REBRANDING GREECE: WHY NATION BRANDING MATTERS

Nation branding is an emerging concept with increased practical activity but fairly limited theory. Politicians engage actively in branding practices for their countries. Why do governments utilize certain branding strategies and ignore others? How have politicians come to perceive nation branding as a successful foreign policy strategy? This article seeks to examine the political aspect of nation branding and clarify the concept as a subset of international relations, and more specifically, its connection to public diplomacy. Finally, the article analyzes the case of Greece and the current branding campaign pursued by its government. What has Greece done in the past to enhance its brand and how is it going to resuscitate its image? Is nation branding a phenomenon that increases during a crisis? Through analyzing the Greek government’s policy choices, the article will assess the degree to which branding is one function of a nation’s image enhancement