Branding The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Country branding is a systematic process of organising the country's actions, behaviour, investments, innovations, and communications to achieve a desirable reputation. On the other hand, the country image represents the stereotyping of a country that does not always represent its identity, and that is the case of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Despite KSA's achievements, especially after the 2030 ambitious vision, it is mostly perceived as an oil-producing country. Therefore, this study aims to: review the concept of country image, identity, and branding examples, as well as evaluate the KSA current brand based on secondary information. The author uses a relevant literature review to explore the topic. This paper finds (1) a lack of a strategic plan, studies, and suggest the establishment of branding authority in KSA. (2) Branding KSA is highly essential for two reasons: First, Branding will help KSA to highlight the 2030 vision successes and extend its image beyond the traditional perception. Second, branding is significant, especially with the current competition between countries. The paper may be first to bring attention to the importance of country branding in the KSA context. Keywords: country branding, country image, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, vision 2030

Nation branding, cultural identity and political polarization – an exploratory framework

PurposeThe objective of this research is to propose a framework which is apt to assess how a nation branding campaign could promote cultural identity by ultimately curbing political polarization.Design/methodology/approachBy relying on a multidisciplinary approach that blends theoretical constructs from different fields the methodology is based on a mixed-method approach whereby the qualitative data stemming from a set of interviews with key-informants is coupled by a survey of Colombian citizens in order to gain in-depth insights over the impact of nation branding on political polarization.FindingsFrom the findings, it emerges that a campaign based on nation branding and targeting domestic citizens could curb political polarization within Colombia, by also fostering cultural identity.Research limitations/implicationsThe study considers only Colombia. To fully assess the robustness of the framework it would be useful to extend the analysis to a broader range of countries and to a wider set of domestic issues.Practical implicationsThe research not only provides in-depth insights on how nation branding can be used effectively in order to curb political polarization but also practical guidance on how a nation branding campaign can be effectively designed. The findings are relevant to policy-makers that have the opportunity to implement informed and educated nation branding campaigns not just overseas, but also to strategically address important domestic issues by engaging the domestic stakeholders.Originality/valueWhile country branding has been extensively investigated within the context of international business, we have a relatively limited understanding of its domestic impact. In contrast to traditional country branding literature, this paper aims to theoretically advance our understanding of nation branding and its effect on political polarization, as well as gauging its impact on cultural identity.

Information and Image Policy of the Country in Cultural Paradigm

The purpose of this article is to identify and study the mechanisms of information and image policy that contribute to creating a positive image of the country; to reveal the role of information and image policy in the formation and promotion of national culture brands. The relevance of this article is due to the need to develop a scientifically based approach to the study of the country’s image from the standpoint of cultural studies, a complex discipline that is distinguished by its integrity and integrated attitude to the study of all cultural phenomena, taking into account the modern achievements of various branches of knowledge. Particular attention is paid to the concept of image in modern science. The theoretical basis was the provisions and concepts of classical works on cultural studies, the theory of mass and intercultural communication, the media, journalism, imageology, political science, sociology, marketing, psychology, philosophy, and ethnology. The article reflects the theory of the information society (D. Bell, M. Castells), the information space, information policy (I. Melyukhin, V. Popov), country branding (S. Anholt, W. Allins).