Branding European countries in the aftermath of important political transitions

Given the intensification of the regional economic integration, innovations in the digital technology and transportation infrastructure, the business environment has become highly globalized. In the globalized marketplace, there is one tool that helps countries distinguish themselves, namely nation branding. Nation branding plays a crucial role in attracting investments, boosting exports and increasing the number of tourists and foreigners (workforce and investors alike). Having in mind the importance of understanding the course of history’s new challenges and opportunities, posed by the increased internationalization of the marketplace, the paper looks into efforts made by some European countries in nation branding. An adequate policy of nation branding becomes even more important for certain countries that have passed through important political transitions. Enacting coherent and comprehensive nation brands is essential for the benefit of such transitions. The study explores European countries who transitioned form state-dominated to market economies. As a result, their branding strategies had to be consolidated, while being confronted with important political gambits. The processes undertaken in the quest for nation and place branding and the challenges met by these countries represent the focal point of the analysis. This study overviews the salient challenges, together with inherent mistakes in the attempt of nation branding, at the same time with highlighting the positive facets of the process. Branding countries in the part of Europe that has been shaken by political transitions has been evolving for more than two decades and their practices allows us to pinpoint communalities, challenges and paradigms of nation branding in Europe.