Heinrich Heine University of Düsseldorf, winter 2008/09
Prof. Dr. Oliver Zöllner

Course title: International communication: Nation-branding
Course module: European & international studies
Language of instruction: English
Dates: Course starts 17 October 2008. Subsequent dates: 31 Oct, 14 Nov, 5 Dec, 12 Dec 2008, 9 Jan, 30 Jan 2009
Fridays, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., bi-weekly
Venue: 23.02.U1.61
Electronic document server (Semesterapparat) here

About this course:

In the context of globalization and mediatization, nation-states are increasingly seen as marketable, immaterial goods. Like a global corporation or a commodified product, a nation-state can be 'branded', or so it seems. A brand focuses on image, reputation, and certain values. A country with a bad image or reputation, or one standing for values refused by the majority of relevant stakeholders, or a country with no image or reputation at all, will probably face problems in the global marketplace of awareness, may be left behind in the race for access to monetary and intellectual resources, and may therefore lose out in the sociopolitical arena of influence and power.

In this course we will look into concepts of nation-branding and related areas such as marketing, public relations and public diplomacy. Participants will develop research questions and will present examples of how certain nation-states actively go about branding themselves, with what kind of messages, for which target groups, and why they do this.

Requirements for a 'Beteiligungsnachweis' (BN) are regular attendance plus a presentation; those wishing to take an 'Abschlussprüfung' (AP) will need to write an additional term paper. This will be a course for an active, research-loving audience - if you prefer to be entertained, you'd rather stay home and watch television instead.


Reading list:
[green = recommended key texts]

I. OVERVIEWS, INTRODUCTIONS, CONTEXT

Anholt, Simon (2007): Competitive identity: The new brand management for nations, cities and regions. Basingstoke, New York.
Castells, Manuel (2008): The new public sphere: Global civil society, communication networks, and global governance. In: The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Vol. 616, No. 1, 78-93.
Dinnie, Keith (2008): Nation branding: Concepts, issues, practice. Oxford.
Fortner, Robert S. (1993): International communication: History, conflict, and control of the global metropolis. Belmont.
Gläser, Martin (2008): Medienmanagement. München.
Hepp, Andreas (2006): Transkulturelle Kommunikation. Konstanz.
McPhail, Thomas L. (2006): Global communication: Theories, stakeholders, and trends. 2nd ed. Malden.
Olins, Wally (2002): Branding the nation - the historical context. In: Journal of Brand Management, Vol. 9, No. 4-5, pp. 241-248.
Sriramesh, Krishnamurthy / Verčič, Dejan (eds.) (2003): The global public relations handbook: Theory, research, and practice. Mahwah (N.J.), London.
Thussu, Daya Kishan (2006): International communication: Continuity and change. 2nd ed. London.
Snow, Nancy / Taylor, Philip M. (eds.) (2009): The Routledge handbook of public diplomacy. New York, London.

II. THEORY DEVELOPMENT

Anholt, Simon (2006): Public diplomacy and place branding: Where's the link? In: Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, Vol. 2, 271-275.
Anholt, Simon (2007): Competitive identity: The new brand management for nations, cities and regions. Basingstoke, New York.
Anholt, Simon (2008): Place branding: Is it marketing, or isn't it? In: Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, Vol. 4, 1-6.
Curtin, Patricia A. / Gaither, T. Kenn (2007): International public relations: Negotiating culture, identity, and power. Thousand Oaks, London, New Delhi.
Dinnie, Keith (2008): Nation branding: Concepts, issues, practice. Oxford.
Dinnie, Keith (n.d.): Identity and image of nations. Internet resource: http://www.icetrade.is/resources/files/icetrade.is/identity-and-image-of-nations.pdf
Gilboa, Eytan (2000): Mass communication and diplomacy: A theoretical framework. In: Communication Theory, Vol. 10, No. 3, 275-309.
Gilboa, Eytan (2002): Global communication and foreign policy. In: Journal of Communication, Vol. 52, No. 4, 31-748.
Hanna, Sonya / Rowley, Jennifer (2008): An analysis of terminolgy use in place branding. In: Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, Vol. 4, 61-75.
Horisberger, Marc (2002): Entstehung und Gestaltung von Nationenimages. Eine theoretische und empirische Analyse staatlicher Imagepflege im Ausland aus kommunikationswissenschaftlicher Perspektive. Diss., Univ. Freiburg (Schweiz).
Kotler, Philip / Gertner, David (2002): Country as brand, product, and beyond: A place marketing and brand management perspective. In: Journal of Brand Management, Vol. 9, No. 4-5, pp. 249-261.
Kunczik, Michael (1989): Public Relations für Staaten. Die Imagepflege von Nationen als Aspekt der internationalen Kommunikation: Zum Forschungsstand. In: Max Kaase/Winfried Schulz (Hrsg.): Massenkommunikation. Theorien, Methoden, Befunde. Opladen: Westdeutscher Verlag (= Sonderheft 30 der Kölner Zeitschrift für Soziologie und Sozialpsychologie), 165-184.
Kunczik, Michael (1990): Die manipulierte Meinung. Nationale Image-Politik und internationale Public Relations. Köln.
Kunczik, Michael (2003): Transnational public relations by foreign governments. In: Krishnamurthy Sriramesh / Dejan Verčič (eds.): The global public relations handbook: Theory, research, and practice. Mahwah, NJ, London 2003, 399-424.
Leonard, Mark [with Catherine Stead and Conrad Smewing] (2002): Public diplomacy. London.
Lord, Carnes (2006): Losing hearts and minds? Public diplomacy and strategic influence in the age of terror. Westport, CT.
Maaß, Kurt-Jürgen (Hrsg.) (2005): Kultur und Außenpolitik. Handbuch für Studium und Praxis. Baden-Baden.
Melissen, Jan (2006): How has place branding developed? Opinion piece. Internet resource: http://www.clingendael.nl/publications/2006/20060400_cdsp_art_melissen.pdf [Originally published in Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, Vol. 2, No. 1].
Skinner, Heather / Kubacki, Krzysztof (2007): Unravelling the complex relationship between nationhood, national and cultural identity, and place branding. In: Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, Vol. 3, 305-316.
Szondi, Gyorgy (2008): Public diplomacy and nation branding: Conceptual similarities and differences. The Hague. Internet resource: http://www.clingendael.nl/publications/2008/20081022_pap_in_dip_nation_branding.pdf
van Ham, Peter (2008): Place branding: The state of the art. In: The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Vol. 616, No. 1, 126-149.
Widler, Janine (2007): Nation branding: With pride against prejudice. In: Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, Vol. 3, 144-150.

III. CASE STUDIES

Anholt, Simon (2007): 'Brand Europe' - Where next? In: Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, Vol. 3, 115-119.
Aveline, Julie (2006): Branding Europe? Branding, design and post-national loyalties. In: Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, Vol. 2, 334-340.
Berkowitz, Pere et al. (2007): Brand China: Using the 2008 Olympic Games to enhance China's image. In: Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, Vol. 3, 164-178.
Cooper Ramo, Joshua (2007): Brand China. London.
Dinnie, Keith (2008): Nation branding: Concepts, issues, practice. Oxford.
Fullerton, Jami et al. (2007): Attitudes towards American brands and Brand America. In: Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, Vol. 3, 205-212.
Fullerton, Jami et al. (2008): Brand Borat? Americans' reaction to a Kazakhstani place branding campaign. In: Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, Vol. 4, 159-168.
Garbacz Rawson, Elizabeth A. (2007): Perceptions of the United States of America: Exploring the political brand of a nation. In: Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, Vol. 3, 213-221.
Gilmore, Fiona (2002): A country - can it be repositioned? Spain - the success story of country branding. In: Journal of Brand Management, Vol. 9, No. 4-5, pp. 281-293.
Gregory, James R. (2002): Branding across borders: A guide to global brand marketing. Chicago, New York, San Franciso.
Hall, Derek (2002): Brand development, tourism and national identity: The re-imaging of former Yugoslavia. In: Journal of Brand Management, Vol. 9, No. 4-5, pp. 323-334.
Heller, Steven (2008): Iron fists: Branding the 20th-century totalitarian state. London, Berlin.
Horisberger, Marc (2002): Entstehung und Gestaltung von Nationenimages. Eine theoretische und empirische Analyse staatlicher Imagepflege im Ausland aus kommunikationswissenschaftlicher Perspektive. Diss., Univ. Freiburg (Schweiz).
Kemming, Jan Dirk / Sandikci, Özlem (2007): Turkey's EU accession as a question of nation brand image. In: Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, Vol. 3, 31-41.
Martinović, Stjepo (2002): Branding Hrvatska - a mixed blessing that might succeed: The advantage of being unrecognisable. In: Journal of Brand Management, Vol. 9, No. 4-5, pp. 315-322.
Morgan, Nigel, et al. (2002): New Zealand, 100% pure. The creation of a powerful niche destination brand. In: Journal of Brand Management, Vol. 9, No. 4-5, pp. 335-354.
Nuttavuthisit, Krittinee (2007): Branding Thailand: Correcting the negative image of sex tourism. In: Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, Vol. 3, 21-30.
Olins, Wally (2005): Making a national brand. In: Jan Melissen (ed.): The new public diplomacy: Soft power in international relations. Basingstoke, New York, pp. 169-179.
Sinha Roy, Ishita (2007): Worlds Apart: Nation-branding on the National Geographic Channel. In: Media, Culture and Society, Vol. 29, No. 4, 569-592.
Sudjic, Deyan (2006): The edifice complex: How the rich and powerful shape the world. London. [Chapter 6: Inventing a nation, pp. 155-188].
Szondi, György (2007): The role and challenges of country branding in transition countries: The Central and Eastern European experience. In: Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, Vol. 3, 8-20.
Zerrillo, Philip C. / Thomas, Gregory Metz (2007): Developing brands and emerging markets: An empirical application. In: Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, Vol. 3, 86-99.


» Helpful Internet resources for locating relevant books and articles:
» Elektronischer Semesterapparat
» Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek Düsseldorf
» Karlsruher Virtueller Katalog
» Jahres-Aufsatznachweise der WDR-Bibliothek zu Hörfunk und Fernsehen
» Directory of Open Access Journals
» Thematische Bibliografie der Bibliothek des Instituts für Auslandsbeziehungen (ifa), Stuttgart
» Center on Public Diplomacy, University of Southern California (USA)
» The Foreign Policy Centre (UK)
» IdentityLab (Germany)
» Association for Place Branding and Public Diplomacy (Germany) → Section "In the Media"
» Journal: 'Place Branding and Public Diplomacy" (ISSN 1751-8040)
» FutureBrand's Country Brand Index
» Anholt-GfK Roper's Nation Brands Index
» Szarek, Danuta (2006): 'Nation Branding': Der Staat als Marke [Interview with Simon Anholt]. DW-WORLD.de