In an exclusive conference held for the V Encuentro Imagen de Chile, this influential British consultant, creator of the Nation Brands Index, shed light on what to do and what not to do for a positive international projection. And he warned: "If you really want to do something to improve your country's image, you have to start behaving in a much more cooperative, collaborative and generous way with the international community".
Santiago, April 2023-. Honorary Professor of Political Science, author of six books on countries, cultures and globalization, founder of the famous Nation Brands Index (NBI) -which annually measures the global positioning of more than 60 nations-, Simon Anholt is one of the greatest referents in country image development. Advisor to presidents, prime ministers and dozens of governments, his TED talk, "Which country does the most good for the world?", is one of the most visited in the history of this platform.
On March 31, for the second day of the V Encuentro Imagen de Chile, Anholt gave a lecture to an exclusive group of participants on the areas that affect - for better or worse - the country's projection, as well as the decisions that can lead to success or failure in this area.
"Most images of countries, and this applies to some extent also to cities and regions, are transmitted to the world through six factors: government, exports, tourism, migration, investment and culture," he stated. And on the latter, he observed, "Almost none of these factors is as important as culture; it is about how we identify the soul of a population... If we believe that a country has a lot of culture, that it is entertaining and attractive, and especially if it is vibrant and modern, statistically we are more likely to approve of anything that comes from there. If they are also lucky enough to have internationally famous people coming from there, it can make a big difference."
The researcher talked about the strategies that work positively in building an image, and what he recommends discarding.
"Based on more than 20 years of conducting the Nation Brands Index, I have come to the conclusion that there is zero correlation between the amount of money spent on self-promotion and the creation of a quality country image. The idea that some sort of messaging or propaganda campaign serves to improve your positioning is completely false."
For Anholt, a surefire way to destroy a nation's reputation is conflict. "An example is Russia; if you're really looking to damage your image, all you have to do is invade another country. Public opinion will not tolerate conflict or violence."
Conversely, when talking about how to develop positive projection, Anholt placed what he defines as "morality" first. "Countries are judged by the things they do and how they behave, not by what they say... In this sense (morality) is not so much about whether a country is good or bad, but how it contributes to the world beyond its own borders. Does it just take care of its own people and its own territory, or does it actually do something for the planet it inhabits, for example, against climate change or pandemics for the benefit of all? That's a key question.
Thus, the influential advisor stated, "If you're looking to really do something to improve the image, you have to start behaving in a much more cooperative, collaborative and generous way with the international community, obviously without abandoning or neglecting your own national interests; but the more you give, the more people will like you. It's what used to be called 'corporate social responsibility', which works exactly the same for countries. The more you contribute to society, the more people will value your brand." And he concluded: "At the end of the day, it's not a campaign, it's not a project, it's not a thing you do, it's the prism of how you implement your national policy that really builds a quality country image.
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