Nations as Brands: Why Justin Trudeau is Bigger Than Kim Kardashian

In a year where expectations have only brought the unexpected, the nexus between brands and nations has never been more visible. Consider this:

• A brand (Donald Trump) just won the US Presidency, and more “brands” (Oprah, “Disney”) just might be in the running in 2020.
• Budweiser rebranded itself as “America” this summer and, just a few weeks ago, became an unofficial global spokesperson for the American Dream with its Super Bowl ad.
• Justin Trudeau, not Kim Kardashian, is now breaking the internet.

We typically associate brands with products we sell — inanimate objects. I think you would agree, however, that people are brands, too, whether they are Hollywood stars, reality show personalities, celebrities or politicians. And the truth is, there is also a deep connection between nations and brands, people and brands, that we all might have done well to pay attention to more closely this year. Brands are, after all, the sum of what people think about them, good or bad. And that sounds awfully like a nation’s reputation, both at home and abroad.

Just over a year ago, I was at the World Economic Forum at Davos, as we launched the inaugural Best Countries report (a first-ever quantitative rankings study and platform done on nations as brands in partnership with U.S. News & World Report and the Wharton School). We said then that nations as brands are an idea as old as time (think what ancient Rome or Egypt conjure up in your imagination). Understanding them as brands, then, could have tremendous implications for business, politics, economics, culture and, even, social change.

Today, the second installment of our rankings and overall study launched (you can see them here). And this year, we spoke to over 21,000 citizens and influentials worldwide, who rated 80 countries, 20 more than last, across 75 dimensions. The data has many lessons for global leaders – and also for global marketers, as well as anyone who wants to understand and run with the insights. And never has there been a more important time to pay attention.

Here’s a taste of what we found:

The chaos of 2016 was real, and impactful:

• Germany – last year’s #1 country - dropped to #4 as power dynamics in Europe shifted and issues like the refugee crisis and terrorism took center stage.
• The US experienced a significant decline in its brand after the election (from #4 to #7, falling on some of the most important nation-brand metrics: global citizenship, quality of life, and being “open for business”).

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• Switzerland - the world’s neutral peacemaker – made its rankings debut in the #1 spot. Despite some economic and political fluctuations, its strong brand identity sustains its luster.
• The UK, despite potential Brexit turmoil, maintained its #3 standing. This speaks to the UK’s reputation as a hub of global trade, which is here to stay. Global business leaders (who, by the way, rated it the #2 country in the world!) have faith.
• Japan quietly found its way into the top 5 this year, because it maintained its reputation as an entrepreneurial country with momentum (#2 and #5 in the world, respectively, two years in a row). Staying out of the fray, it’s leaned into a long-standing legacy that still resonates today.

In today’s world, a nation’s voice is not only heard coming from a Julius Caesar, but, thanks to the ubiquity of digital platforms, from just about everyone, including product brands that have a great story to tell, linked to their country of origin, like Budweiser did. We are all stewards of our brands — personal, business or national — and knowledge, as they say, is power. 

Best Countries tells the story of countries doing it best and some who are in danger of doing it badly. And, because it is the second year of reporting, there some interesting insights about why some countries propelled forward or fell from grace. There are stories and lessons for everyone — whether you are glued to the news or making it yourself. Go on the journey and let us know what you think.

Check out Best Countries at www.usnews.com/news/best-countries. And find more Best Countries analysis here.

Read more about key highlights in The New York Times.