Country branding: A developing economy perspective

Date

2011

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

International Journal of Business Strategy

Abstract

Country branding, has become a strategic tool for attaining country competitiveness. Emphasizing country branding as a social construction, this paper presents a conceptual branding model for Ghana, based on the identity brand management approach. Focusing on the role of the country citizenry, the first construct involves articulating country brand identity to purposefully affect country macro leadership, governance structures, country and product brand value delivery and communication. The second construct involves developing country brand mind-set and citizenship behaviours through purposeful brand knowledge and commitment. The third construct explains the country brand equity and citizens well being likely to be engendered through purposeful brand supporting behaviours, conscious creation of supporting country realities, and coordinated and harmonized nation and product communication. This approach emanates from and is supported by insights generated through exploratory interviews and group discussions involving Ghanaians as well as identity based brand management literature.

Description

Anthony Ebow Spio is a lecturer at the Business Administration department of Ashesi University College

Keywords

Country branding, Branding, Brand identity, Social constructionism

Citation

Akotia, M., Spio, A. E., Frimpong, K. & Austin, N. K. (2011) Country branding. IJBS, 11 (2) 123-131

DOI