Abstract
As Katja Valaskivi demonstrates in this insightful study, nationalism has far from disappeared from the agenda of contemporary media and culture. Rather than being swept away by processes of globalization, nations have become an integral part of the globalized market system: they are increasingly treated as ‘brands’ that can help states attract foreign investment and tourists, and which should be managed by strategic communication experts and public relations (PR) advisers. Valaskivi was attracted to the phenomenon of nation branding while serving as the Director of the Finnish Institute in Japan, at a point when Finland organized a nation branding campaign under the slogan ‘Feel Finland’; she then expanded her research to case studies of nation branding from three further countries: Sweden, Japan and the United Kingdom. Underpinning Valaskivi’s investigation is an apparent paradox that lies at the heart of nation branding: the proclaimed aim of nation branding is to create a distinct, unique identity, in order to gain a competitive edge in the world market, and yet at the same time, all campaigns seem to revolve around the same kind of imagery, encapsulated in the nation of ‘cool’, used as a shorthand for being modern, progressive, innovative, fashionable and creative. To put it differently, each nation is seeking to brand itself as unique, and yet all are relying on the same language and on similar techniques of branding. Over the course of the book, Valaskivi unpacks this apparent paradox by investigating four key aspects of nation branding across the chosen four case studies: Chapter 2 examines the development of the notion of ‘cool’, Chapter 3 introduces the main actors of nation branding (PR consultants, national politicians, business leaders, the media etc.) and their roles, Chapter 4 focuses on the strategies of manufacturing distinctiveness and authenticity and Chapter 5 investigates the ways in which nation branding projects seek to co-opt the domestic population. Throughout the analysis, Valaskivi adopts a pronounced critical approach to nation branding, points to its limits and omissions, addresses its role in enhancing stereotypes and in creating exclusion. These critical observations are drawn together in the concluding chapter, which reflects on the broader motivations and social consequences of nation branding.