The Aspects of National Branding: Conceptual and Theoretical Framework

The concept of countries as brands has been increasingly recognized in the post-modern global world. The terms "national brand" or "country brand" define a symbolic construct, which emphasizes the attractive, unique and sustainable qualities of a nation. This paper argues that the national brand and its competitiveness, based on the new approaches of nation branding using sociological and economic theories and concepts, can establish and communicate a specific image of national identity. This paper presents some empirical findings of a study that investigate Croatian national brand. Nation branding might be obtained by a sustained dialog between government, decision makers, business, cultural and civil community, leaders, and individuals in the society. A country brand, therefore, consists of an identity and image, as a system of signs and codes, where nation branding applies widely used marketing concepts for promoting the country's image and attractiveness. Finally, the paper argues that "national brand" or "country brand“is not just a function individually performed by governments or companies, but an integrated and concerted effort on behalf of all interested stakeholders.