The need for country or nation branding has become increasingly recognised as a vital component in promoting a country’s economic value and competitive advantages. Building a strong brand image has a proven positive impact on a nation’s ability to attract foreign direct investment, appeal to international tourists and increase export volumes. This in turn serves to break down negative stereotypes and misinformed perceptions which are often formed in the absence of reliable and up to date information on what a country has to offer.
Numerous examples in developed markets such as France, Japan and the United States of America illustrate how a country’s brand image is inextricably linked with the global perception of its people, products and businesses. While such markets have cultivated their national brand over the course of centuries, examples such as Dubai, South Korea and Brunei show that modern marketing techniques can reshape the international community’s awareness and impression of a country in a matter of years.
Marketing alone cannot transform a country’s brand; it must be coupled with the necessary reforms in political organisation, business related regulations and infrastructure to serve as the foundations for making the country an attractive business destination. The challenge is therefore in closing the gap between perception and reality through effective communication.
Global Business Guide operates within markets which it identifies as offering the greatest potential as international business destinations but which have suffered from poor national brand images. GBG’s platforms therefore strives to highlight a country’s commercial opportunities be it for investment, joint ventures and export while also promoting local businesses and placing them within an informative context.
By reaching the full breadth of the international business audience, Global Business Guide is changing how countries are being perceived thereby opening up opportunities that have been previously overlooked by businesses and investors. By empowering a country’s national character and bringing its competitive advantages to the fore; GBG is actively contributing to the sustainable development of the countries that it operates in by encouraging trade and partnerships which offer mutual and equitable benefit.
