This thesis explores the political use of branding in international relations by focusing on the branding exercises of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the State of Qatar over the last two decades. In most of the existing literature, branding is theorised as a representational and instrumental practice that is strategically used to increase a country's competitive edge. Adopting a critical constructivist lens to the study of International Relations (IR), this thesis challenges this reading and argues instead that branding is a productive and inherently political practice that (re)produces dominant interpretations of state-identity rather than merely describing them. Based on the core constructivist claim that much of politics revolves around the competition to give meaning to the world, this thesis argues that the version of the state promoted through branding is neither neutral nor brand new, but inherently politicised and tied to the conversation and legitimation of the incumbent political regime. Inspired by the ongoing practice turn in IR, the starting point for the analysis is a focus on the display of the state through a range of everyday practices long ignored by IR scholars. In particular, it focuses on how the political leadership in both Kazakhstan and Qatar has used the urban development of their capital cities, the hosting of international sports events, and the construction of 'world-class' universities to present new ideas about their state to various inter/national audiences. Using an original data corpus of multimodal primary and secondary material, the analysis traces how branding practices produce and normalise a certain interpretation of Kazakhstani and Qatari statehood, and then interrogates how we can understand this interpretation as politicised and tied to the interests of the regime. The goal of the analysis is twofold. First, this thesis aims to elucidate how relevant instances of state- branding unfold and travel across different empirical contexts (Kazakhstan and Qatar) and cases (urban development, sports and education). Second, it aims to push current scholarly understandings by (re)conceptualising branding as a genre of contemporary identity politics, and produce broader insights about the characteristics and mechanisms of this increasingly normalised - yet often as politically non-salient dismissed - practice of international relations.

本文的目的在於說明國家形象和企業聲望的重要性，以及二者對國家競爭力的影響，並且針對如何改善台灣國家品牌計畫以提高它的形象建直一個模型。該模型強調在國家品牌計畫中，社群媒體所扮演的重要角色。由於社群媒體愈趨普及與廣泛使用，社群媒體將形成很大的可能性以凝聚民意。 本文主要分析材料分為兩個部分。其一，透過分析機關團體和群眾所編寫的聲望排名列表的內容，所收集到的原始數據，並且該數據也包括一項透過Facebook分析以觀察品牌貫徹的研究；其二，透過社群媒體與形象形成有關的研究著作、網站與書籍等文獻回顧，所收集的補助數據。 原始數據顯示大眾對於在技術媒體網站上建立產品排名有很大的興趣，而且在這些網站上的排名通常與一般機關團體排名有顯著不同，且以Facebook為材料分析顯示，台灣企業的品牌貫徹與全球最有聲望的企業並未有很大的差別。另外，輔助數據也顯示形象與聲望的重要性，以及社群媒體確有極高的可能對象與聲望生高度影響。 由於數據可見，台灣在技術開發和產品質量方面確有良好的形象，本文進一步指出，台灣應該集中這些功能，二非僅是推廣旅遊景點，方能改善國家形象的諸多方面。作為這項研究的結果，本文對於台灣以及和台灣具有相似特徵的其他國家，提出一個較能妥善貫徹國家品牌的模型。該模型強調國家與企業之間合作的必要性，進以改善雙方的形象與聲望。此外，該模型也指出，利用社群媒體提供的工具將有效地達成品牌貫徹。 / The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the importance of national image and corporate reputation and the interrelating power of the two on national competitiveness. In addition I hope to develop a model for the improvement of Taiwan’s nation branding project. The model points to the relevance of Social Media channels in nation branding projects. As a consequence of its increasing popularity and extensive usage, Social Media offers great opportunities for the reformation of public opinion. Data has been collected through a comprehensive literature review of research papers, websites and books on the two major subtopics: Social Media and image construction. Besides, analyses of reputation ranking lists prepared by organizations and the public were conducted. In addition, the paper also includes research through Facebook to examine branding practices. The research demonstrated the relevance of image/reputation, moreover the wide-ranging possibilities inherent in Social Media for exertion of influence. The data also showed that there is a broad public interest in product rankings of Tech Media Websites and that the top companies of those are usually distinct from the favorites of the official listings. The Facebook research did not show relevant differences between nation branding practices of the Taiwanese and the most reputable companies worldwide. The data showed that Taiwan has a good reputation in terms of technological development and product quality. This paper states that Taiwan should concentrate on these features instead of the promotion of tourist attractions, as a spillover effect will eventually lead to improvements in all aspects of national image. Based on the results of the study, this paper includes a nation-branding model for Taiwan and for other nations with similar characteristics to Taiwan. The model emphasizes the necessity of collaboration between the state and the corporate sphere in order to improve the image of both. Additionally, the model illustrates that an effective nation-branding project needs to exploit the tools provided by Social Media.

Submitted by Mascha Sörensen (mascha.soerensen@gmail.com) on 2016-10-08T10:05:16Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Mascha Sörensen_Master Thesis_Nation Branding through Mega-Events and the Impact on Tourism Development in the Host Country_14.09.2016.pdf: 1369449 bytes, checksum: dc4c868a996a043756cdbabad912afad (MD5) / Rejected by Ana Luiza Holme (ana.holme@fgv.br), reason: Dear Mascha, First of all the title of the parts of the thesis, example: Abstract, resumo,etc. is duplicated it's only has to appear once. The List of Figures, etc. should be before the table of contents. The number of the pages should count from the first page but only appear on the introduction. Warm regards. Ana Luiza Holme 37993492 on 2016-10-10T12:25:44Z (GMT) / Submitted by Mascha Sörensen (mascha.soerensen@gmail.com) on 2016-10-10T16:07:15Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Mascha Sörensen_ Master Thesis_ Nation Branding through Mega-Events and the Impact on Tourism Development in the Host Country - A Study on the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil_ 14.09.2016.pdf: 1310793 bytes, checksum: 0b9d0c22d5a69492fd2a69757d38afdd (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Ana Luiza Holme (ana.holme@fgv.br) on 2016-10-10T16:17:12Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Mascha Sörensen_ Master Thesis_ Nation Branding through Mega-Events and the Impact on Tourism Development in the Host Country - A Study on the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil_ 14.09.2016.pdf: 1310793 bytes, checksum: 0b9d0c22d5a69492fd2a69757d38afdd (MD5) / Rejected by Ana Luiza Holme (ana.holme@fgv.br), reason: Duplicidade de postagem, trabalho já aprovado. on 2016-10-10T16:20:07Z (GMT) / Submitted by Mascha Sörensen (mascha.soerensen@gmail.com) on 2016-10-12T09:57:10Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Mascha Sörensen_ Master Thesis_ Nation Branding through Mega-Events and the Impact on Tourism Development in the Host Country - A Study on the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil_ 14.09.2016.pdf: 1310793 bytes, checksum: 0b9d0c22d5a69492fd2a69757d38afdd (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Ana Luiza Holme (ana.holme@fgv.br) on 2016-10-13T12:40:49Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Mascha Sörensen_ Master Thesis_ Nation Branding through Mega-Events and the Impact on Tourism Development in the Host Country - A Study on the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil_ 14.09.2016.pdf: 1310793 bytes, checksum: 0b9d0c22d5a69492fd2a69757d38afdd (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-10-13T12:55:53Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Mascha Sörensen_ Master Thesis_ Nation Branding through Mega-Events and the Impact on Tourism Development in the Host Country - A Study on the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil_ 14.09.2016.pdf: 1310793 bytes, checksum: 0b9d0c22d5a69492fd2a69757d38afdd (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-09-14 / Nation branding has recently gained importance as countries strive for a global competitive advantage to attract worldwide tourists, foreign direct investment and talented workforce, and to enhance consumer preferences for its exported products. The significance for Brazil of having hosted the two most important sport mega-events, the 2014 Football World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, within two years is discussed in detail. The objective of the exploratory research here presented is to understand the perception of Brazil internationally (measured as nation brand) and to determine whether primarily the 2014 World Cup had an impact on the nation brand as possibly also on the tourism activities in the country. A methodology of a single case study has been applied. Main sources of information were secondary data from websites and tourism and event related journals, as well as quantitative data from nation branding indices and official tourism statistics. The most insightful data source was provided by seven interviews with experts in the field of nation branding, events and tourism business. The research suggests that the World Cup had two-sided effects. Increased international awareness, hospitality and improvements in perception of culture and people in Brazil are positive results that were partly restrained by negative images of corruption, insecurity and social problems. The World Cup overall resulted in positive outcomes in the tourism industry. Despite being beneficial in many aspects, the mega-events happened at a difficult economic and political time in Brazil. Together with persistent deficiencies of the international sport organizations, these circumstances further hindered lasting legacies and international reputation. The findings therefore are not straightforward. They are rather based on a complex discussion which identifies positive contributions of the events to destination branding and possibly to the development of the nation branding strategy of Brazil. / A consideração da marca-nação recentemente tem ganhado grande importância com países se esforçando para alcançar uma vantagem competitiva global, atrair turistas de todo o mundo, investimento estrangeiro direto e uma força de trabalho qualificada, além de melhorar as preferências dos consumidores por seus produtos exportados. A importância para o Brasil em ter hospedado os dois mais importantes mega-eventos esportivos no prazo de dois anos, a Copa do Mundo de 2014 e os Jogos Olímpicos de 2016, é discutida em detalhe. O objetivo da pesquisa exploratória aqui apresentada é entender a percepção internacional do Brasil (medida como marca-nação) e determinar se principalmente a Copa do Mundo de 2014 teve um impacto positivo na marca-nação e também nas atividades de turismo no país. A metodologia de um estudo de caso específico foi aplicada. As principais origens de informações foram dados secundários de sites e revistas relacionados a turismo e eventos, bem como dados quantitativos de índices de marca-nação e estatísticas oficiais de turismo. A fonte de dados mais significante foi obtida em sete entrevistas com especialistas no campo da marca-nação, eventos e turismo. A pesquisa sugere que a Copa do Mundo teve efeitos de dois lados. Aumento da consciêntização internacional, hospitalidade e melhorias na percepção da cultura e das pessoas no Brasil são resultados positivos que foram parcialmente restringidos por imagens negativas de corrupção, insegurança e problemas sociais. De forma geral, a Copa do Mundo apresentou resultados positivos na indústria do turismo. Apesar de serem benéficos em muitos aspectos, os mega-eventos aconteciam em um momento difícil para o Brasil, econômico e políticamente. Juntamente com deficiências persistentes das organizações desportivas internacionais, estas circunstâncias impediram ainda mais os resultados duradouros e a reputação internacional. Os resultados, entretanto, não são simplórios. Pelo contrário, são baseados em uma discussão complexa que identifica contribuições positivas dos eventos para a marca de destino e possivelmente para o desenvolvimento uma estratégia da nação-marca no Brasil.

This paper aims to highlight how the recent developments in international relations has created a environment with increased competition between countries for attention and assets and how these changes has promoted the increased use of public diplomacy  to reach out to new actors. The study will focus on the public diplomacy sub-discipline of nation branding.  The paper will analyze reputation management in international relations through the lens of corporate branding. This approach will help bridge the gap between marketing and international relations and expand the analytical toolkit for public diplomacy. While many studies have focused on branding campaigns this study will focus on the brand management to see whether it is capable of creating distinction and relevance for a nation brand or national reputation.     The paper aims to give an descriptive analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats the Swedish reputation management faces in order to assess how the management can improve but also provide an analytical framework for researchers interested in studying reputation management. The paper will employ a qualitative method consisting of text analysis and interviews to connect the theoretical models with business practice to then present the results using a SWOT-analysis. The data gathered from the Swedish Institute serves to provide empirical data on the business conduct in relation to brand management and several indexes will be used to assess the Swedish brand. Results show that the Swedish nation brand management have adopted a wide range of methods to strengthen the distinctiveness and relevance for the Swedish brand and that the weaknesses are mostly connected to communication failures. The brand management has also good opportunities to further project a strong image of Sweden and the threats towards it are only marginal. The brand management should continue its current work while developing new methods and solutions to overcome the communication problems towards certain target groups. While the study have made contributions to understand how reputation management could be analyzed through corporate brand management, further research should look into whether a nation brand or reputation has been used as a power asset that is capable of actually acquiring global assets.

Public diplomacy is a form of diplomatic activity aimed at communicating directly with foreign publics. In light of the technological developments of recent decades, digital tools and platforms have transformed the field of public diplomacy and became a significant force in shaping the diplomatic field. Sweden is a country with a strong international presence, where public diplomacy is a prioritized field for the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. This study contributes to the limited research on Swedish public diplomacy strategy by analyzing the way in which Sweden’s four core values are communicated in the digital sphere. The analysis is conducted in two segments. First, the Swedish public diplomacy strategy is examined. Secondly, using Critical Discourse Analysis, twelve articles published on the website for Swedish Foreign Policy Stories were analyzed. The analysis shows that the core values are incorporated in the texts. The values are not stated overtly, but strong indications in the discourse can be found suggesting their relevance. The size of the sample is not large enough to allow for generalizations of the findings. The study concludes that except for discourse, other elements, such as the visual semiotic choices also contribute to the communication of Sweden’s four core values.

This diploma thesis is a case study focused on Polish public diplomacy as a tool of foreign policy and its changes between 2005 and 2019. The way how public diplomacy is exercised in the Polish case is significantly influenced by two factors - the size of the country or rather its influence and its geographic location, which is closely connected with particular societal, political and economic features with relation to the country's history. The aim of the thesis is to find out what are the foundations of polish public diplomacy, how it has been changed within the studied period and what it tells us about public diplomacy as a tool of foreign policy and the possibility of domestic actors to influence it. There is a deep cleavage between the two main political parties, which have alternated in government since 2005, and their preferences in domestic and foreign policy. Based on the outputs of Polish public diplomacy in four spheres - nation branding, cultural diplomacy, historical diplomacy and communication channels - and in organizational framework, the thesis analyses the interconnection between public diplomacy and foreign policy and also the strategy of Polish public diplomacy, taking into account the alternation of governing parties.

La competició de països, nacions, ciutats i regions per captar recursos, talent, infraestructures o esdeveniments, entre altres aspectes, ha provocat l’adveniment d’una lluita renovada per la singularitat, pel reconeixement i per la diferenciació, per una hegemonia simbòlica que cotitza a l’alça en el context d’una emergent economia de la identitat. En aquest context, els territoris cedeixen les seves projeccions habituals d’identitat territorial a una nouvinguda identitat simbòlica, gestionada, en part, mitjançant la transformació de territoris en marques. La determinació d’un estat de la qüestió amb voluntat holística, que endreci i alhora ordeni el que s’ha dit i el que s’ha fet sobre això, per tal de situar en perspectiva les implicacions inherents a la construcció de marques (branding) per a espais geogràfics, esdevé un dels objectius principals d’aquesta investigació, al qual s’hi arribarà amb l’ajut d’una triangulació metodològica d’investigació. En primer lloc, mitjançant una revisió amb voluntat interpretativa i crítica de la literatura existent vinculada a les marques de territori, en segon lloc per mitjà d’una consulta a un panel d’experts (mètode Delphi) i, finalment, i en tercer lloc, a través de l’estudi de tres marques de territori implícites (el Lluçanès, el Priorat i la vall de Camprodon) analitzades per mitjà de l’organització de tres grups focals de discussió (GFdD). Així mateix, la concreció d’un model teòric d’anàlisi per a la marca experiència individual amb el territori des d’una perspectiva transdisciplinària coincideix amb el segon gran objectiu que pretén abastar aquesta tesi doctoral. / La competición de países, naciones, ciudades y regiones para captar recursos, talento, infraestructuras o eventos, entre otros aspectos, ha provocado el advenimiento de una lucha renovada por la singularidad, por el reconocimiento y por la diferenciación, por una hegemonía simbólica que cotiza al alza en el contexto de una emergente economía de la identidad. En este escenario, los territorios ceden sus proyecciones habituales de identidad territorial a una recién llegada identidad simbólica, gestionada, en parte, mediante la transformación de territorios en marcas. La determinación de un estado de la cuestión con voluntad holística, que incorpore y a la vez ordene lo que se ha dicho y lo que se ha hecho al respecto, con el fin de situar en perspectiva las implicaciones inherentes a la construcción de marcas ('branding') para los espacios geográficos, resulta ser uno de los objetivos principales de este trabajo, al cual se llegará mediante una triangulación metodológica de investigación. En primer lugar, a través de una revisión pretendidamente interpretativa y crítica de la literatura existente vinculada a las marcas de territorio; en segundo lugar, por medio de una consulta a un panel de expertos (método Delphi); finalmente, y en tercer lugar, a partir del estudio de tres marcas de territorio implícitas (el Lluçanès, el Priorat y la vall de Camprodon) analizadas mediante la organización de tres grupos focales de discusión (GFdD). Asimismo, la concreción de un modelo teórico de análisis para la marca experiencia individual con el territorio desde una perspectiva transdisciplinaria coincide con el segundo gran objetivo que pretende alcanzar la presente tesis doctoral. / The competition between countries, nations, cities and regions to attract resources, talent, infrastructures or events, among others aspects, has caused the coming of a renew struggle for singularity, recognition and differentiation, for a symbolic hegemony that is rising in the context of an emerging economy of identity. In this context, places transfer their usual projections of place identity to a newly arrived symbolic identity negotiated partly by the transformation of places in brands. The determination of a current status of the issue with a holistic wish that organize and at the same time arrange what it is said and is done about the topic, in order to locate in view the inherent implications to the building of brands (branding) for geographic locations, becomes one of the main aims of this research, which is going to reach through the help of a methodological triangulation of investigation. Firstly, through checking the existent literature linked in the place brands with an interpretative and critic wish, secondly, by means of consulting an expert’s panel (Delphi method) and, finally and thirdly, through the study of three implicit place brands (el Lluçanès, el Priorat and the Camprodon’s valley) analyzed by the organization of three focal groups of discussion (FGoD). Likewise, the specification of a theoretical method of analysis for the individual experience brand with the places from an interdisciplinary perspective coincides with the second main aim that this doctoral thesis expects to reach.