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Nation Branding: A Tool for Nationalism?

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  • Paul Jordan

Abstract

Nation branding, as a phenomenon, is attracting increasing scholarly attention. However, much of the existing literature has been written by those involved in the public relations industry themselves. There have been some studies which have been written from a critical viewpoint; however, the tensions of branding a nation have often been neglected. This paper aims to explore the inherent tensions between nation branding and nation building. To what extent is nation branding a tool or a practice? What images of the nation do branders seek to promote, and who is this image for? Is nation branding merely a more palatable version of nationalism? In particular this paper focuses on the debates surrounding the launch of Brand Estonia in 2001/2. Brand Estonia, with the slogan Welcome to Estonia: Positively Transforming, was launched to coincide with Estonia staging the Eurovision Song Contest in 2002. It is a unique and interesting case study given the level of controversy that the initiative generated amongst the Estonian public. Estonia was the first Former Soviet Republic to launch a nation branding project and, perhaps more controversially, it was managed by a British-based company, Interbrand. However, little scholarly attention has been paid to public-level discourses concerning Brand Estonia. The empirical findings discussed in this article highlight some of the more salient narratives on national identity that Brand Estonia engendered and therefore aims to fill this gap.

Suggested Citation

  • Paul Jordan, 2014. "Nation Branding: A Tool for Nationalism?," Journal of Baltic Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(3), pages 283-303, July.
  • Handle: RePEc:taf:rbalxx:v:45:y:2014:i:3:p:283-303
    DOI: 10.1080/01629778.2013.860609
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    Cited by:

    1. Madeline Boughton, 2023. "This is Ireland: commemoration as a catalyst for a new nation brand," Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 19(4), pages 535-550, December.
    2. Aymen A. Mohib & Conor Carroll, 2024. "Nation branding as a tool to attract foreign direct investments: a case study of Qatar," Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 20(3), pages 363-377, September.
    3. Putthiwanit, Chutinon, 2016. "An analysis of Joseph Schumpeter's life, concept of innovation, and application for Estonia," MPRA Paper 71126, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Anna Blue, 2021. "Evaluating Estonian E-residency as a tool of soft power," Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 17(4), pages 359-367, December.
    5. Bianca-Florentina Cheregi, 2018. "Nation Branding in Transition Countries: A Multimodal Analysis of Romania and Moldova Tourism Campaigns," Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Innovation, Fundacja Upowszechniająca Wiedzę i Naukę "Cognitione", vol. 4(4), pages 81-106.
    6. Hannah Moscovitz, 2022. "Projecting the Nation(s) in Multinational Federal Systems: International Education and Nation Branding in Canada/Quebec," Publius: The Journal of Federalism, CSF Associates Inc., vol. 52(1), pages 82-106.

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