CULTURE Natural Beauty HERITAGE & CULTURE Art & Culture
ASSOCIATIONS Authenticity
TOURISM Attractions
= Top 10 ranking
Resort & Lodging Options TOURISM Food
= #1 ranking
GOOD FOR BUSINESS Investment Climate GOOD FOR BUSINESS Advanced Technology
Advanced Technology Regulatory Environment
Regulatory Environment Skilled Workforce
Skilled Workforce
QUALITY OF LIFE Education System Healthcare System
Healthcare System Standard of Living
Standard of Living Safety
Safety
Job Opportunity

Freedom of Speech

PREFERENCE
Ranking #10 #7

CONSIDERATION
Ranking #10 #12

Ranking #8 #21

ADVOCACY
Ranking #14 #23




7 8
COMPONENTS FRANCE FINLAND
AWARENESS
Ranking #1 #33

FAMILIARITY
Ranking
#1 #36

STRONGEST PERFORMING HERITAGE & CULTURE History HERITAGE & CULTURE Natural Beauty
ASSOCIATIONS Art & Culture
TOURISM Attractions
= Top 10 ranking
TOURISM Food
= #1 ranking GOOD FOR BUSINESS Investment Climate
QUALITY OF LIFE Most Like to Live In Advanced Technology
Regulatory Environment
Skilled Workforce

Healthcare System
Standard of Living
Safety
Job Opportunity

Tolerance
Freedom of Speech

PREFERENCE
Ranking #3 #47

CONSIDERATION
Ranking #2 #36

Ranking #1 #35

ADVOCACY
Ranking #9 #47




9 10
COMPONENTS UK SWEDEN
AWARENESS
Ranking #5 #24

FAMILIARITY
Ranking
#3 #23

STRONGEST PERFORMING HERITAGE & CULTURE History GOOD FOR BUSINESS Advanced Technology
ASSOCIATIONS Art & Culture Regulatory Environment
= Top 10 ranking Skilled Workforce
= #1 ranking
Stable Legal Environment QUALITY OF LIFE Education System
Healthcare System
Standard of Living
Safety
Job Opportunity

Tolerance
Freedom of Speech

PREFERENCE
Ranking #6 #42

CONSIDERATION
Ranking #3 #29

Ranking #3 #26

ADVOCACY
Ranking #11 #29



While the Top 10 list includes the best overall performing country brands in 2010, none is universally strong across every quality or asset. Even brand
Canada fails to achieve a number one ranking in any speciﬁc measure or association, despite coming top this year.

A number of these brands have signiﬁcant perceived weaknesses relative to other nations. A weak score is considered to be anything lower than rank 40
in our index. This shows that no country brand can be a leader across every dimension or attribute. In fact, brand success is not about being perfect as
much as it is about turning assets into perceived strengths.

1 CANADA 2 AUSTRALIA 3 NEW ZEALAND 4 USA

Attribute Rank Attribute Rank Attribute Rank Attribute Rank
History History History History

Art & Culture #41 Art & Culture #43 Art & Culture #45

Authenticity #58

Natural Beauty #48



5 SWITZERLAND 6 JAPAN 7 FRANCE 8 FINLAND

Attribute Rank Attribute Rank Attribute Rank Attribute Rank
Value for Money #43 None n/a Value for Money #67 History

9 UNITED KINGDOM 10 SWEDEN

Attribute Rank Attribute Rank
Natural Beauty #61 History #45

Value for Money #84 Value for Money #64
Attractions #51 Resort & Lodging Options #40
Food #42



a relatively weak communications infrastructure, the Bottom 10 brands
01 ZIMBABWE reinforce the vital role for media and travel in building and maintaining
country brand strength – whatever the natural assets of a country.
02 IRAN Similarly, while these countries have complex histories, they are not

03 PAKISTAN celebrated for exporting global consumer or corporate brands – a stark
contrast with this year’s leaders.
04 DR CONGO African countries are well represented in the Bottom 10, with
05 NIGERIA Zimbabwe topping the table. Like many of its counterparts, Zimbabwe
has suffered from over a decade of political and economic turmoil, not
06 EL SALVADOR least surrounding the globally controversial land reform programme and

07 LIBYA subsequent hyperinflation. This, combined with a poor human rights
reputation and some of the most severe restrictions on press freedom,

08 SENEGAL forms the backdrop to the country’s weak brand performance in 2010.
In keeping with this, our research reveals perceptions of Zimbabwe as
09 BANGLADESH the worst country for Business (110), Quality of Life (110) and Value
System (110). Perhaps surprisingly, however, brand Zimbabwe also
10 SUDAN suffers from relatively low levels of awareness – good or bad – despite
high-profile news coverage over recent years, the recent power-sharing
This year’s weakest country brands struggle variously with political initiative with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, and President
instability, security concerns, corruption, economic turmoil, natural Mugabe’s continued high-profile and controversial presence on the
disasters and high levels of state control, all of which confirm an international stage – an indicator that notoriety is not enough in itself
unavoidable correlation between perceived brand strength and political, to generate strong global awareness of a country brand.
social and economic realities in the world’s most challenged countries.
As a group, these country brands perform poorly in the assessed Libya moves up from the bottom place this year, breaking a two-year
dimensions of Tourism and Value System. But it is important to pattern, but continues to suffer from low awareness and advocacy and
consider that low awareness remains a strong part of the problem for remains in the Bottom 10 for the Tourism and Value System dimensions.
these country brands, rather than merely negative associations. With But unlike in 2009, Libya is no longer bottom of the table for the Quality
significant formal or informal constraints on media freedom (with notable of Life or Good for Business dimensions – both key associations to nurture
exceptions like El Salvador and Senegal), frequent travel restrictions, and for long-term brand strength.



Levels of country brand awareness and familiarity are inﬂuenced by world events and media coverage, but people’s preferences are determined by
how positive that coverage is. Sometimes, very little can tangibly change about a country in real terms, but perceptions shift as a result of major news
events. Most successful country brands use levers like advertising and public relations to boost awareness. This year, our rising and falling stars are no
different, but trends indicate that it takes more than awareness to compete in 2010.

RISING COUNTRY BRANDS
NUMBERS: NUMBERS:
Every measure, from Awareness Improvements across key
to Advocacy, improved. Tourism metrics, including
Perceptions around Safety Authenticity (up from 20th to
improved (up 14 places), as number 1) and History (up from
did Standard of Living (up 32 4th to number 1).
places) and Political Freedom
(up 20 places). OUR PANELS SAY:
CHILE / #40 +19 ISRAEL / #30 +11 “The atmosphere in Israel is

Chile has improved across every
OUR PANELS SAY: great; it doesn’t feel as unsafe
“Chile is one of the as some media may suggest.”
measure this year with huge leaps talks and signiﬁcant marketing
fastest-growing, wealthiest
in Awareness and Advocacy, as investment for tourist
economies in the world. It
well as in perceptions of Political destinations, Israel moves in
is fast becoming known as a
the right direction in 2010 –
country for investment and
rescue became a global news event particularly in Tourism metrics
forward-looking thinking
generating extraordinary goodwill like Authenticity and History,
and innovation.”
for President Pinera and brand which align very well with
Chile. This, coupled with growing campaigns promoting heritage
economic stability, makes Chile a and culture.
brand to watch in the region.



RISING COUNTRY BRANDS

ARGENTINA / #33 +10 ICELAND / #24 +1
Scores are up across the NUMBERS: Iceland’s rise is a NUMBERS:
board for brand Argentina this Awareness is up 11, Familiarity counter-intuitive development Familiarity is up 22 places
year – particularly for Advocacy. is up 25 and Advocacy is for a beleaguered country from 2009.
After a quarter-finals position in up 33. that suffered negative global
the World Cup and significant attention during the banking OUR PANELS SAY:
GDP growth in the first half of OUR PANELS SAY: crisis and the Eyjafjallajökull “The volcanic ash had no impact
the year, Argentina became the “Argentina has everything: ash cloud flight ban affecting on perception of Iceland.
first Latin American country to landscape, cultural diversity, millions of travellers. Perhaps Natural disasters can happen
legalise same-sex marriage in tourism and adventure.” a signal that the world’s oldest anywhere in the world.”
a move signalling a triumph of democracy still carries some
liberal values in the region. goodwill with international
audiences, as well as
highlighting the impact of
efforts to market Iceland as an
attractive transatlantic stopover
at a time of unprecedented
global brand awareness, scores
for Familiarity have leapt up
this year.



FALLING COUNTRY BRANDS

CHINA / #56 -8 GREECE / #22 -8
NUMBERS: Greece suffers with traditionally NUMBERS:
to have lasted long for China, Political Freedom is down from loyal travellers this year in Value for Money is down from
with 2010 bringing public 65 in 2009 to 107 in 2010. the wake of strikes, austerity 32 to 70 in 2010.
relations challenges around Awareness, Preference and measures and a very public
post-Copenhagen environmental Advocacy are all down. OUR PANELS SAY:
impact and high-profile perceptions of the country’s “Economic crisis issues and
censorship battles with OUR PANELS SAY: Value for Money are the key political tension, plus the lack
Google. Significant decline in “Corruption, networks and to this year’s declining rank, of proper tourism branding, are
perceptions of Political Freedom political dominance are still although scores in the Heritage damaging the country brand.”
contribute most to this year’s the main drivers in China’s and Culture dimension indicate
drop in the rankings. A fall for business landscape.” that brand Greece has a solid
China despite its promotion to foundation from which to
the second-largest economy rebuild its position.
shows that financial growth is no
guarantee of brand strength.




RUSSIA / #81 -9 UAE / #28 -5
Anti-government protests NUMBERS: While Tourism metrics overall NUMBERS:
surrounding March elections, Political Freedom went from 56 remain relatively strong, falls in Preference is down 8 places and
ongoing corruption scandals and in 2009 to 93 in 2010. Preference and Consideration Consideration is down 2 places.
economic uncertainty provide
the backdrop to a steep fall for OUR PANELS SAY: decline in 2010. Despite OUR PANELS SAY:
Russia this year. Specifically, “Russia has a fast-growing significant investment in brand
a steep drop in the score for market and economy, but building over recent years, venture; the glitz and
Political Freedom has hit they find it hard to grow and high-profile economic troubles glamour have made it look
this emerging market in the attract talent due to a lack affecting Dubai and the other a bit artificial.”
2010 rankings. of international capabilities. Emirates impact a country brand
Russia is not an expat-friendly keenly associated with wealth
place due to safety concerns, and prosperity, but traditionally
corruption, lack of IP law and scoring less well on the
regulation, and it has received dimension for Value System.
bad publicity in the media.”




MEXICO / #48 -11 JAMAICA / #62 -15
Already relatively low in previous NUMBERS: NUMBERS:
years, scores for Safety for Safety dropped 19 places, from 100 for Safety, and Advocacy is Advocacy is down 46 places,
brand Mexico have fallen to the 76 in 2009 to 95 in 2010. down 46 places. The Caribbean and Safety falls from 82 in
bottom of the table in 2010. Value for Money also dropped as a whole suffers this year, 2009 to 102 in 2010.
High-profile drug cartel violence, 9 places. but stories about violence and
a large earthquake and the Gulf general concerns about tourist OUR PANELS SAY:
of Mexico oil spill contribute to OUR PANELS SAY: safety provide a backdrop to “Violent crime is a major problem
an overall picture of instability “Mexico’s country brand has
in the fifth-largest country in the been declining over the last in 2010. right now. Illegal drug use also
Americas this year. few years. Drug trafficking, seems prevalent.”
violence, crime and terrorism
are winning.”




PHILIPPINES / #65 -29
The Philippines has been NUMBERS:
beset by high-proﬁle violent Preference and Advocacy are
incidents this year that might down, and Political Freedom
have overshadowed the election dropped 31 places from 35 in
of a new president pledging 2009 to 66 in 2010.
to reform a country troubled
by perceptions of corruption. OUR PANELS SAY:
Time will tell if the Philippines’ “The bombings in the Philippines
natural, historical and cultural and constant warring and
assets, a relatively stable insecurities derail the
economy, and a new government perception of its vibrant private
will reverse this downward trend sector and natural beauty.”
for the brand.



The following pages provide an in-depth look at five key dimensions that make up a country brand: Tourism, Heritage and Culture, Good for Business,
Value System and Quality of Life. In order for country brands to perform in today’s increasingly connected world, it is not sufficient to focus on only
one dimension. The best country brands have shaped brand images that span multiple dimensions, while the weakest country brands do not have
recognisable profiles in any dimension.

TOURISM
1

VALUE SYSTEM 5 2 HERITAGE & CULTURE

COUNTRY
BRAND

4 3
QUALITY OF LIFE GOOD FOR BUSINESS



‘Food’ and ‘Value for Money.’

OVERALL RANK

1 MAURITIUS #21 A very diverse group of countries lead the ranking for Tourism this year,
2 AUSTRALIA #2 with Mauritius – a leading favourite for a global audience – making it to
3 NEW ZEALAND #3
the top spot, and a number of other island nations ranking in the Top 25.
4 CANADA #1
While mainly Asian destinations – Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos,
5 THAILAND #26
Malaysia and Indonesia – are perceived as the strongest-performing
6 SWITZERLAND #5
nations for Value for Money, New Zealand and Canada are also seen as
7 FINLAND #8
leading country brands for the attribute.
8 JAPAN #6

9 MALDIVES #16

10 UNITED STATES #4
have occupied the top spots, while Australia is perceived as having the
11 COSTA RICA #27 world’s best Beaches.
12 SPAIN #14

13 FRANCE #7

14 AUSTRIA #20

15 ITALY #12

16 PORTUGAL #29

17 SINGAPORE #15

18 BAHAMAS #37

19 MEXICO #48

20 SWEDEN #10

21 NORWAY #13

22 MALAYSIA #42

23 GERMANY #11

24 BARBADOS #32

25 SOUTH AFRICA #31



VALUE FOR MONEY OVERALL RANK RESORT & LODGING OPTIONS OVERALL RANK FOOD OVERALL RANK

1 THAILAND #26
2 VIETNAM #63 2 MALDIVES #16
3 NEW ZEALAND #3 3 SWITZERLAND #5 3 FRANCE #7
4 THAILAND #26

6 CANADA #1 6 SPAIN #14
7 CANADA #1
8 SPAIN #14
9 BAHAMAS #37
10 VIETNAM #63
11 THAILAND #26

13 FRANCE #7 13 GREECE #22
14 ARGENTINA #33



BEACHES* OVERALL RANK NIGHTLIFE* OVERALL RANK SHOPPING* OVERALL RANK
#2 #4 #4
#4 #9 2 FRANCE #7
3 MALDIVES #16 3 FRANCE #7 #12
4 BRAZIL #41 4 SPAIN #14 #9
5 BAHAMAS #37 5 BRAZIL #41 5 CHINA #56
6 THAILAND #26 #2 #15
7 GREECE #22 #12 #6
#12 8 THAILAND #26 #28
#39 #11 9 THAILAND #26
10 SPAIN #14 10 #6 10 #11
11 ARGENTINA #33 11 INDIA #23
12 FRANCE #7 12 NETHERLANDS #25 12 CANADA #1

14 GREECE #22 14 ARGENTINA #33
15 CHINA #56 15 SPAIN #14

*Scores in beaches, nightlife and shopping did not contribute to a country’s overall rank.



‘Art & Culture’ and ‘Natural Beauty.’

OVERALL RANK

1 ITALY #12 Italy is a country that combines the best of both worlds – natural beauty
2 ISRAEL #30 and a rich history – so it is no surprise that it is considered to be the
3 PERU #47
strongest country brand for Heritage and Culture this year. 2010 sees
Israel in the number 2 position. Also the top country for Authenticity this
4 FRANCE #7
year, Israel is a nation that not only has a rich and storied past, but also
5 GREECE #22
invests a signiﬁcant amount of money promoting it each year.
6 JAPAN #6

7 UNITED KINGDOM #9
A number of more exotic travel destinations, such as Peru, Greece,
8 EGYPT #58

9 NEPAL #59
this dimension. Each of these countries speaks to rich history and
10 SWITZERLAND #5
historic monuments: Machu Picchu in Peru, the Parthenon in Greece,
11 SPAIN #14 the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, the Taj Mahal
12 AUSTRIA #20

13 CAMBODIA #90 further foster and contribute to a nation’s image in the minds of visitors,
14 NORWAY #13 investors and citizens. Countries with a dominant icon also tend to be
15 NEW ZEALAND #3 rated very highly for History, Art & Culture and Authenticity.
16 IRELAND #17

17 INDIA #23

18 CZECH REPUBLIC #43

19 MOROCCO #60

20 SWEDEN #10

21 CANADA #1

22 PORTUGAL #29

23 TURKEY #55

24 GERMANY #11

25 JORDAN #75



HISTORY OVERALL RANK NATURAL BEAUTY OVERALL RANK ART & CULTURE OVERALL RANK

1 ISRAEL #30 #13 #12
#12 2 NEW ZEALAND #3 2 FRANCE #7
#58 3 SWITZERLAND #5 #9
4 GREECE #22 4 MALDIVES #16 4 GREECE #22
5 #9 5 #21 5 SPAIN #14
#47 #27 #6
7 FRANCE #7 7 ICELAND #24 #20
#75 8 NEPAL #59 8 ISRAEL #30
9 SPAIN #14 9 CANADA #1 #58
10 #43 10 FINLAND #8 10 #43
11 NAMIBIA #36 11 NETHERLANDS #25

13 INDIA #23
14 IRELAND #17 14 INDIA #23



‘Skilled Workforce,’ ‘Advanced Technology’ and ‘Regulatory Environment.’

OVERALL RANK

1 SWITZERLAND #5

2 GERMANY #11 for doing business. A number of Middle Eastern nations also perform
3 JAPAN #6
23 and Saudi Arabia at 26.
4 NORWAY #13

5 FINLAND #8

6 SWEDEN #10
and innovation, appears to be falling behind. While it is one of the
7 DENMARK #19
strongest country brands in the measure for Advanced Technology – for
8 CANADA #1

9 SINGAPORE #15
perceived as it has been in previous years.
10 NETHERLANDS #25

11 UNITED STATES #4 The BRIC nations appear to have a long journey ahead of them to
12 AUSTRALIA #2 improve perceptions of a less-than-favourable business climate. All
13 UNITED KINGDOM #9 four suffer from weak scores in their Regulatory Environment; however,
14 ISRAEL #30 there are greater differences of perception when it comes to the other
attributes. Comparatively, China shows particular strength in Investment
15 NEW ZEALAND #3
Climate, while India is the stronger performer in the measure for Skilled
16 AUSTRIA #20

17 BELGIUM #34
slightly ahead.
18 FRANCE #7

19 UAE #28

20 ICELAND #24

21 SOUTH KOREA #44

22 QATAR #70

23 BAHRAIN #80

24 IRELAND #17

25 BERMUDA #18



ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY OVERALL RANK INVESTMENT CLIMATE OVERALL RANK SKILLED WORKFORCE OVERALL RANK
#6 1 SWITZERLAND #5 1 SWITZERLAND #5
#11 #15 #11
#4 #11 #6
4 SWITZERLAND #5 #13 4 SWEDEN #10
5 SWEDEN #10 5 #2 5 #13
6 FINLAND #8 6 FINLAND #8 #19
#15 7 CANADA #1 7 FINLAND #8
8 ISRAEL #30 #4 8 CANADA #1
#13 9 QATAR #70 9 NETHERLANDS #25
10 #19 10 NETHERLANDS #25 10 #15
11 NETHERLANDS #25 11 CHINA #56 11 ISRAEL #30
12 CANADA #1 12 SWEDEN #10 12 NEW ZEALAND #3



OVERALL RANK

1 SWITZERLAND #5 The leading country brands for Quality of Life are Switzerland, the
2 NORWAY #13 Scandinavian nations and Canada. From Healthcare and Education Systems
3 SWEDEN #10
across every attribute.
4 FINLAND #8

5 CANADA #1

6 DENMARK #19

7 AUSTRALIA #2
on measures for Healthcare System and Safety, which at 33 this year, is one
8 SINGAPORE #15
rank behind Saudi Arabia.
9 GERMANY #11

10 NETHERLANDS #25
There are a wide variety of countries that are perceived as unsafe, and
11 NEW ZEALAND #3 whether it is due to terrorism, violence, crime or health concerns, being in
12 JAPAN #6 the news can overshadow any goodwill a country has built and developed
13 AUSTRIA #20 in other dimensions. Nations such as Brazil, Mexico, Russia, Indonesia,
14 UNITED KINGDOM #9

15 FRANCE #7 other categories, ﬁnd themselves at the lower end of the tables for Safety.
Even if the issues are addressed, country brands can continue to struggle
16 UNITED STATES #4
to increase their overall proﬁles, as negative associations are hard to shake.
17 ICELAND #24
Mozambique, for example, a nation that has left its violent past behind, still
18 BELGIUM #34
scores 107 for safety in 2010 — a similar ranking to Pakistan and Zimbabwe.
19 UAE #28

20 QATAR #70

21 SPAIN #14

#29
22 PORTUGAL
#30
23 ISRAEL
#18
24 BERMUDA
#80
25 BAHRAIN



MOST LIKE TO LIVE IN OVERALL RANK SAFETY OVERALL RANK JOB OPPORTUNITY OVERALL RANK

1 SWITZERLAND #5 1 SWITZERLAND #5
2 CANADA #1 2 FINLAND #8 2 CANADA #1
#2 #13
4 NEW ZEALAND #3 #19
5 SWEDEN #10 5 SWEDEN #10
#13 #15
#4 7 ICELAND #24
#15 8 CANADA #1 8 SWITZERLAND #5
9 FINLAND #8 9 NEW ZEALAND #3 9 SWEDEN #10
10 FRANCE #7 10 #6 10 FINLAND #8
11 SPAIN #14
12 NETHERLANDS #25
13 NETHERLANDS #25 13 NEW ZEALAND #3
14 NETHERLANDS #25 14 QATAR #70



EDUCATION SYSTEM OVERALL RANK HEALTHCARE SYSTEM OVERALL RANK STANDARD OF LIVING OVERALL RANK

1 SWITZERLAND #5
2 SWEDEN #10 2 SWEDEN #10 2 SWEDEN #10
3 FINLAND #8 3 FINLAND #8
4 SWITZERLAND #5 4 SWITZERLAND #5 4 FINLAND #8

6 CANADA #1
7 NETHERLANDS #25 7 CANADA #1
8 NETHERLANDS #25 8 NETHERLANDS #25
9 CANADA #1

11 NEW ZEALAND #3
12 NEW ZEALAND #3
13 NEW ZEALAND #3

15 ISRAEL #30 15 FRANCE #7



‘Environmental Friendliness,’ ‘Stable Legal Environment,’ ‘Tolerance’ and ‘Freedom of Speech.’

OVERALL RANK

1 NORWAY #13 As with Quality of Life, ‘brand Scandinavia’ also takes the lead in the
2 FINLAND #8 Value System dimension. These nations are seen to be among the
3 SWEDEN #10
world’s most free and tolerant societies.
4 DENMARK #19

5 NETHERLANDS #25
with weaker perceptions for attributes including Environmental
6 NEW ZEALAND #3
Friendliness and Tolerance. China, ranked 102 for the Value System
7 SWITZERLAND #5
dimension, is perceived to be one of the least environmentally friendly
8 CANADA #1
and politically free nations in the world. Similarly, Russia, suffers from
9 AUSTRALIA #2
less-than-stellar perceptions around its legal environment and level
10 ICELAND #24
of political freedom.
11 UNITED KINGDOM #9

12 AUSTRIA #20

13 BELGIUM #34

14 GERMANY #11

15 JAPAN #6

16 UNITED STATES #4

17 FRANCE #7

18 SINGAPORE #15

19 PORTUGAL #29

20 IRELAND #17

21 MALTA #64

22 BERMUDA #18

23 URUGUAY #53

24 SPAIN #14

25 SLOVENIA #54


Top Country Brands; 2010

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