Singapore tops the Asian ranking of country brands : Futurebrand, BBC

The
 five
 key
 dimensions
 that
 make
 up
 a
 country
 brand include tourism,
 heritage
 and
 culture,
 good
 for
 business,
 value
 system
 and
 quality
 of
 life.
 In
 order
 for
 country
 brands
 to
 perform
 in
 today’s
 increasingly
 connected
 world,
 it
 is
 not
 sufficient
 to
 focus
 on
 only
 one
 dimension.

The
 best
 country
 brands
 have
 shaped
 brand
 images 
that 
span
 multiple
 dimensions,
 while
 the 
weakest
 country
 brands 
do 
not 
have
 recognisable
 profiles 
in
 any 
dimension.

Singapore was the only Asian country mentioned in the good for business and quality of life dimension.

Assessed across
 26
 image
 attributes
 and
 six
 measures
 of
 brand
 strength,
 the
 role
 of
 media
 freedom
 was the key
 driver
 of
 positive
 perceptions
 of
 a
 country.
 


Globally, Canada, which ranked second, topped the country brand index, replacing the United States. Singapore which previously ranked 13th moved down two places to 15.

Aside from Singapore, the only other Asian country mentioned in the top 20 ranking was Maldives.

Falling
 stars
 for 
2010
:

Greece (#22,
 minus
 eight)
 presents
 the
 most
 conspicuous
 shift,
 dropping
 eight
 places
 from
 14
 to
 22,
 set
 against
 a
 high‐profile
 financial
 crisis
 and
 subsequent
 industrial
 relations
 problems
 following
 government
 spending
 cuts
 and
 tax
 increases.


India (#23,
 minus
 five)
 is
 another
 falling
 brand,
 dropping
 five
 places
 to
 23
 this
 year,
 straight
 off
 the
 back
 of
 negative
 global
 media
 coverage
 of
 health
 and
 safety
 concerns
 at
 this
 year’s
 Delhi
 Commonwealth
 Games,
 as
 well
 as
 tourist
 attacks
 leading
 up
 to
 the
 event.



Spain (#10,
 minus four)
 and
 Ireland
 move
 down
 the
 table,
 showing
 that
 even
 traditionally
 strong
 tourist
 destinations
 are
 not
 immune
 to
 shifting
 brand
 strength 
in
 straightened
 economic
 times.



Italy (#12,
 minus
 six)
 also
 falls
 down
 the
 ranking
 despite
 increased
 efforts
 to
 boost
 tourism
 this
 year
 with
 high
 profile
 internal
 and
 external
 advertising
 initiatives
 featuring
 the
 prime
 minister
 himself.
 However,
 this
 is
 set
 against
 a
 backdrop
 of
 sustained
 criticism
 of
 Silvio
 Berlusconi’s 
premiership
 and
 the
 financial
 difficulties
 the
 country
 has
 faced 
in
 the
 global
 economic 
crisis.


China (#56,
 minus eight)
 The
 Olympic
 effect
 seems
 not
 to
 have
 lasted
 long
 for
 China,
 with
 2010
 bringing
 public
 relations
 challenges
 around
 post‐Copenhagen
 environmental
 impact
 and
 high‐profile
 censorship
 battles
 with
 Google.
 A
 fall 
for 
China 
despite 
its 
promotion 
to
 the
 second‐largest
 economy
 shows
 that 
financial
 growth
 is
 no
 guarantee
 of 
brand
 strength.



UAE (#28,
 minus five)
 While
 Tourism
 metrics
 overall
 remain
 relatively
 strong,
 falls
 in
 preference
 and
 consideration
 contribute
 to
 brand
 UAE’s
 decline
 in
 2010.

Russia (#81,
 minus nine) Anti‐government
 protests
 surrounding
 March
 elections,
 ongoing
 corruption
 scandals
 and
 economic
 uncertainty
 provide
 the
 backdrop
 to
 a
 steep
 fall
 for
 Russia
 this
 year.

Country Brand Index