People, Places, Power

Today's episode considers Italy, hailed by The Economist in December 2021 for its improvement but in the news in the summer of 2022 for political problems. Simon and Nick dissect elements of Italy's reputation noting both the advantages and pitfalls of its long significance in the cultural field. Simon compares Italy to fellow high-performer, Japan but asks whether and why Italy is seen as decorative rather than useful. Nick questions the role of the diaspora and the connection of Italy to the church as contributors to Italy's significance. Simon presents the profile of Italy in the Good Country Index where weakness in key fields in apparent. The conversation concludes with a discussion of policy responses to ensure that Italy's existing soft power is preserved to provide a future hedge of what Nick has termed 'reputational security.'

This episode looks at the role of environmental policy as a component of international image and the question of whether countries are following corporations and ‘greenwashing’: laying claim to environmental reputations that they don’t deserve. Cases discussed include Australia, the US and the countries of the Middle East, stuck with a reliance of fossil fuel extraction. Simon argues that whatever the reality the simple fact of the conversation around sustainability is positive as it contributes to a global bandwagon effect by which taking care of the environment is universally expected. Simon also suggests that a middle tier of what he calls 'Hipster Nations' which emphasize the environment has now emerged -- New Zealand, Costa Rica, Chile, Slovenia and so forth -- and are changing the global conversation. Nick looks at the long arc of environmental issues in post-Cold War propaganda and wonders what issues emerging today will be critical to reputations in the future.

In this episode Simon and Nick discuss the reputation of Mexico and the reasons for its relatively poor showing in the Nation Brands Index. They consider Mexican government strategies including the tendency to pay disproportionate attention to US opinion. Conversely Simon and Nick agree that the global image of Mexico remains a byproduct of Hollywood stereotyping. Nick bemoans Mexican missteps at recent World Expos. Turning to the Good Country index Simon argues that Mexico is underperforming in real terms even in areas of great strength such as culture. He argues that a strategy based on a more active global agenda will pay off in a better global image.

This episode considers the power implicit in the popularity or otherwise of particular languages on the world stage, beginning with the question of whether the Nation Brands Index is accurate in showing the admiration of English-speaking countries. Simon and Nick not the counter examples of admired countries whose languages are not global in the same way: Germany, Italy, and Japan, suggesting that having a global language is not a guarantee of global admiration, even if governments have often treated it as such. The conversation continues to consider the Chinese government's investment in the Confucius Institutes; France's work to maintain the Francophonie and the importance of language in British and US cultural diplomacy. Simon and Nick consider the likely impact of the Ukraine war on interest in learning Russian and end by considering the value of simply having a recognizable language as an extension of the country-of-origin effect, whether or not people know what the words actually mean. The pair agree that this is a resource for Japan, Italy, and others.

In this episode Nick and Simon respond to a listener's question about the impact of a potential collapse of the Northern Ireland peace agreement on the image of the UK. After discussing this question, the conversation broadens to include the difference between issues of elite relevance and issues of importance to 'ordinary people'. Simon and Nick discuss the benefits of collaboration and the difficulties in dramatizing issues of broad international relevance like the UN's Sustainable Development Goals to a global audience.

This episode revisits a key concept in the study of international image: the ‘country-of-origin effect’ by which countries can enhance the value of products made there and vice versa. Simon notes that an estimated 1/3 of all value in the world is locked in brand value and the desire of some developing countries to develop international brands. He recalls the successful case of Dilmah tea as a Sri Lankan brand. Nick recalls the success of Germany in repositioning its Country-of-Origin narrative from inexpensive manufactured goods in the late 19th century to its high-quality well-designed products in the early 20th century and since – a trajectory followed by Japan and now by China. They discuss brands which imply a false origin and recent attempts to protect an image as when Jamaica objected to Adidas using its national colors on shoes.

Inspired by media reports of the Turkish government attempting to assert the Turkish spelling of their name, this episode considers strategies of naming/renaming/spelling. Turkey’s move is discussed in the context of its history. Simon suggests four categories of renaming: the post-colonial shift to a more authentic local name as with Swaziland/Eswatini or Madras/Chennai; the attempt to be more memorable because one’s name is insufficiently distinct as when Slovenia considered Alpe-Adria; the power-play as when a regime rebrands key places (as with Astana/Nursultan) and the names of historical revival such as Israel. Nick argues that part of Czecholosvakia’s problem in the mid-20th century was the lack of resonance around its name. Simon notices that some languages have changed names while others keep older names longer. Italians still call Beijing ‘Pechino’ (the equivalent of ‘Peking’). Simon recalls the process by which Pakistan invented its name. Nick muses on whether some countries actually need a name change. Simon raises the issue of countries with multiple names (including the UK) and counties retaining a definite article in their name.

This episode takes an overall view of COVID 19 and its impact on reputation. Simon points out that the damage to reputations was only slight as most people really aren’t interested in the internal affairs of other places. Image seems to be following expectations. People assume that Sweden managed the pandemic well even though they didn’t. The later discussion highlights the importance of real global collaboration and the problems of misinformation/disinformation evident during the pandemic. Nick notes the problem of opinions which should have been lightly held becoming full components of political/tribal identity. Simon notes the problem of politicians learning that lying to the public has few consequences. They agree that flaws in media became highly visible. Simon expresses the hope that the negative example of collective responses to the pandemic might guide a better response to climate change. The discussion closes with a plea for more critical thinking.

In this episode Nick and Simon think about the reputation of transnational ideas and organizations, starting with religions. Nick recalls regimes which have actively asserted a religious affiliation. Simon notes that today most western countries seek to distance themselves from a religious identity and embrace an image of tolerance. Cases discussed include Saudi Arabia, Poland, and the historical strategies of the Vatican. Shifting to other transnational groupings, Simon notes that indigenous communities and small island nations around the world have begun to connect transnationally to collective benefit. Nick notes the absence of the usual zero-sum game in the collective work on indigenous communities. Other cases discussed include pan-African politics and people with disabilities. The conversation cycles back to religion and discussion of the benefit of religions collaborating to rethink the image of faith as a broad category in the 21st century. The podcast closes with a discussion of extremism as a universal problem and challenge of attempting moderation/modernization.

This episode considers the results of the Nation Brands Index for 2021. Issues include the limited post-Trump recovery of the US image, the declining image of Britain and improving image of Canada. Simon discussed the arrival of Iceland in the index and continued rise South Korea. This year's NBI research included questions about priority issues. Simon notes that poverty was the most serious issue for audiences in the Americas and Africa, while the Asia/Pacific prioritized climate. Other stories include Israel, Palestine, UAE and the striking public 'forgiveness' of China for mishandling COVID.