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The main objective of this study is to identify some of the variables that affect the perception of Brazil country brand, as well as the knowledge of the relationships between them.

The proposed model aims to find out the influence of the affective image, the cognitive image, the identity and the reputation on the country brand. Partial Least Squares (PLS) is the method used to test the proposed model.

According to the results obtained, it seems that both identity and reputation have a positive and significant effect on the country brand. On the other hand, the cognitive image is positively related to identity and the affective image, while it is surprising that the affective image itself shows no significant influence on identity.

The study is of particular interest to the policy makers of territories, explaining the factors they must influence in order to successfully enhance the country brand. It also contributes to theoretical development by proposing a conceptual model that highlights the importance of the cognitive image in the country brand, due to its effect on the affective image and identity.

El principal objetivo de este estudio es identificar algunas de las variables que inciden en la percepción de la marca país Brasil, así como el conocimiento de las relaciones entre ellos.

El modelo propuesto tiene como objetivo conocer la influencia de la imagen afectiva, la imagen cognitiva, la identidad y reputación en la marca país. El PLS (Partial Least Squares) es el método utilizado para probar el modelo propuesto.

Según los resultados obtenidos, parece que tanto la identidad como la reputación tienen un efecto positivo y significativo en la marca país. Por otro lado, la imagen cognitiva se relaciona positivamente con la identidad y la imagen afectiva, mientras que sorprende que la imagen afectiva en sí misma no muestra una influencia significativa sobre la identidad.

El estudio es de especial interés para los responsables políticos, ya que explica los factores que debe influir para potenciar con éxito la marca país. También contribuye al desarrollo teórico proponiendo un modelo conceptual que resalte la importancia de la imagen cognitiva en la marca país, por su efecto sobre la imagen e identidad afectiva.

The purpose of this paper is to present the first systematic approach toward brand development of the country of Slovenia. The approach was of a holistic nature as relevant areas (i.e. economy, tourism, culture, science, sport) and related key stakeholders that affect and co‐create the Slovenia brand had been determined in advance and invited to participate in building Slovenia's identity.

Specifically, the paper presents the results of creating the identity of the “I feel Slovenia” brand from the viewpoint of 30 Slovenian opinion leaders. The author invited experts to express their opinions through a Delphi method, which was repeated in two iterations. The results of both iterations are presented in the paper. Their opinions represented the first step of the process in developing identity elements of the Slovenia brand.

According to opinion leaders, the key idea of brand identity should be related to Slovenian nature, which should also be reasonably incorporated in other brand identity elements.

The development of brand identity with opinion leaders represents the first, but very important step towards a systematic process in developing the country brand of Slovenia.

The brand‐building process was executed on a real example of the country of Slovenia, which has never been a strong country brand. The paper could serve as a case study for other countries in central and eastern Europe, which have not worked seriously on their country brands until now.

This study aims to identify integrated marketing communication (IMC) antecedents and the consequences of planned brand identity in the context of higher education, and empirically test a number of hypotheses related to the constructs of these antecedents and consequences.

A model of the IMC antecedents and consequences of planned brand identity was tested in a survey conducted among stakeholders in two London-based universities. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was applied to gain insight into the various influences and relationships.

The study identifies and confirms key constructs in planned brand identity. IMC antecedents of planned brand identity, such as brand elements, service attributes, public relations and place/country of origin, were found to positively influence the planned brand identity consequences of awareness, image and reputation. However, websites, social media, advertising and direct marketing were not found to have significant influence.

The focus on two UK universities limits the generalisability of the findings. Future research should be conducted in other country settings to test the relationships identified in the present study. Also, future research may build on the study’s findings by investigating the attitudinal and behavioural consequences of brand identification in the higher education context.

Professionals responsible for universities’ promotional and branding activities need to evaluate the relative contributions of the IMC antecedents of planned brand identity. Brand elements such as design, colour and name, for example, should be reviewed to determine whether modifications are required in different international markets. The increasing prevalence of social media, one of the key antecedents of brand awareness, offers opportunities for universities to engage in brand co-creation by interacting with past, present and future students on relevant digital platforms. Finally, the place/country-of-origin cue is of particular relevance to institutions of higher education given the increasing numbers of students at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels who are choosing to study abroad (Melewar and Akel, 2005). The attraction of the UK as a country to study in, or the appeal of individual cities such as London, should be fully integrated into universities’ IMC strategies.

The study makes two main contributions. First is the theoretical contribution by identifying the core IMC antecedents and consequences of planned brand identity for universities and from this extrapolate key directions for future research. Second it is indicated that a number of managerial implications are designed to assist in the formulation of improved professional practice.

The purpose of this paper is to identify, compare and contrast different perspectives of Serbian residents and diaspora regarding Serbia brand identity.

Attitudinal statements for research design of study were collected within a period of 12 months from national media (TV and newspapers) and ten focus groups. Multiple surveying techniques consisting of on‐the‐filed and on‐line surveys were applied. In total, 900 responses were collected and results were analyzed using principal component; also 740 examinees with Serbian citizenship and permanent residence in Serbia participated in the survey and 160 examinees from diaspora.

Findings demonstrated that certain differences and similarities exist in the Serbia brand image perceptions between Serbian residents and diaspora. The first difference is reflected in the number of brand identity elements identified by each of the two examined groups. Diaspora identified four brand identity elements which are marked as mild nostalgia, business and pleasure destination, great cuisine and negative media bias; whilst residents identified six elements: people, obsolescence, negative media bias, cultural uniqueness, tourist destination and national treasure. The second difference, reflected in the mere content of the brand elements, is mainly determined by the fact that diaspora's perception is mainly influenced by the nostalgia, whilst residents’ perception is mainly influenced by national pride. These elements constantly interact to fulfil country brand promises to stakeholders.

The main constrains in this research study refer to small sample for diaspora and people living in Serbian countryside; people with a lower education are underrepresented.

The study suggests guidelines for long‐term brand strategy development for Serbia as a brand. Different framework of destination brand identity from resident and diaspora perspective can be of immense use to brand planners for identification of problems for better brand positioning of Serbia as a country.

The research results emphasize perceptions of Serbia brand identity from resident and diaspora perspective and provide better understanding of the main components for communicating country branding strategy for Serbia. Both groups hold the view that Serbia suffers from negative media bias but still stays a recommendable tourist destination and a place to be.

The objective of this research is to propose a framework which is apt to assess how a nation branding campaign could promote cultural identity by ultimately curbing political polarization.

By relying on a multidisciplinary approach that blends theoretical constructs from different fields the methodology is based on a mixed-method approach whereby the qualitative data stemming from a set of interviews with key-informants is coupled by a survey of Colombian citizens in order to gain in-depth insights over the impact of nation branding on political polarization.

From the findings, it emerges that a campaign based on nation branding and targeting domestic citizens could curb political polarization within Colombia, by also fostering cultural identity.

The study considers only Colombia. To fully assess the robustness of the framework it would be useful to extend the analysis to a broader range of countries and to a wider set of domestic issues.

The research not only provides in-depth insights on how nation branding can be used effectively in order to curb political polarization but also practical guidance on how a nation branding campaign can be effectively designed. The findings are relevant to policy-makers that have the opportunity to implement informed and educated nation branding campaigns not just overseas, but also to strategically address important domestic issues by engaging the domestic stakeholders.

While country branding has been extensively investigated within the context of international business, we have a relatively limited understanding of its domestic impact. In contrast to traditional country branding literature, this paper aims to theoretically advance our understanding of nation branding and its effect on political polarization, as well as gauging its impact on cultural identity.

The purpose of the present study is to propose identifying similar characteristics and managerial actions of the sector brand identity elements among the associations that compound the Brasil Fashion System (BFS) brand.

An exploratory qualitative research was developed through in-depth interviews conducted with associations of the Brazilian fashion sector.

The results indicate that there are characteristics of the elements of brand identity that are similar between the associations that compound the BFS brand. However, there are also several distinct characteristics among them, which makes it difficult, in large part, to consolidate the brand identity of the Brazilian fashion industry abroad.

Moreover, it was indicated that for sectorial brand cases with a great divergence among brand partners, the creation of sub-sectorial brand specific for each partner could bring better results, as in this way, brands could be created with more suitable attributes for each partner, which will better suit their target audiences.

A practical contribution is also obtained, as the study can help in elaborating upon improvements for the sectorial brands that represent a large partners group.

An empirical evidence of how to identify common attributes between sectorial brand partners was presented to have a consolidated brand image in the external market.

The purpose of this paper is to propose an identity model for sector brands and examines its applicability for the Brasil Fashion System brand.

A systematic review of the literature on corporate brand identity models is undertaken. The interviews were carried out with two interest groups: the associations comprising the brand, and the consultancy company responsible for sector brand advisory.

The sector brand identity model is applicable to the Brasil Fashion System brand with the exception of two elements. The application may have experienced some adversity because of the considerable divergence among the associations. In cases where the brand represents just one association, the application of the model may occur with more favorable element management.

Theoretical contribution occurred toward sector brands and brand identity with the development of an identity model for the sector brand, so far not addressed in academic studies.

When adopting the identity model for sector brands, managers would be able to understand the components that have to be managed on sector brand identity. The model can contribute to improve the management of these kinds of brands.

The academic studies of corporate brand identity models and sector brands are analyzed in order to create the first sector brand identity model that was experienced by the Brazilian fashion industry.

A new conceptualization of the process of country of origin (COO) branding based on fresh theoretical foundations is developed. This paper aims to provide a strategic perspective that integrates extant views of COO branding, based on identity and image, with a relational perspective based on a process approach to developing collective brand meaning.

A systematic review of the literature on COO branding and geographical indicators is undertaken, together with a review of contemporary research on branding. Our framework conceptualizes COO branding as an integrating process that aligns a network of relationships to co-create collective meaning for the brand’s value propositions.

An illustrative case study provides empirical evidence to support the new theoretical framework.

Issues for further research include exploring and refining the theoretical framework in other research contexts and investigating broader issues about how COO branding influences self and collective interests in business relationships and industry networks.

Adopting a broadened perspective of COO branding enables managers to understand how identity and image are integrated with their business relationships in the context of developing collective brand meaning. Providing a sustained strategic advantage for all network actors, an integrated COO branding process extends beyond developing a distinctive identity and image.

Accepted consumer, product, firm and place level perspectives of COO branding are challenged by developing and verifying a new integrated conceptualization of branding.

This study aims to analyze the business process management (BPM) applicability to a destination country-brand of a Latin American developing country and present a new process model for it.

This is a qualitative exploratory study whose unit of analysis is the BPM applicability to the destination country-brand of a Latin American developing country. Primary data were obtained through in-depth interview with the developing country's tourism international promotion agency. The secondary data were government reports and research papers on country-brand studies. Data analysis was carried out using stakeholder business context model, architecture processes, pain/gain matrix and BPMN for modelling.

The results present a new process model for country-brand management to reduce existing barriers. Three steps were carried out: analysis and modelling of the current processes of country-brand management; presentation of the current processes' problems and analysis and modelling of future processes country-brand management.

A theoretical contribution is provided in the literature on processes and country-brands since no previous studies relate these concepts and present a process-oriented management analysis for country-brands.

The main practical contribution was to identify the country-brand management problems, propose solutions to them and generate a new process model for country-brands that can be used as a managerial tool for national tourism organizations to improve their brands.

The present study is original as it approaches the first analysis of country-brand development with an emphasis on its process management.

The purpose of this study is to examine the branding strategies of SMEs from NIEs, juxtaposing the different strategies used to specifically target developed and developing countries with regard to brand-building approach, type and number of brands and degree of standardization.

A case-study approach is used. In-depth interviews are conducted with 10 Korean consumer-goods SMEs exporting their own in-house brands.

Clear differences emerge between the strategies of SMEs entering developed countries and those entering developing countries, particularly regarding brand identity development, use of foreign sales subsidiaries and number and types of brands used. The authors find an interaction effect between product characteristics and host market levels of economic development, both of which influenced the degree of product standardization.

This study is the first attempt to uncover the branding strategies of NIE consumer-goods SMEs. The findings contribute to the field by extending our understanding of branding strategies used by consumer-goods SMEs from NIEs, thereby providing useful insight for other NIE enterprises when establishing branding strategies aimed at foreign markets.