This candidate thesis contains a qualitative study of how Sweden markets its gastronomicculture internationally through nation branding. The study was conducted through adeductive research approach. Through nation branding, Sweden has become the new, littlestar on the gastronomic world scene. Sweden markets by using storytelling where importantactors seek to show an idyllic picture of a picturesque Sweden as a destination. The profile,which deals with concepts such as healthy, fresh, ethical and sustainable, strives to paint apicture that deals with nature, sustainability, the environment, the quality of food ingredientsand its world-renowned innovative chefs. Sweden has undergone a major change since theturn of the millennium. Swedes have left part of their external perspective, and started to lookmore inward to get inspiration. The new Nordic cuisine is the philosophy that has driven thechange in how Swedes view the quality and uniqueness of their kitchen. Sweden markets thisvigorously to the outside world, in the hope of attracting tourists and investors, but also toincrease the export of its food and drink. The effects that these industries have on Sweden'seconomy cannot be underestimated. By creating memorable and unique meal experiences forthe visiting meal tourists, Sweden differs from other destinations. Attracting foreign investorsand international companies is no easy task, as there is already a picture of Swedishgastronomy in other countries. Changing perceptions takes time and requires awell-developed strategy. In order to obtain primary data, several people with expertise ingastronomy, cultural anthropology and marketing have been interviewed in this study. Manyof these people represent various organizations and institutions that market Swedishgastronomy and meal tourism. The theory formation in this study touches on the topics ofstorytelling, nation branding and profiling. This study explains what the Swedish mealculture is, what the brand looks like and how Sweden markets it. The conclusion is that theSwedes have been too withdrawn to market their meal culture and food and beverageproduction. However, it seems to be about to change and Swedish cuisine is gaining morerecognition around the world. There is a great potential that is untapped. / Denna kandidatuppsats innehåller en kvalitativ studie av hur Sverige marknadsför singastronomiska kultur internationellt genom nation branding. Studien har genomförts genomen deduktiv forskningsansats. Genom nation branding har Sverige blivit den nya, lillastjärnan på gastronomiska världsscenen. Sverige marknadsför genom att använda storytellingdär viktiga aktörer söker visa upp en idyllisk bild av ett pittoreskt Sverige som destination.Profilen, som handlar om begrepp som hälsosam, fräscht, etiskt och hållbart strävar efter attmåla en bild som handlar om natur, hållbarhet, miljö, kvalitet på livsmedelsingredienser ochom dess världskända innovativa kockar. Sverige har sedan millennieskiftet genomgått en storförändring. Svenskar har lämnat en del av sitt externa perspektiv, och börjat titta mer inåt föratt få inspiration. Det nya nordiska köket är den filosofi som har drivit förändringen av hursvenskar ser på kvaliteten och det unika i sitt kök. Sverige marknadsför detta kraftfullt tillomvärlden, i hopp om att locka turister och investerare, men också för att öka exporten av sinmat och dryck. Effekterna som dessa branscher har på Sveriges ekonomi kan inteunderskattas. Genom att skapa minnesvärda och unika måltidsupplevelser för de besökandemåltidsturisterna skiljer sig Sverige från andra resmål. Att attrahera utländska investerare ochinternationella företag är ingen lätt uppgift, eftersom det redan finns en bild i andra länder avsvensk gastronomi. Att förändra uppfattningen tar tid och kräver en välutvecklad strategi. Isyfte att skaffa primärdata har flera personer med expertis inom gastronomi,kulturantropologi och marknadsföring, intervjuats i denna studie. Många av dessa personerrepresenterar olika organisationer och institutioner som marknadsför svensk gastronomi ochmåltidsturism. Teoribildningen i denna studie berör ämnena storytelling, nation branding ochprofilering. Denna studie förklarar vad den svenska måltidskulturen är, hur varumärket ser utoch hur Sverige marknadsför den. Slutsatsen är att svenskarna har varit alltför tillbakadragnaför att marknadsföra sin måltidskultur och mat- och dryckesproduktion. Det verkar dock varapå väg att förändras och det svenska köket får mer erkännande runt om i världen. Det finns enstor potential som är outnyttjad.

La recherche porte sur l’analyse de la place et du rôle de la communication dans les pratiques de la Diplomatie Culturelle et de la Diplomatie Publique en Colombie et en France. Ces pratiques répondent aujourd’hui aux enjeux auxquels les pays doivent faire face dans un marché globalisé et un monde multipolaire, en particulier aux enjeux de mise en relation et de mise en scène au niveau international. Les pratiques communicationnelles de la diplomatie dans le cadre de modèles qualifiés d’« hybrides », prennent en compte les relations multidimensionnelles des rapports culture/marketing/histoire/politique, qui se révèlent dans l’exercice diplomatique et qui se concrétisent dans la gestion d’une image de pays (marketing/communication stratégique) et la diffusion d’une identité nationale (communication/culture). L’auteur contextualise l’analyse à la lumière des théories associant culture et communication qui guident différemment, d’une part la recherche européenne dans ces domaines et, d’autre part, la recherche latino-américaine. La méthode qualitative et interprétative est privilégiée notamment sur un corpus internet. La méthode compréhensive est mobilisée dans le cadre d’une enquête constituée par des entretiens menés dans chacun des deux pays.L’analyse porte notamment sur les stratégies et les points de convergence et de divergence de chaque modèle, ainsi que sur les tensions qui naissent des pratiques de communication des niveaux différents (stratégique et opérationnel). Les relations de pouvoir tissées entre les États sont étudiées ainsi que, parallèlement, la production de liens et d’interactivité dans la société civile, favorisée par les réseaux sociaux. / The research is about the places and roles played by cultural and public diplomatic practices in France and Colombia. These practices are the answer to the issues raised by the global economy and the multipolar world, particularly those concerning the connection to and the representation on the international scene.Diplomatic communication practices within models called “hybrids” stress the importance of the multi-dimensional relations between culture/marketing, culture/history, and culture/politics. This relationship can be observed in a diplomatic manner and in a way that the image of a country (marketing /strategic communication: nation branding) is managed and its national identity (communication /culture) is diffused.Due to France and Colombia's own characteristics, and their different geo-cultural positions, the author sets her analysis in the form of theories which associate culture and communication as seen in European research, by comparing them to Latin American research. The qualitative and interpretative method is privileged as it focuses on an internet corpus. This comprehensive method is used in an investigation made from interviews in each country.The analysis is about the strategies and the converging and diverging points of each model country. It also emphasizes the tensions due to different levels of communication practices (both strategic and operational) among the institutional actors studied herein. This study shows the power relationships between the two countries and also the relationships and interaction inside their own communities (civilian society), which are stimulated by social networks.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-10-13T14:09:53Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Michele Candeloro Herminio.pdf: 10468301 bytes, checksum: 8d961ddffe55128a29a39dd32d3dc620 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-06-19 / This work aims to: 1) describe the Colombian nation branding experience, entitled Colombia es Pasión based in the process steps: a) engagement; b) analysis; c) strategy; d) execution and audit and 2) assess the a) image impacts from an international perspective and b) the economic impact, in export, tourism and foreign direct investment areas. In order to do so, initially were presented concepts that support the understanding of the topic, as country brand, country brand identity, country image, place branding, destination brand and country of origin; following the case study, built from bibliographical, documentary and field research evidences, was presented. The case description and its interpretation in the light of process stages and phases can be found in Chapter 4. The impact assessment of the international image was conducted by content analysis of articles which contained the word Colombia in the title, in the newspapers The New York Times and El País, employing the software Atlas/TI. An index image was developed and its shows an improvement of 81.57% in the country image during the period that Colombia es Pasión was active, however, it was not possible to draw a causal link between the image improvement and the nation branding initiative. The economic impact of the program was evaluated by econometric models that considers the three target variables of the program: exports, tourism and foreign direct investment. The econometric analysis suggests that the program had positive economic impacts on exports and on the number of foreign tourists. The overall result of these two variables is, on average, equivalent to 1.28% of GDP in 2011. However, the most significant impact is on the dependent variables, taken as the program target. The effect of the program, on average, corresponds to 16.73% of exports and 13.63% of the number of foreign tourists in the year preceding the start of the program internationals actions, that is 2005. / Este trabalho tem como objetivos: 1) descrever a experiência colombiana de branding, entitulada Colombia es Pasión, com base etapas do processo: a) engajamento; b) análise; c) estratégia; d) execução e auditoria e 2) avaliar os impactos: a) de imagem, na perspectiva externa e b) econômico, nas áreas de exportação, turismo e investimentos estrangeiros diretos. Para tanto, inicialmente foram apresentados conceitos que apóiam a compreensão do tema, como marca país, identidade de marca país, imagem de país, place branding, marca de destino e país de origem; na sequência foi exposto o estudo de caso construído a partir de evidências bibliográficas, documentais e de campo. A descrição do caso e sua interpretação à luz das etapas e fases do processo podem ser encontradas no capítulo 4. A avaliação do impacto de imagem na perspectiva externa foi realizada por meio de análise de conteúdo de artigos que continham a palavra Colômbia no titulo, nas mídias The New York Times e El País, utilizando como ferramenta o software Atlas/TI. Foi desenvolvido um índice de imagem que apontou uma melhora de 81,57% na imagem do país, no período em que o Colombia es Pasión esteve ativo, no entanto, não foi possível estabelecer a relação causal entre a melhora de imagem e a iniciativa de branding. O impacto econômico do programa foi avaliado por meio de um exercício econométrico que considera as três variáveis-alvo do programa: exportações, turismo e investimento estrangeiro direto. A análise econométrica realizada sugere que o programa teve impactos econômicos positivos sobre exportações e número de turistas estrangeiros. O resultado total sobre estas duas variáveis representa, em média, o equivalente a 1,28% do PIB do país em 2011. Entretanto, mostra impacto mais significativo quando comparado com a magnitude dos fluxos originais das variáveis que tomou como alvo. O efeito do programa corresponde em média a 16,73% das exportações e 13,63% do número de turistas estrangeiros do ano anterior ao início das ações internacionais do programa, ou seja, 2005.

This thesis examines Swedish values from the perspectives of international and Swedish students residing in Sweden, with the collaboration of the Swedish Institute—a public agency focused on enhancing Sweden’s global image and attractiveness to researchers, students, and talents. The research explores the field of nation branding, public diplomacy, and soft power. The study aims to analyze the interpretation and understanding of Swedish values among individuals with international backgrounds and compare it to the perspective of local students. Drawing upon the framework of Joseph Nye’s concepts of public diplomacy and soft power, the paper emphasizes the importance of understanding how international students perceive Swedish values and how these perceptions are influenced by their experiences. The research questions address the values associated with Sweden before and after students’ arrival, the valence attributed to these values, and the opinions and perceptions of international students regarding the values promoted through studyinsweden.se channels, particularly the concept of "The Swedish Way." A qualitative study employing thematic analysis was conducted, including two focus groups and a survey. Five main themes emerged from the analysis: (1) The Democratic way of Sweden, (2) The Image of Swedes, (3) Conflicting values in Swedish society, (4) Differences in values across regions and over time, and (5) The Idealization of Sweden. Notably, values strongly associated with Sweden were connected to democracy, including Equality, Freedom, Socialism, Individualism, and Collectivism. Other values perceived as Swedish encompassed sustainability, Jante Law, Lagom, calmness, diplomacy, conflict-avoidance, friendship, understanding, politeness, tolerance, and open-mindedness. The findings reveal that international students often hold an idealized view of Sweden, leading to a shift in their perspective upon arrival. Swedish students, on the other hand, note changes in Swedish values over time, with increased perceptions of bigotry and racism and decreased emphasis on inclusivity and openness. While participants generally held positive perspectives on Swedish values, there were also indications of negative perceptions, such as bigotry and racism. Participants expressed some agreement with the values promoted by the Swedish Institute but also pointed out instances where the promotion did not align with the reality of Sweden. This research contributes to understanding how international students perceive Swedish values both before and after their arrival, filling a gap in international students’ perceptions of Sweden. The findings highlight the importance of balancing the promotion of Sweden’s attractive aspects with a realistic portrayal, utilizing milder expressions and focusing on factual evidence of sustainability and equality. By actively examining and addressing perceptions, Sweden can enhance its nation branding efforts and attract a diverse pool of talented individuals. / Den här uppsatsen undersöker svenska värderingar ur perspektivet hos internationella och svenska studenter som vistas i Sverige, i samarbete med det Svenska Institutet - en offentlig myndighet inriktad på att förbättra Sveriges globala bild och attraktivitet för forskare, studenter och talanger. Forskningen utforskar området nation branding, offentlig diplomati, och mjuk makt. Studien syftar till att analysera tolkningen och förståelsen av svenska värderingar hos studenter med internationella bakgrunder och jämföra detta med perspektivet hos lokala studenter. Med utgångspunkt i Joseph Nyes ramverk för public diplomacy och soft power betonar avhandlingen vikten av att förstå hur internationella studenter uppfattar svenska värderingar och hur dessa uppfattningar påverkas av deras erfarenheter. Forskningsfrågorna behandlar de värderingar som associeras med Sverige före och efter studenternas ankomst, valensen som tillskrivs dessa värderingar, samt internationella studenters åsikter och uppfattningar om värderingarna som främjas genom studyinsweden.se kanalerna, med fokus på konceptet "The Swedish Way". En kvalitativ studie med tematisk analys genomfördes, inklusive två fokusgrupper och en enkätundersökning. Fem huvudteman framkom genom analysen: (1) Den Svenska Demokratiska Vägen, (2) Bilden av svenskar, (3) Värderingskonflikter i det svenska samhället, (4) Skillnader i värderingar mellan olika regioner och över tid, samt (5) Idealiseringen av Sverige. De värderingar som var starkt förknippade med Sverige var kopplat till demokrati, till exempel, Jämlikhet, Frihet, Socialism, Individualism och Kollektivism. Andra värderingar som uppfattades som svenska var hållbarhet, Jantelagen, Lagom, lugn, diplomati, undvikande av konflikter, vänskap, förståelse, artighet, tolerans och öppenhet. Resultaten visar att många internationella studenter har en idealiserad syn på Sverige, vilket leder till en förändring i deras perspektiv vid ankomsten. Svenska studenter noterar däremot förändringar i svenska värderingar över tid, med ökad uppfattning om fördomar och rasism samt minskad betoning på inkludering och öppenhet. Även om deltagarna generellt hade positiva perspektiv på svenska värderingar fanns det även indikationer på negativa uppfattningar som fördomar och rasism. Deltagarna uttryckte viss samstämmighet med de värderingar som främjas av det Svenska Institutet men påpekade också situationer där främjandet inte överensstämde med verkligheten i Sverige. Denna forskning bidrar till förståelsen av hur internationella studenter uppfattar svenska värderingar både före och efter deras ankomst och fyller en kunskapslucka kring internationella studenters syn på Sverige. Resultaten understryker vikten av att balansera främjandet av Sveriges attraktiva sidor med en realistisk framställning, genom att använda mildare uttryck och fokusera på konkreta bevis för hållbarhet och jämlikhet. Genom att aktivt undersöka uppfattningarna kan Sverige förbättra sina ansträngningar inom nation branding och locka till sig en mångfald av talangfulla individer.

The paper starts by providing the overview of the Eurovision Song Contest, its participant countries and the audience. The aim of the research is to find out how everyday political talk takes place on non-political platforms. For this study, a blog dedicated to the Eurovision Song Contest was chosen. The research is netnographic, and the conclusions are drawn based on content analysis (the comments left on the Eurovision news blog - Wiwibloggs.com) and interviews with the journalists of the blog. The paper approaches the blog as anon-institutionalized space, also known as “the third space.” It covers issues such as nation branding, communication in an anonymous setting and deliberative democracy. The paper further analyses different characteristics of the content shared on the blog and answers a question on whether such content is agonistic or antagonistic by nature.

It has been showed that COO of product has an effect on consumers purchase decisions. Companies are trying to find ways to differentiate their brands from those of their competitors. In many cases the use of COO is considered difficult and is not understood to the level where it would add to the brand value of those companies. Academic areas such as nation branding, COO (country of origin), brand positioning and brand communications work as a base for the investigation of our research problem. The study uses Finland as a study objective to investigate how companies aiming for international markets can use their COO in smart ways when creating and developing their brand identities. The knowledge in these areas is deepened through semi structured interviews with six experts from different fields. The previous academic areas acknowledge that the communication needs to be directed for the right consumers, in a way that suits the recipient. Since consumers in international markets often share multiple/different perceptions and associations, when communicating the origin of a brand, a customer centric approach in the communications is vital. The study finds that country of origin, when used in corporate branding often needs to be explained through storytelling, that emphasizes why the origin adds value. This is done by translating aspects about the COO in to a form which consumers are able to understand and appreciate. An additional finding the study makes is the symbiosis between the companies and their country of origin. The companies have the ability to shape the nation brand of their origin, and hence, aid their own branding capabilities. Marketers need to understand the value of their COO and see the possibilities it may offer. This realization creates a symbiance between the brand and its origin which will create long term positive implications.

Nation as a brand represents the intangible assets of a country, encompassing various dimensions such as politics, economics, culture, history, and technology. However, much of extant work in nation branding has been limited to the empirical investigations of its positioning and implementation for specific countries, while other scholarly works in nation branding are conceptual. Various factors associated with nation branding are discussed in the literature, but there is no organizing mechanism to connect these factors to explore the dynamics underlying nation branding. To fill this gap, this dissertation attempts to identify the relevant factors underlying the deployment of nation branding, and to develop models to assess the association among these factors. Hunt and Morgan's resource advantage theory serves as the theoretical foundation of this dissertation's framework. After establishing panel data models that link the factors of building and developing the nation brand, the strategic implications of nation branding are discussed. Archival data were used for economic factors such as economic development, tourism, export, and inward foreign investment, and cultural, political, infrastructural, and geographical factors. The primary data were collected for qualitative factors perceived reputable brand and perceived reputable industry. The Anholt-GfK Roper's 2008 Nation Brands IndexSM was incorporated into the model as a moderating variable to test its impact on the relationship between the dependent variables and the independent variables. A total of 24 nations were analyzed to build and validate the models. This dissertation makes several contributions to the nation branding literature. First, it clarifies the definition of nation brand and nation branding. Second, it builds a predictive econometric model to connect the critical determinant and outcome factors of nation branding. Finally, it discusses nation branding strategies in terms of resource advantage theory and provides crucial insights on the development and management of a nation brand that can be used by researchers, marketing managers, and stakeholders of the nation brand to gain a better understanding of the dynamics of nation branding.

This paper investigates how professionals within the Italian fashion industrycollaborate and communicate to develop the nation brand Made in Italy. Theproblem of brand confusion, which occurs when the different parties within anation does not cooperate towards a distinct brand message, is analysed.Based on a theoretical review of previous studies in nation branding,interviews and observations in the area of Florence and a desk study ofscientific papers, articles and literature, the model “The Nation Brand Tree”was developed. This was applied to the case of Made in Italy. Conclusions: Thecertification “100% Made in Italy” was proven to be an ineffective solution ofsaving the Italian heritage of craftsmanship and quality. The Italian nationbrand is currently being preserved by private investors, but there is a need forincreased governmental support to create a stronger and unified nation brandfor Made in Italy. / Program: Textilekonomutbildningen

<p><strong>Purpose/Aim: </strong>The purpose of this paper is to describe how a number of strategically selected employees at the Swedish Institute, with the purpose to promote Sweden in the world, look at the challenges facing Sweden concerning nation branding in the new era of cooperation within the European Union. I examine how these people look upon the work of public diplomacy and nation branding in order to actively participate and influence the EU's common communications platform.</p><p><strong>Material/Method: </strong>The method used in this thesis is qualitative interviews. The reason why I chose this method is because I consider it to be the most appropriate in order to collect information about how these selected employees at the Swedish institute regard the challenges that lay ahead in terms of nation branding within the European Union.</p><p><strong>Main results: </strong>On the basis of the results I have gained by dint of the analysis, it can be concluded that it is of utmost importance to take the societal changes, which are a result both of the worldwide globalization and the EU cooperation, into consideration when designing a future communication strategy for the Swedish Institute. The nation-state continues to play an important role in Sweden, but its importance is declining as the EU cooperation is progressing. The citizens’ identity plays a crucial role in designing a nation’s communications strategy, and from the analysis I conclude that we move not from a Swedish to a European identity, but towards a pluralistic union where multiple identities meet under one umbrella; the EU.</p>

The rise of digital media has caused transformations and new phenomena in different fields. In the digital age such branches as personal sports branding and nation branding has acquired new opportunities for development. The research focuses on representation of the personal sports brand of Zlatan Ibrahimovic on digital media platforms and its connection to the nation brand of Sweden. Previous research deals with existing studies on personal branding, personal sports branding in digital media, and nation branding. Theoretical framework includes appropriate concepts and perspectives that guide the analysis such as the TOPSTAR model, theory on types and specialization of personal brands, advertising, cultural branding and the nation brand of Sweden. The study combines different research techniques: quantitative content analysis and semiotics. The data is gathered from official accounts of Zlatan Ibrahimovic on social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and the mobile application Zlatan Unplugged. Furthermore, the data for analysis is also received from YouTube videos concerning two campaigns: the Volvo XC70 commercial and “805 million names” awareness campaign by World Food Program. The results of the research outline main characteristics of the personal sport brand, show differences in representation of the brand depending on digital media platform and identify the leading attributes of the personal sports brand. The investigation uncovers a connection between the personal sports brand of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and the nation brand of Sweden and shows how the personal sports brand functions on the cultural level. The thesis might be interesting for both researchers and practitioners in the spheres of media and communication studies, personal sports branding and nation branding.