Kinship branding: A concept of holism and evolution for the nation brand

Branding is finally understood to play a critical role in the national and international success not only of firms but also of countries. Unlike the brand of a firm, a place brand is not created to be sold or to increase in value on the stock market. Altruistic goals such as sustainable, long-term employment and prosperity are primary objectives. A coherent place brand architecture is fundamental to an emerging nation's growth strategy as it provides a structure for forging powerful alliances and driving the country's overall development strategy. This paper examines the extent to which nations can learn from successful companies and countries, and outlines the critical success factors providing foundations for a successful place brand strategy. It considers the case of repositioning a damaged nation brand, and emphasises the importance of branding through all aspects of a place — its commodities, citizens, industry and even regions beyond its borders — through culture and all forms of cluster and kinship alliances. It seeks to suggest an approach that could help developing countries to make their mark on the world map so as to compete with vigour and confidence. It also highlights the potential threat of new forms of colonialism that could possibly be posed through foreign direct investment by global brands, and suggests instances where nation branding and even the simplistic strapline approach to nation branding could backfire.