Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Nation branding as an emerging field – An institutionalist perspective

Merkelsen, Henrik LU and Kjaergaard Rasmussen, Rasmus (2016) In Place Branding and Public Diplomacy 12(2-3). p.99-109
Abstract
Nation branding is a remarkable phenomenon. In less than two decades, it has established itself as the preferred framework for interstate strategic communication and as an emerging academic field. The paper describes how this extraordinary expansion was possible by showing how nation branding presents itself as a theoretical possibility and a practical necessity. We propose that what made a travel possible from product branding via corporate branding to nation branding was the semantic flexibility of the brand concept. We argue that the brand concept is almost void of meaning and that this feature has been an indispensable requisite for establishing nation branding as a field of practice and as an academic field. Despite the indisputable... (More)
Nation branding is a remarkable phenomenon. In less than two decades, it has established itself as the preferred framework for interstate strategic communication and as an emerging academic field. The paper describes how this extraordinary expansion was possible by showing how nation branding presents itself as a theoretical possibility and a practical necessity. We propose that what made a travel possible from product branding via corporate branding to nation branding was the semantic flexibility of the brand concept. We argue that the brand concept is almost void of meaning and that this feature has been an indispensable requisite for establishing nation branding as a field of practice and as an academic field. Despite the indisputable academic productivity that is a result of the vagueness of the brand concept, we suggest that to reach a normal science-like situation in the field of nation branding a clarification and systematization of central concepts is needed. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Nation branding, Brand concept, Scandinavian institutionalism, theory and practice
in
Place Branding and Public Diplomacy
volume
12
issue
2-3
pages
11 pages
publisher
Palgrave Macmillan
external identifiers
  • scopus:85026364261
ISSN
1751-8040
DOI
10.1057/s41254-016-0018-6
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
1c365290-5645-42a4-9786-e03184e02a35
date added to LUP
2016-12-20 15:27:32
date last changed
2022-04-01 05:06:39
@article{1c365290-5645-42a4-9786-e03184e02a35,
  abstract     = {{Nation branding is a remarkable phenomenon. In less than two decades, it has established itself as the preferred framework for interstate strategic communication and as an emerging academic field. The paper describes how this extraordinary expansion was possible by showing how nation branding presents itself as a theoretical possibility and a practical necessity. We propose that what made a travel possible from product branding via corporate branding to nation branding was the semantic flexibility of the brand concept. We argue that the brand concept is almost void of meaning and that this feature has been an indispensable requisite for establishing nation branding as a field of practice and as an academic field. Despite the indisputable academic productivity that is a result of the vagueness of the brand concept, we suggest that to reach a normal science-like situation in the field of nation branding a clarification and systematization of central concepts is needed.}},
  author       = {{Merkelsen, Henrik and Kjaergaard Rasmussen, Rasmus}},
  issn         = {{1751-8040}},
  keywords     = {{Nation branding; Brand concept; Scandinavian institutionalism; theory and practice}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{07}},
  number       = {{2-3}},
  pages        = {{99--109}},
  publisher    = {{Palgrave Macmillan}},
  series       = {{Place Branding and Public Diplomacy}},
  title        = {{Nation branding as an emerging field – An institutionalist perspective}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/s41254-016-0018-6}},
  doi          = {{10.1057/s41254-016-0018-6}},
  volume       = {{12}},
  year         = {{2016}},
}