By Fernando Prado, Natalia Arenzana, and Leonard J. Ponzi, partners at Reputation Lab
It is also companies, brands, products, and services that, through the experiences they create, help build the country's international reputation.
A country’s reputation has consequences that go far beyond its ability to attract tourists or investment. It also affects its companies, brands, products, and services as they compete in international markets. The country of origin serves as a mark of quality: it can reinforce perceptions of quality and increase the willingness to choose and pay more for products that come from a particular place.
To measure this effect, we at Reputation Lab have added a new indicator to RepCore Nations 2026—the leading international analysis of country reputation—called the Made-in Score . It is based on three variables: the impression created by a country’s companies and brands, the trust inspired by seeing its name on the“Made in…”label, and the willingness to pay more for products and services from that country.
The results show that the Made-in Score is closely linked to perceptions of a country’s product and service quality, the international recognition of its companies and brands, and its technological development. Country reputation, perceived quality, and business strength are all part of the same ecosystem of perceptions.
Chile presents a particularly interesting case. Among the world’s 60 largest economies, it ranks 36th in country reputation and rises to 32nd in the Made-in Score. The fact that a product originates in Chile therefore appears to hold value that deserves to be highlighted and leveraged.
There is also a virtually universal opportunity. In 59 of the 60 economies analyzed, the Made-in Score falls short of the country’s overall reputation, with an average difference of nearly eight points. Germany is the only exception, and by a very narrow margin. Countries still have a long way to go to convert their reputational capital into value for their companies, brands, and products.
This relationship works both ways. A country’s good reputation can benefit and set its companies apart; but it is also the companies, brands, products, and services that, through the experiences they create, help build the country’s international reputation.
That is where the strategic value of licensing programs linked to country brands lies. Highlighting a product’s origin allows companies to capitalize on the reputational capital associated with a country and, at the same time, turns every positive experience with their products and services into a new touchpoint that can contribute to the country’s own reputation.
To paraphrase John F. Kennedy’s famous quote, the question for companies should not be only what their country’s reputation can do for them, but also what they can do for their country’s reputation. A strong country brand helps its companies compete; and strong companies that are recognized and proud to showcase their origins help build an even stronger country brand. Turning this virtuous cycle into value is both an opportunity and a shared responsibility.
About Reputation Lab
Reputation Lab is a firm specializing in the management of corporate reputation and other intangible assets of companies, organizations, and countries. Its professionals are pioneers in reputation analysis and management. Reputation Lab helps companies and institutions create sustainable competitive advantages through the integrated management of two of their key assets: brand and reputation.
