Thesis (M. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 161-167).

Thesis (M. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 144-151).

Wally Olins (2008:6), points out that in contemporary culture “brands and branding are all-pervasive and ubiquitous”. As he says, one need only walk down the high street of any major foreign city in the world, be it San Francisco or Shanghai, to be embraced by so many familiar brands, including Coca-Cola, KFC, Apple MAC, Chanel and Toyota, that one could mistake it for home. In the last 15 years particularly, the ubiquitous influence of brands and branding has seen the field outgrow its commercial role and expand into more secular and political spheres. Thus, the focus of this study is the role and influence of brands and branding on modern nations and their reputations via intentionally constructed national identities, with specific reference to South Africa. According to the main objectives of this study, focus was placed on the critical examination of South Africa’s nation brand, It’s Possible, in the light of the theoretical ideals for an intentional constructed national identity as proposed by Bartholmé and Melewar, Anholt and Olins. The examination centred on the analysis and interpretation of the individual communiqués that constituted the South African pavilion at the world Expo 2010, as their content is the result of the implementation of the nation’s visual brand language. The analysis and interpretation sought to, firstly, investigate the constitution of the South African visual brand language used in the design and construction of the pavilion’s communiqués and, secondly, to broadly identify the core values of the intentionally constructed South Africa nation brand – It’s Possible, made manifest in the South African exhibit through the visual communiqués. / Dissertation (Master of Arts)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Visual Arts / unrestricted

This diploma thesis deals with the national presentation of the Czech Republic at EXPO 2010 in Shanghai in terms of mythology, symbols, signs and codes. It describes the history of the World Exhibitions, attempts to highlight Czechoslovak achievements and on the basis of that to define key points of successful communication for an international, predominately Chinese audience. By comparing information on traditional Chinese symbols and values with that of Czech explains correlations between Czech and Chinese culture. This can help visitors from China identify with the Czech Republic. A mythological analysis is executed examining the exterior of the Czech pavilion, the exhibition inside, and notes narrative structures of individual exhibits and how they work to provide the preferred interpretation. Part of the overall analysis includes an overview of supporting events, which also help to strengthen the perception of Czech Republic to visitors. The information gleaned is used to summarize learnings that could be useful for the upcoming EXPO in Milan in 2015.

This thesis begins with the hypothesis that the role of ideas in urban and global development is understudied and understated in comparison to studies that privilege economic and political analyses. The thesis generates two related models that seek to provide a comprehensive means of analyzing both the political economic constraints of development as well as the ideational limits that are overlooked by conventional models. The political economic model adapts constructivist principles to explain the structural limits on urban development that emerge from the contemporary global political economy. The second model draws on previous work done in the field of policy diffusion to posit four relational ways in which ideas are adapted and localized. The thesis argues that political economy analyses provide a comprehensive but mostly macro-level analysis and often fail to adequately understand individual thinking outside of the rational actor model. The ideational adaptation model corrects for this, providing a detailed micro-level analysis that is founded on the political economic framework. Together, the two models provide a comprehensive understanding of the ideational limits and political economic constraints at work in any given development scenario. In order to demonstrate the utility of the combined models (termed combined conceptual approach), the thesis applies the models to four different applications. Three examples are historical secondary source examples (educational philosophy, international business councils, and water sanitation) related to the history of Shanghai and China, and the impact of foreigners on their development vision, strategies, and practice. One application is a case study of Shanghai’s Expo 2010, which uses original data established through high-level interviews with Expo participants. The use of the combined conceptual approach shows how the interpersonal and inter-institutional adaptation and localization of ideas affect the way we understand the concept of legitimate best practice in urban development. The combined conceptual approach highlights the role that human thought, emotions, and psychology play in urban development. It links political economic activity to constructed bonds of trust, learning, the mentality of competition, and soft forms of coercive power (hegemonic ideas, leadership, and conditionality). Finally, the most important contribution of the combined conceptual approach is that it allows for an analysis of both the macro- and micro-levels of development in a relational and holistic fashion.

This thesis begins with the hypothesis that the role of ideas in urban and global development is understudied and understated in comparison to studies that privilege economic and political analyses. The thesis generates two related models that seek to provide a comprehensive means of analyzing both the political economic constraints of development as well as the ideational limits that are overlooked by conventional models. The political economic model adapts constructivist principles to explain the structural limits on urban development that emerge from the contemporary global political economy. The second model draws on previous work done in the field of policy diffusion to posit four relational ways in which ideas are adapted and localized. The thesis argues that political economy analyses provide a comprehensive but mostly macro-level analysis and often fail to adequately understand individual thinking outside of the rational actor model. The ideational adaptation model corrects for this, providing a detailed micro-level analysis that is founded on the political economic framework. Together, the two models provide a comprehensive understanding of the ideational limits and political economic constraints at work in any given development scenario. In order to demonstrate the utility of the combined models (termed combined conceptual approach), the thesis applies the models to four different applications. Three examples are historical secondary source examples (educational philosophy, international business councils, and water sanitation) related to the history of Shanghai and China, and the impact of foreigners on their development vision, strategies, and practice. One application is a case study of Shanghai’s Expo 2010, which uses original data established through high-level interviews with Expo participants. The use of the combined conceptual approach shows how the interpersonal and inter-institutional adaptation and localization of ideas affect the way we understand the concept of legitimate best practice in urban development. The combined conceptual approach highlights the role that human thought, emotions, and psychology play in urban development. It links political economic activity to constructed bonds of trust, learning, the mentality of competition, and soft forms of coercive power (hegemonic ideas, leadership, and conditionality). Finally, the most important contribution of the combined conceptual approach is that it allows for an analysis of both the macro- and micro-levels of development in a relational and holistic fashion.

This thesis begins with the hypothesis that the role of ideas in urban and global development is understudied and understated in comparison to studies that privilege economic and political analyses. The thesis generates two related models that seek to provide a comprehensive means of analyzing both the political economic constraints of development as well as the ideational limits that are overlooked by conventional models. The political economic model adapts constructivist principles to explain the structural limits on urban development that emerge from the contemporary global political economy. The second model draws on previous work done in the field of policy diffusion to posit four relational ways in which ideas are adapted and localized. The thesis argues that political economy analyses provide a comprehensive but mostly macro-level analysis and often fail to adequately understand individual thinking outside of the rational actor model. The ideational adaptation model corrects for this, providing a detailed micro-level analysis that is founded on the political economic framework. Together, the two models provide a comprehensive understanding of the ideational limits and political economic constraints at work in any given development scenario. In order to demonstrate the utility of the combined models (termed combined conceptual approach), the thesis applies the models to four different applications. Three examples are historical secondary source examples (educational philosophy, international business councils, and water sanitation) related to the history of Shanghai and China, and the impact of foreigners on their development vision, strategies, and practice. One application is a case study of Shanghai’s Expo 2010, which uses original data established through high-level interviews with Expo participants. The use of the combined conceptual approach shows how the interpersonal and inter-institutional adaptation and localization of ideas affect the way we understand the concept of legitimate best practice in urban development. The combined conceptual approach highlights the role that human thought, emotions, and psychology play in urban development. It links political economic activity to constructed bonds of trust, learning, the mentality of competition, and soft forms of coercive power (hegemonic ideas, leadership, and conditionality). Finally, the most important contribution of the combined conceptual approach is that it allows for an analysis of both the macro- and micro-levels of development in a relational and holistic fashion.

This thesis begins with the hypothesis that the role of ideas in urban and global development is understudied and understated in comparison to studies that privilege economic and political analyses. The thesis generates two related models that seek to provide a comprehensive means of analyzing both the political economic constraints of development as well as the ideational limits that are overlooked by conventional models. The political economic model adapts constructivist principles to explain the structural limits on urban development that emerge from the contemporary global political economy. The second model draws on previous work done in the field of policy diffusion to posit four relational ways in which ideas are adapted and localized. The thesis argues that political economy analyses provide a comprehensive but mostly macro-level analysis and often fail to adequately understand individual thinking outside of the rational actor model. The ideational adaptation model corrects for this, providing a detailed micro-level analysis that is founded on the political economic framework. Together, the two models provide a comprehensive understanding of the ideational limits and political economic constraints at work in any given development scenario. In order to demonstrate the utility of the combined models (termed combined conceptual approach), the thesis applies the models to four different applications. Three examples are historical secondary source examples (educational philosophy, international business councils, and water sanitation) related to the history of Shanghai and China, and the impact of foreigners on their development vision, strategies, and practice. One application is a case study of Shanghai’s Expo 2010, which uses original data established through high-level interviews with Expo participants. The use of the combined conceptual approach shows how the interpersonal and inter-institutional adaptation and localization of ideas affect the way we understand the concept of legitimate best practice in urban development. The combined conceptual approach highlights the role that human thought, emotions, and psychology play in urban development. It links political economic activity to constructed bonds of trust, learning, the mentality of competition, and soft forms of coercive power (hegemonic ideas, leadership, and conditionality). Finally, the most important contribution of the combined conceptual approach is that it allows for an analysis of both the macro- and micro-levels of development in a relational and holistic fashion.

This diploma thesis deals with the national presentation of the Czech Republic at EXPO 2010 in Shanghai in terms of mythology, symbols, signs and codes. It describes the history of the World Exhibitions, attempts to highlight Czechoslovak achievements and on the basis of that to define key points of successful communication for an international, predominately Chinese audience. By comparing information on traditional Chinese symbols and values with that of Czech explains correlations between Czech and Chinese culture. This can help visitors from China identify with the Czech Republic. A mythological analysis is executed examining the exterior of the Czech pavilion, the exhibition inside, and notes narrative structures of individual exhibits and how they work to provide the preferred interpretation. Part of the overall analysis includes an overview of supporting events, which also help to strengthen the perception of Czech Republic to visitors. The information gleaned is used to summarize learnings that could be useful for the upcoming EXPO in Milan in 2015.