U.S. Is Number One Global Country Brand, Survey Says
FutureBrand, an international brand consulting group, uses business and vacation travelers to rank 102 countries in an online survey. Last year, the U.S. was ranked third behind perennial favorite Australia, and Canada.
"It's logical to assume that the shift in the political climate and renewed optimism surrounding the election of President Obama was a key influencer in the U.S. topping the list," René A. Mack said in a press release. Mack is president of Weber Shandwick's Travel & Lifestyle Global Practice, a public relations firm which partnered with FutureBrand in conducting the survey.
5356466"It will be very interesting to see the U.S.'s performance next year and understand if this was a halo effect of a new president, or if the country can actually capitalize on this opportunity to better create a strong brand," Mack added.
FutureBrand pits country against country in fields such as arts & culture, business, best place to raise a family and environmentalism.
"The revitalization of Brand USA, and other factors, have resulted in the effect on Australia's ranking," Tim Riches, CEO FutureBrand Singapore, told Reuters.
As far as the rest of the list, Canada came in at number two and can expect plenty of attention as it prepares for the 2010 Vancouver winter Olympics. Australia, New Zealand, and France rounded out the top five.
Interestingly, among the individual survey categories where the U.S. did not rank first was "Best Country Brand for Political Freedom," led by Canada (the U.S. did not even make the top five). But the U.S. leads in having the "Best Country Brand Ideal for Business," and it comes as second after Japan in being the best for quality products. On the topics of family life, nightlife and shopping, the U.S. also was among the top three.
Other notes from the survey: If you are planning to spend your holiday vacation abroad, you may want to check out Fiji's "friendly locals," Germany's "ease of travel," and France for "fine dining."
The survey's sponsors say that today's international travelers are "thinking like financial analysts in choosing destinations and properties," carefully searching for the best value in a country, while maintaining a tight budget.
"The days of countries marketing themselves with travel posters are over," Mack told Reuters.