Post on 25-Jun-2015
contact@bloom-consulting.com / +34 91 308 0286 (CET)Bloom Consulting © 2003 - 2011 Page 01
Bloom Consulting Country Brand Ranking ©2011 TOURISM - TOP 25 Performers Edition
Development of CountriesHuman Asset ManagementBusiness Strategy
One of the key differences in the Bloom Consulting Country Brand Ranking© and Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating© is the use of facts and official data as opposedto surveys and interviews. It combines hard data, such as economic indicators and country characteristics, along with communication strategies, giving birth to the Bloom Consulting Algorithm.A consistent use of official and recognized sources
More than one source of information has been used throughout this project to elaborate the global ranking. The United Nations (UN) provided a comprehensive list of 193 countries*, which enabled us to avoid any bias in selecting and identifying specific territories.
The economic variables selected to measure the performance of the countries were taken from the World Bank (WB). This ranking uses 2009 data, the latest data available from all sources.
The communication strategies used by countries to attract tourism were taken from the Tourism Board Organizations (TBOs) of the respective countries associated with the World Tourism Organisation.When these TBOs were not accessible through the Word Tourism Organisation,information was gathered from embassies .
It can therefore be confirmed, that through the consistent use of official internationallyrecognized sources, the data used is current and accurate.
A revised and validated use of data
With these sources at our disposal, we collected the country brand strategy information of each country in order to understand how the country brand wishes to be perceived.
Naturally, the quality of the data used throughout this project is crucial. For this reason, the research methodology includes a two-step approach to checking the information. Only confirmed and official data through the World Bank, World Tourism Organization, and the United Nations has been used. Moreover, all TBOs have been contacted by email and telephone in order to verify the veracity of our information.
Our methodology assumes that the communication strategies used by TBOs are accurate. We do not question their authenticity as this is not the purpose of the study, we are only inter-ested in the impact they have on a countries’ economy. Even though some countries may choose to promote aspects that differ slightly from reality, this behavior is rare and eventually would have a negative impact on their tourism and their country branding.
This study examines 157 countries; it was not possible to include all 193 countries supplied by the UN. If a country did not promote any significant messages or if economic data was not accessible, then they were eliminated from the study.
An explanatory and comprehensive clustering of communication strategies
All country branding strategies are heavily reliant on the chosen communication strategies as they have a huge impact on the country's performance. Overall, more than 3,000 messages have been collected from official sources, and implemented as a basis of information throughout this report.
A country branding rating factor is derived from theBloom Consulting Algorithm which is designed to recalculate the rating factor depending on the eco-nomic performance and the communication strategy chosen by each country.
Therefore, we can conclude that the Bloom Consulting Algorithm cannot be manipulated by any single action.Bloom Consulting has created the Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating © in order to evaluate the effectiveness of a country‘s chosen communication strategy.
The relationship between communication strategies and economic wealth varies substantially between geographic locations and economic development stages. Therefore, these factors, along with the number of countries within each sector and the repetition rate of each message within each communication strategy, were taken into account. This ensured that we could derive an accurate and just algorithm in order to designate each country with a rating factor, a country coefficient detailing the effectiveness of its communication strategy.
The Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating © scale has classified the rating factors into7 categories according to the effectiveness of a country’s communication strategy.
Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating © Categories Rating
Bloom Consulting, has created this World Ranking in order to answer the fundamental issue at the heart of every country, corporation and soul: how does one become attractive? Luckily, the rationale behind such a question for a nation is quite simple. A country wishes to draw the interest of people in order to create wealth. In other words, the purpose of country branding is to bring economic growth.
countrybranding@bloom-consulting.com / +34 91 308 0286 (CET)Bloom Consulting © 2003 - 2011 Page 01
This rating reflects the effectiveness of the top 25 performers chosen communication strategies.
Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating © Top 25 Countries 2011 - Tourism Rating
The top 5 country branding performers have all achieved positive rating factors; however so have other countries located further down the ranking. Countries such as China, Australia, Aus-tria, and Egypt all have a major positive rating factor due to the use of the most effective com-munication strategy.On the other hand, the Netherlands, Russia, and Japan all received a neutral rating, while Canada scored the lowest and the only negative rating factor despite making it into the top 25 global ranking. This is because, even though they attract a lot of renenue through tourists, they could be using a more effective communication strategy and attract even more.
50% of all countries tend to use the same type of communication strategy regardless of geographic location. The majority choose to communicate messages related to cultural tourism, and leisure and entertainment.
The extent to which countries make use of messages, which messages they communicate, and the number of messages they use among other key facts, varies greatly from region to region. Most countries use different strategies when branding themselves.
Country branding differentiation can be achieved through the various messages a country decides to communicate, all with the same intent, attracting tourists. In particular, the level of differentiation varies from country to country. There are countries that have a high or low differ-entiation rate based on the communication strategy they use, which allows us to see how many other countries use the same communication strategy.
The most popular communication strategies worldwide are also the most popular communica-tion strategies within every region with the exception of Oceania. Oceania’s most popular mes-sages also include water sports and fishing. All of the messages in Table 1 have been used in the communication strategy of more than 40% of countries worldwide.
Table1. Most popular messages used in a country‘s communication strategy - World1. Cultural Tourism 77%2. Leisure and Entertainment 69%3. Natual Features 53%4. Beautiful Destination 46%5. Sports Activities 43%
In fact, using popular messages does not guarantee a positive impact on the country branding strategy; actually, it’s the opposite. With the exception of cultural tourism, the most valuable messages according to the Bloom Consulting Algorithm © factor are not the most popular.
Table2. Most valuable messages used in a country‘s communication strategy - World 1. Gastronomy2. Relaxed Environment3. Urban and Rural Tourism4. Adventure Tourism5. Cultural Tourism
Communication strategies related to gastronomy are the most valued in the international arena. Other valued messages help to communicate such aspects of a country as relaxed environment and urban and rural tourism. Out of the top 5 most valuable messages, only cultural tourism is on the list of the most frequently repeated messages worldwide.
The communication strategies mentioned above are the ones that work best in the global arena. However, we know that a regional approach is needed and that the most valuable messages in each communication strategy vary from continent to continent. In Asia, Africa, and Oceania the messages communicated follow the same trend. However, in Latin America and Europe they use messages related to leisure and entertainment while in North America they use messages associ-ated with winter sports.
Bloom Consulting Country Brand Ranking Top 25 Countries 2011 – Tourism
The list of top country branding performers includes countries from all over the world. The US ranks first worldwide while European and Asian countries dominate the top 25. All other conti-nents are only represented by Australia, Egypt, and Mexico.
With the help of powerful multivariate statistical analysis tools, we successfully identified correlations between a country’s level of success in tourism and the perception that the country projects through its communication strategy. Case-differential tables, as well as matrices, were used to better comprehend the most significant relationships found, leadingto the Bloom Consulting Algorithm.
Hence, we present a ranking which positions a country brand according to its economic performance based on previous economic history and the Bloom Consulting Algorithm; a process which as yet, has never been done before. It is safe to say that our research has indicated that countries lack differentiation when it comes to attracting potential tourists. It is also proven that the most popular communication strategies are not the most effective. Tourists are looking beyond the traditional reasons to visit a country and are more inclined to try new experiences. This provides a great opportunity for countries to differentiate themselves.
Bloom Consulting Country Brand Ranking © 2011 TOURISM - TOP 25 Performers Edition
Development of CountriesHuman Asset ManagementBusiness Strategy
2011TOURISMTOP 25 PerformersEdition
One of the key differences in the Bloom Consulting Country Brand Ranking© and Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating© is the use of facts and official data as opposedto surveys and interviews. It combines hard data, such as economic indicators and country characteristics, along with communication strategies, giving birth to the Bloom Consulting Algorithm.A consistent use of official and recognized sources
More than one source of information has been used throughout this project to elaborate the global ranking. The United Nations (UN) provided a comprehensive list of 193 countries*, which enabled us to avoid any bias in selecting and identifying specific territories.
The economic variables selected to measure the performance of the countries were taken from the World Bank (WB). This ranking uses 2009 data, the latest data available from all sources.
The communication strategies used by countries to attract tourism were taken from the Tourism Board Organizations (TBOs) of the respective countries associated with the World Tourism Organisation.When these TBOs were not accessible through the Word Tourism Organisation,information was gathered from embassies .
It can therefore be confirmed, that through the consistent use of official internationallyrecognized sources, the data used is current and accurate.
A revised and validated use of data
With these sources at our disposal, we collected the country brand strategy information of each country in order to understand how the country brand wishes to be perceived.
Naturally, the quality of the data used throughout this project is crucial. For this reason, the research methodology includes a two-step approach to checking the information. Only confirmed and official data through the World Bank, World Tourism Organization, and the United Nations has been used. Moreover, all TBOs have been contacted by email and telephone in order to verify the veracity of our information.
Our methodology assumes that the communication strategies used by TBOs are accurate. We do not question their authenticity as this is not the purpose of the study, we are only inter-ested in the impact they have on a countries’ economy. Even though some countries may choose to promote aspects that differ slightly from reality, this behavior is rare and eventually would have a negative impact on their tourism and their country branding.
This study examines 157 countries; it was not possible to include all 193 countries supplied by the UN. If a country did not promote any significant messages or if economic data was not accessible, then they were eliminated from the study.
An explanatory and comprehensive clustering of communication strategies
All country branding strategies are heavily reliant on the chosen communication strategies as they have a huge impact on the country's performance. Overall, more than 3,000 messages have been collected from official sources, and implemented as a basis of information throughout this report.
A country branding rating factor is derived from theBloom Consulting Algorithm which is designed to recalculate the rating factor depending on the eco-nomic performance and the communication strategy chosen by each country.
Therefore, we can conclude that the Bloom Consulting Algorithm cannot be manipulated by any single action.Bloom Consulting has created the Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating © in order to evaluate the effectiveness of a country‘s chosen communication strategy.
The relationship between communication strategies and economic wealth varies substantially between geographic locations and economic development stages. Therefore, these factors, along with the number of countries within each sector and the repetition rate of each message within each communication strategy, were taken into account. This ensured that we could derive an accurate and just algorithm in order to designate each country with a rating factor, a country coefficient detailing the effectiveness of its communication strategy.
The Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating © scale has classified the rating factors into7 categories according to the effectiveness of a country’s communication strategy.
Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating © Categories Rating
This rating reflects the effectiveness of the top 25 performers chosen communication strategies.
Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating © Top 25 Countries 2011 - Tourism Rating
The top 5 country branding performers have all achieved positive rating factors; however so have other countries located further down the ranking. Countries such as China, Australia, Aus-tria, and Egypt all have a major positive rating factor due to the use of the most effective com-munication strategy.On the other hand, the Netherlands, Russia, and Japan all received a neutral rating, while Canada scored the lowest and the only negative rating factor despite making it into the top 25 global ranking. This is because, even though they attract a lot of renenue through tourists, they could be using a more effective communication strategy and attract even more.
50% of all countries tend to use the same type of communication strategy regardless of geographic location. The majority choose to communicate messages related to cultural tourism, and leisure and entertainment.
The extent to which countries make use of messages, which messages they communicate, and the number of messages they use among other key facts, varies greatly from region to region. Most countries use different strategies when branding themselves.
Country branding differentiation can be achieved through the various messages a country decides to communicate, all with the same intent, attracting tourists. In particular, the level of differentiation varies from country to country. There are countries that have a high or low differ-entiation rate based on the communication strategy they use, which allows us to see how many other countries use the same communication strategy.
The most popular communication strategies worldwide are also the most popular communica-tion strategies within every region with the exception of Oceania. Oceania’s most popular mes-sages also include water sports and fishing. All of the messages in Table 1 have been used in the communication strategy of more than 40% of countries worldwide.
Table1. Most popular messages used in a country‘s communication strategy - World1. Cultural Tourism 77%2. Leisure and Entertainment 69%3. Natual Features 53%4. Beautiful Destination 46%5. Sports Activities 43%
In fact, using popular messages does not guarantee a positive impact on the country branding strategy; actually, it’s the opposite. With the exception of cultural tourism, the most valuable messages according to the Bloom Consulting Algorithm © factor are not the most popular.
Table2. Most valuable messages used in a country‘s communication strategy - World 1. Gastronomy2. Relaxed Environment3. Urban and Rural Tourism4. Adventure Tourism5. Cultural Tourism
Communication strategies related to gastronomy are the most valued in the international arena. Other valued messages help to communicate such aspects of a country as relaxed environment and urban and rural tourism. Out of the top 5 most valuable messages, only cultural tourism is on the list of the most frequently repeated messages worldwide.
The communication strategies mentioned above are the ones that work best in the global arena. However, we know that a regional approach is needed and that the most valuable messages in each communication strategy vary from continent to continent. In Asia, Africa, and Oceania the messages communicated follow the same trend. However, in Latin America and Europe they use messages related to leisure and entertainment while in North America they use messages associ-ated with winter sports.
Bloom Consulting Country Brand Ranking Top 25 Countries 2011 – Tourism
The list of top country branding performers includes countries from all over the world. The US ranks first worldwide while European and Asian countries dominate the top 25. All other conti-nents are only represented by Australia, Egypt, and Mexico.
As a result of every country branding individual strategy, international tourism receipts in 2009 accumulated for $950 billion worldwide.
From 2005-2009, international tourism revenues worldwide experienced a 4.6% annual growth rate.
The African and Asian countries have grown significantly, at an annual rate of 7.5% and 6.9% respectively, followed by Oceania and North America whose respective growth rates stood at 5.9% and 4.1%. Latin America and Europe have grown the least during the same time span at annual rates of 3.9% and 3.6% respectively. This is a remarkable figure for Europe due to the size and maturity of its market, however the country branding effect, has contributed largelly for this result.
In absolute terms, Europe has been able to generate the highest revenues from interna-tional tourism, followed by Asia and North America. The US has generated the highest amount of international tourism revenue for a single country, about 3.4 times the size of African stock. Despite its size, the US has managed to experience a significant growth during recent years.
countrybranding@bloom-consulting.com / +34 91 308 0286 (CET)Bloom Consulting © 2003 - 2011 Page 02
With the help of powerful multivariate statistical analysis tools, we successfully identified correlations between a country’s level of success in tourism and the perception that the country projects through its communication strategy. Case-differential tables, as well as matrices, were used to better comprehend the most significant relationships found, leadingto the Bloom Consulting Algorithm.
Hence, we present a ranking which positions a country brand according to its economic performance based on previous economic history and the Bloom Consulting Algorithm; a process which as yet, has never been done before. It is safe to say that our research has indicated that countries lack differentiation when it comes to attracting potential tourists. It is also proven that the most popular communication strategies are not the most effective. Tourists are looking beyond the traditional reasons to visit a country and are more inclined to try new experiences. This provides a great opportunity for countries to differentiate themselves.
Bloom Consulting Country Brand Ranking ©2011 TOURISM - TOP 25 Performers Edition
Development of CountriesHuman Asset ManagementBusiness Strategy
2011TOURISMTOP 25 PerformersEdition
It is essential for countries to realize that the image a nation projects has a significant impact on the economy as a whole. The country brand strategy you convey will undoubtedly affect the way your country is perceived. The current global financial crisis has proved this. For instance, we can now see how credit rating agencies are highly influencing external perceptions about countries and more importantly the strong impact they have on a country’s economic perfor-mance. The interesting fact is that how these ratings are calculated are not in the public domain, but rather the speculative effect they have is; it has proven country branding is more than a capricious political idea, but rather a definite national necessity countries now need to face and manage as a priority. Countries can no longer afford to allow third parties to play with their national asset – their brand.
Traditional country branding studies and rankings have used public opinion and stereotypes in order to draw conclusions. Bloom Consulting has created the first country ranking which cap-tures the links between the image a country projects and the effect this has on the country’s success. We have merged macro and micro country facts and statistics, and correlated them with the communication strategies conveyed by every country in the world. This has enabled us to reach deeply meaningful conclusions that mathematically prove that positioning your country in a specific way will have a direct impact on your GDP. Such consequential conclusions are what other studies in the past have lacked.
This report will help you understand the delicacies of country branding. It will let you compre-hend the current situation worldwide, and which communication strategies should be empha-sized or ignored. It will unearth the regional complexities in this global competition, by unleash-ing the truth behind how a country is perceived and the way it can differentiate itself in the international arena.
We sincerely believe that this report will expand your knowledge on how to brand your country, and will contribute to guiding your country down the path to success.
José Filipe Torres - CEO of Bloom Consulting
One of the key differences in the Bloom Consulting Country Brand Ranking© and Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating© is the use of facts and official data as opposedto surveys and interviews. It combines hard data, such as economic indicators and country characteristics, along with communication strategies, giving birth to the Bloom Consulting Algorithm.A consistent use of official and recognized sources
More than one source of information has been used throughout this project to elaborate the global ranking. The United Nations (UN) provided a comprehensive list of 193 countries*, which enabled us to avoid any bias in selecting and identifying specific territories.
The economic variables selected to measure the performance of the countries were taken from the World Bank (WB). This ranking uses 2009 data, the latest data available from all sources.
The communication strategies used by countries to attract tourism were taken from the Tourism Board Organizations (TBOs) of the respective countries associated with the World Tourism Organisation.When these TBOs were not accessible through the Word Tourism Organisation,information was gathered from embassies .
It can therefore be confirmed, that through the consistent use of official internationallyrecognized sources, the data used is current and accurate.
A revised and validated use of data
With these sources at our disposal, we collected the country brand strategy information of each country in order to understand how the country brand wishes to be perceived.
Naturally, the quality of the data used throughout this project is crucial. For this reason, the research methodology includes a two-step approach to checking the information. Only confirmed and official data through the World Bank, World Tourism Organization, and the United Nations has been used. Moreover, all TBOs have been contacted by email and telephone in order to verify the veracity of our information.
Our methodology assumes that the communication strategies used by TBOs are accurate. We do not question their authenticity as this is not the purpose of the study, we are only inter-ested in the impact they have on a countries’ economy. Even though some countries may choose to promote aspects that differ slightly from reality, this behavior is rare and eventually would have a negative impact on their tourism and their country branding.
This study examines 157 countries; it was not possible to include all 193 countries supplied by the UN. If a country did not promote any significant messages or if economic data was not accessible, then they were eliminated from the study.
An explanatory and comprehensive clustering of communication strategies
All country branding strategies are heavily reliant on the chosen communication strategies as they have a huge impact on the country's performance. Overall, more than 3,000 messages have been collected from official sources, and implemented as a basis of information throughout this report.
A country branding rating factor is derived from theBloom Consulting Algorithm which is designed to recalculate the rating factor depending on the eco-nomic performance and the communication strategy chosen by each country.
Therefore, we can conclude that the Bloom Consulting Algorithm cannot be manipulated by any single action.Bloom Consulting has created the Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating © in order to evaluate the effectiveness of a country‘s chosen communication strategy.
The relationship between communication strategies and economic wealth varies substantially between geographic locations and economic development stages. Therefore, these factors, along with the number of countries within each sector and the repetition rate of each message within each communication strategy, were taken into account. This ensured that we could derive an accurate and just algorithm in order to designate each country with a rating factor, a country coefficient detailing the effectiveness of its communication strategy.
The Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating © scale has classified the rating factors into7 categories according to the effectiveness of a country’s communication strategy.
Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating © Categories Rating
Bloom Consulting © 2003 - 2011 Page 03countrybranding@bloom-consulting.com / +34 91 308 0286 (CET)
This rating reflects the effectiveness of the top 25 performers chosen communication strategies.
Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating © Top 25 Countries 2011 - Tourism Rating
The top 5 country branding performers have all achieved positive rating factors; however so have other countries located further down the ranking. Countries such as China, Australia, Aus-tria, and Egypt all have a major positive rating factor due to the use of the most effective com-munication strategy.On the other hand, the Netherlands, Russia, and Japan all received a neutral rating, while Canada scored the lowest and the only negative rating factor despite making it into the top 25 global ranking. This is because, even though they attract a lot of renenue through tourists, they could be using a more effective communication strategy and attract even more.
50% of all countries tend to use the same type of communication strategy regardless of geographic location. The majority choose to communicate messages related to cultural tourism, and leisure and entertainment.
The extent to which countries make use of messages, which messages they communicate, and the number of messages they use among other key facts, varies greatly from region to region. Most countries use different strategies when branding themselves.
Country branding differentiation can be achieved through the various messages a country decides to communicate, all with the same intent, attracting tourists. In particular, the level of differentiation varies from country to country. There are countries that have a high or low differ-entiation rate based on the communication strategy they use, which allows us to see how many other countries use the same communication strategy.
The most popular communication strategies worldwide are also the most popular communica-tion strategies within every region with the exception of Oceania. Oceania’s most popular mes-sages also include water sports and fishing. All of the messages in Table 1 have been used in the communication strategy of more than 40% of countries worldwide.
Table1. Most popular messages used in a country‘s communication strategy - World1. Cultural Tourism 77%2. Leisure and Entertainment 69%3. Natual Features 53%4. Beautiful Destination 46%5. Sports Activities 43%
In fact, using popular messages does not guarantee a positive impact on the country branding strategy; actually, it’s the opposite. With the exception of cultural tourism, the most valuable messages according to the Bloom Consulting Algorithm © factor are not the most popular.
Table2. Most valuable messages used in a country‘s communication strategy - World 1. Gastronomy2. Relaxed Environment3. Urban and Rural Tourism4. Adventure Tourism5. Cultural Tourism
Communication strategies related to gastronomy are the most valued in the international arena. Other valued messages help to communicate such aspects of a country as relaxed environment and urban and rural tourism. Out of the top 5 most valuable messages, only cultural tourism is on the list of the most frequently repeated messages worldwide.
The communication strategies mentioned above are the ones that work best in the global arena. However, we know that a regional approach is needed and that the most valuable messages in each communication strategy vary from continent to continent. In Asia, Africa, and Oceania the messages communicated follow the same trend. However, in Latin America and Europe they use messages related to leisure and entertainment while in North America they use messages associ-ated with winter sports.
Bloom Consulting Country Brand Ranking Top 25 Countries 2011 – Tourism
The list of top country branding performers includes countries from all over the world. The US ranks first worldwide while European and Asian countries dominate the top 25. All other conti-nents are only represented by Australia, Egypt, and Mexico.
With the help of powerful multivariate statistical analysis tools, we successfully identified correlations between a country’s level of success in tourism and the perception that the country projects through its communication strategy. Case-differential tables, as well as matrices, were used to better comprehend the most significant relationships found, leadingto the Bloom Consulting Algorithm.
Hence, we present a ranking which positions a country brand according to its economic performance based on previous economic history and the Bloom Consulting Algorithm; a process which as yet, has never been done before. It is safe to say that our research has indicated that countries lack differentiation when it comes to attracting potential tourists. It is also proven that the most popular communication strategies are not the most effective. Tourists are looking beyond the traditional reasons to visit a country and are more inclined to try new experiences. This provides a great opportunity for countries to differentiate themselves.
Introductory NoteA word from our CEO
Development of CountriesHuman Asset ManagementBusiness Strategy
2011TOURISMTOP 25 PerformersEdition
One of the key differences in the Bloom Consulting Country Brand Ranking© and Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating© is the use of facts and official data as opposedto surveys and interviews. It combines hard data, such as economic indicators and country characteristics, along with communication strategies, giving birth to the Bloom Consulting Algorithm.A consistent use of official and recognized sources
More than one source of information has been used throughout this project to elaborate the global ranking. The United Nations (UN) provided a comprehensive list of 193 countries*, which enabled us to avoid any bias in selecting and identifying specific territories.
The economic variables selected to measure the performance of the countries were taken from the World Bank (WB). This ranking uses 2009 data, the latest data available from all sources.
The communication strategies used by countries to attract tourism were taken from the Tourism Board Organizations (TBOs) of the respective countries associated with the World Tourism Organisation.When these TBOs were not accessible through the Word Tourism Organisation,information was gathered from embassies .
It can therefore be confirmed, that through the consistent use of official internationallyrecognized sources, the data used is current and accurate.
Bloom Consulting © 2003 - 2011 countrybranding@bloom-consulting.com / +34 91 308 0286 (CET)
A revised and validated use of data
With these sources at our disposal, we collected the country brand strategy information of each country in order to understand how the country brand wishes to be perceived.
Naturally, the quality of the data used throughout this project is crucial. For this reason, the research methodology includes a two-step approach to checking the information. Only confirmed and official data through the World Bank, World Tourism Organization, and the United Nations has been used. Moreover, all TBOs have been contacted by email and telephone in order to verify the veracity of our information.
Our methodology assumes that the communication strategies used by TBOs are accurate. We do not question their authenticity as this is not the purpose of the study, we are only inter-ested in the impact they have on a countries’ economy. Even though some countries may choose to promote aspects that differ slightly from reality, this behavior is rare and eventually would have a negative impact on their tourism and their country branding.
This study examines 157 countries; it was not possible to include all 193 countries supplied by the UN. If a country did not promote any significant messages or if economic data was not accessible, then they were eliminated from the study.
An explanatory and comprehensive clustering of communication strategies
All country branding strategies are heavily reliant on the chosen communication strategies as they have a huge impact on the country's performance. Overall, more than 3,000 messages have been collected from official sources, and implemented as a basis of information throughout this report.
A country branding rating factor is derived from theBloom Consulting Algorithm which is designed to recalculate the rating factor depending on the eco-nomic performance and the communication strategy chosen by each country.
Therefore, we can conclude that the Bloom Consulting Algorithm cannot be manipulated by any single action.Bloom Consulting has created the Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating © in order to evaluate the effectiveness of a country‘s chosen communication strategy.
The relationship between communication strategies and economic wealth varies substantially between geographic locations and economic development stages. Therefore, these factors, along with the number of countries within each sector and the repetition rate of each message within each communication strategy, were taken into account. This ensured that we could derive an accurate and just algorithm in order to designate each country with a rating factor, a country coefficient detailing the effectiveness of its communication strategy.
The Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating © scale has classified the rating factors into7 categories according to the effectiveness of a country’s communication strategy.
Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating © Categories Rating
Page 04
This rating reflects the effectiveness of the top 25 performers chosen communication strategies.
Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating © Top 25 Countries 2011 - Tourism Rating
The top 5 country branding performers have all achieved positive rating factors; however so have other countries located further down the ranking. Countries such as China, Australia, Aus-tria, and Egypt all have a major positive rating factor due to the use of the most effective com-munication strategy.On the other hand, the Netherlands, Russia, and Japan all received a neutral rating, while Canada scored the lowest and the only negative rating factor despite making it into the top 25 global ranking. This is because, even though they attract a lot of renenue through tourists, they could be using a more effective communication strategy and attract even more.
50% of all countries tend to use the same type of communication strategy regardless of geographic location. The majority choose to communicate messages related to cultural tourism, and leisure and entertainment.
The extent to which countries make use of messages, which messages they communicate, and the number of messages they use among other key facts, varies greatly from region to region. Most countries use different strategies when branding themselves.
Country branding differentiation can be achieved through the various messages a country decides to communicate, all with the same intent, attracting tourists. In particular, the level of differentiation varies from country to country. There are countries that have a high or low differ-entiation rate based on the communication strategy they use, which allows us to see how many other countries use the same communication strategy.
The most popular communication strategies worldwide are also the most popular communica-tion strategies within every region with the exception of Oceania. Oceania’s most popular mes-sages also include water sports and fishing. All of the messages in Table 1 have been used in the communication strategy of more than 40% of countries worldwide.
Table1. Most popular messages used in a country‘s communication strategy - World1. Cultural Tourism 77%2. Leisure and Entertainment 69%3. Natual Features 53%4. Beautiful Destination 46%5. Sports Activities 43%
In fact, using popular messages does not guarantee a positive impact on the country branding strategy; actually, it’s the opposite. With the exception of cultural tourism, the most valuable messages according to the Bloom Consulting Algorithm © factor are not the most popular.
Table2. Most valuable messages used in a country‘s communication strategy - World 1. Gastronomy2. Relaxed Environment3. Urban and Rural Tourism4. Adventure Tourism5. Cultural Tourism
Communication strategies related to gastronomy are the most valued in the international arena. Other valued messages help to communicate such aspects of a country as relaxed environment and urban and rural tourism. Out of the top 5 most valuable messages, only cultural tourism is on the list of the most frequently repeated messages worldwide.
The communication strategies mentioned above are the ones that work best in the global arena. However, we know that a regional approach is needed and that the most valuable messages in each communication strategy vary from continent to continent. In Asia, Africa, and Oceania the messages communicated follow the same trend. However, in Latin America and Europe they use messages related to leisure and entertainment while in North America they use messages associ-ated with winter sports.
Bloom Consulting Country Brand Ranking Top 25 Countries 2011 – Tourism
The list of top country branding performers includes countries from all over the world. The US ranks first worldwide while European and Asian countries dominate the top 25. All other conti-nents are only represented by Australia, Egypt, and Mexico.
With the help of powerful multivariate statistical analysis tools, we successfully identified correlations between a country’s level of success in tourism and the perception that the country projects through its communication strategy. Case-differential tables, as well as matrices, were used to better comprehend the most significant relationships found, leadingto the Bloom Consulting Algorithm.
Hence, we present a ranking which positions a country brand according to its economic performance based on previous economic history and the Bloom Consulting Algorithm; a process which as yet, has never been done before. It is safe to say that our research has indicated that countries lack differentiation when it comes to attracting potential tourists. It is also proven that the most popular communication strategies are not the most effective. Tourists are looking beyond the traditional reasons to visit a country and are more inclined to try new experiences. This provides a great opportunity for countries to differentiate themselves.
Country Branding Current ChallengesBloom Consulting “3T” Approach ©
Development of CountriesHuman Asset ManagementBusiness Strategy
2011TOURISM TOP 25 PerformersEdition
The main objectives for creating a country brand strategy rely on three main areas:T1- Attraction of TradeT2- Attraction of TourismT3- Attraction of Talent
The traditional approach to face these challenges is to create, or simply improve, perceptions of the country both domestically and internationally. Most of these initiatives are developed under one umbrella strategy.This means countries try to create one single strategy for 3 different objectives. However, the ideology and objective behind each one is simply different and ultimately will not work; the 3 objectives are completely antagonistic. As an illustrative example, one cannot com-municate leisure and entertainment to investors at the same time as communicating a qualified and hardworking workforce to potential tourists. They automatically repel each other, therefore destroying their core objective. Most of the time, what countries try to do is reach a compromise to better understand the objective of the overall country brand strategy.
Fig. 1 - Bloom Consulting's ‘3T’ Approach ©
Bloom Consulting’s country branding methodology separates these objectives, trade, tourism and talent and treats them individually, not as an umbrella strategy. Thus, we are able to derive growth projections and calculations in order to better understand the objective of the overall strategy (see Fig. 1).
T2
T1 T3
One of the key differences in the Bloom Consulting Country Brand Ranking© and Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating© is the use of facts and official data as opposedto surveys and interviews. It combines hard data, such as economic indicators and country characteristics, along with communication strategies, giving birth to the Bloom Consulting Algorithm.A consistent use of official and recognized sources
More than one source of information has been used throughout this project to elaborate the global ranking. The United Nations (UN) provided a comprehensive list of 193 countries*, which enabled us to avoid any bias in selecting and identifying specific territories.
The economic variables selected to measure the performance of the countries were taken from the World Bank (WB). This ranking uses 2009 data, the latest data available from all sources.
The communication strategies used by countries to attract tourism were taken from the Tourism Board Organizations (TBOs) of the respective countries associated with the World Tourism Organisation.When these TBOs were not accessible through the Word Tourism Organisation,information was gathered from embassies .
It can therefore be confirmed, that through the consistent use of official internationallyrecognized sources, the data used is current and accurate.
*Hong Kong has been added to the list as Bloom Consulting considered the specific nature of the territory and the importance of its economic variables. Treating them separately allows us to analyze the real potential of both Hong-Kong and China respectively.
Bloom Consulting © 2003 - 2011 Page 05countrybranding@bloom-consulting.com / +34 91 308 0286 (CET)
A revised and validated use of data
With these sources at our disposal, we collected the country brand strategy information of each country in order to understand how the country brand wishes to be perceived.
Naturally, the quality of the data used throughout this project is crucial. For this reason, the research methodology includes a two-step approach to checking the information. Only confirmed and official data through the World Bank, World Tourism Organization, and the United Nations has been used. Moreover, all TBOs have been contacted by email and telephone in order to verify the veracity of our information.
Our methodology assumes that the communication strategies used by TBOs are accurate. We do not question their authenticity as this is not the purpose of the study, we are only inter-ested in the impact they have on a countries’ economy. Even though some countries may choose to promote aspects that differ slightly from reality, this behavior is rare and eventually would have a negative impact on their tourism and their country branding.
This study examines 157 countries; it was not possible to include all 193 countries supplied by the UN. If a country did not promote any significant messages or if economic data was not accessible, then they were eliminated from the study.
An explanatory and comprehensive clustering of communication strategies
All country branding strategies are heavily reliant on the chosen communication strategies as they have a huge impact on the country's performance. Overall, more than 3,000 messages have been collected from official sources, and implemented as a basis of information throughout this report.
A country branding rating factor is derived from theBloom Consulting Algorithm which is designed to recalculate the rating factor depending on the eco-nomic performance and the communication strategy chosen by each country.
Therefore, we can conclude that the Bloom Consulting Algorithm cannot be manipulated by any single action.Bloom Consulting has created the Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating © in order to evaluate the effectiveness of a country‘s chosen communication strategy.
The relationship between communication strategies and economic wealth varies substantially between geographic locations and economic development stages. Therefore, these factors, along with the number of countries within each sector and the repetition rate of each message within each communication strategy, were taken into account. This ensured that we could derive an accurate and just algorithm in order to designate each country with a rating factor, a country coefficient detailing the effectiveness of its communication strategy.
The Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating © scale has classified the rating factors into7 categories according to the effectiveness of a country’s communication strategy.
Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating © Categories Rating
This rating reflects the effectiveness of the top 25 performers chosen communication strategies.
Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating © Top 25 Countries 2011 - Tourism Rating
The top 5 country branding performers have all achieved positive rating factors; however so have other countries located further down the ranking. Countries such as China, Australia, Aus-tria, and Egypt all have a major positive rating factor due to the use of the most effective com-munication strategy.On the other hand, the Netherlands, Russia, and Japan all received a neutral rating, while Canada scored the lowest and the only negative rating factor despite making it into the top 25 global ranking. This is because, even though they attract a lot of renenue through tourists, they could be using a more effective communication strategy and attract even more.
50% of all countries tend to use the same type of communication strategy regardless of geographic location. The majority choose to communicate messages related to cultural tourism, and leisure and entertainment.
The extent to which countries make use of messages, which messages they communicate, and the number of messages they use among other key facts, varies greatly from region to region. Most countries use different strategies when branding themselves.
Country branding differentiation can be achieved through the various messages a country decides to communicate, all with the same intent, attracting tourists. In particular, the level of differentiation varies from country to country. There are countries that have a high or low differ-entiation rate based on the communication strategy they use, which allows us to see how many other countries use the same communication strategy.
The most popular communication strategies worldwide are also the most popular communica-tion strategies within every region with the exception of Oceania. Oceania’s most popular mes-sages also include water sports and fishing. All of the messages in Table 1 have been used in the communication strategy of more than 40% of countries worldwide.
Table1. Most popular messages used in a country‘s communication strategy - World1. Cultural Tourism 77%2. Leisure and Entertainment 69%3. Natual Features 53%4. Beautiful Destination 46%5. Sports Activities 43%
In fact, using popular messages does not guarantee a positive impact on the country branding strategy; actually, it’s the opposite. With the exception of cultural tourism, the most valuable messages according to the Bloom Consulting Algorithm © factor are not the most popular.
Table2. Most valuable messages used in a country‘s communication strategy - World 1. Gastronomy2. Relaxed Environment3. Urban and Rural Tourism4. Adventure Tourism5. Cultural Tourism
Communication strategies related to gastronomy are the most valued in the international arena. Other valued messages help to communicate such aspects of a country as relaxed environment and urban and rural tourism. Out of the top 5 most valuable messages, only cultural tourism is on the list of the most frequently repeated messages worldwide.
The communication strategies mentioned above are the ones that work best in the global arena. However, we know that a regional approach is needed and that the most valuable messages in each communication strategy vary from continent to continent. In Asia, Africa, and Oceania the messages communicated follow the same trend. However, in Latin America and Europe they use messages related to leisure and entertainment while in North America they use messages associ-ated with winter sports.
Bloom Consulting Country Brand Ranking Top 25 Countries 2011 – Tourism
The list of top country branding performers includes countries from all over the world. The US ranks first worldwide while European and Asian countries dominate the top 25. All other conti-nents are only represented by Australia, Egypt, and Mexico.
With the help of powerful multivariate statistical analysis tools, we successfully identified correlations between a country’s level of success in tourism and the perception that the country projects through its communication strategy. Case-differential tables, as well as matrices, were used to better comprehend the most significant relationships found, leadingto the Bloom Consulting Algorithm.
Hence, we present a ranking which positions a country brand according to its economic performance based on previous economic history and the Bloom Consulting Algorithm; a process which as yet, has never been done before. It is safe to say that our research has indicated that countries lack differentiation when it comes to attracting potential tourists. It is also proven that the most popular communication strategies are not the most effective. Tourists are looking beyond the traditional reasons to visit a country and are more inclined to try new experiences. This provides a great opportunity for countries to differentiate themselves.
The ResearchUnderstanding the research methodology
Development of CountriesHuman Asset ManagementBusiness Strategy
2011TOURISM TOP 25 PerformersEdition
One of the key differences in the Bloom Consulting Country Brand Ranking© and Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating© is the use of facts and official data as opposedto surveys and interviews. It combines hard data, such as economic indicators and country characteristics, along with communication strategies, giving birth to the Bloom Consulting Algorithm.A consistent use of official and recognized sources
More than one source of information has been used throughout this project to elaborate the global ranking. The United Nations (UN) provided a comprehensive list of 193 countries*, which enabled us to avoid any bias in selecting and identifying specific territories.
The economic variables selected to measure the performance of the countries were taken from the World Bank (WB). This ranking uses 2009 data, the latest data available from all sources.
The communication strategies used by countries to attract tourism were taken from the Tourism Board Organizations (TBOs) of the respective countries associated with the World Tourism Organisation.When these TBOs were not accessible through the Word Tourism Organisation,information was gathered from embassies .
It can therefore be confirmed, that through the consistent use of official internationallyrecognized sources, the data used is current and accurate.
A revised and validated use of data
With these sources at our disposal, we collected the country brand strategy information of each country in order to understand how the country brand wishes to be perceived.
Naturally, the quality of the data used throughout this project is crucial. For this reason, the research methodology includes a two-step approach to checking the information. Only confirmed and official data through the World Bank, World Tourism Organization, and the United Nations has been used. Moreover, all TBOs have been contacted by email and telephone in order to verify the veracity of our information.
Our methodology assumes that the communication strategies used by TBOs are accurate. We do not question their authenticity as this is not the purpose of the study, we are only inter-ested in the impact they have on a countries’ economy. Even though some countries may choose to promote aspects that differ slightly from reality, this behavior is rare and eventually would have a negative impact on their tourism and their country branding.
This study examines 157 countries; it was not possible to include all 193 countries supplied by the UN. If a country did not promote any significant messages or if economic data was not accessible, then they were eliminated from the study.
An explanatory and comprehensive clustering of communication strategies
All country branding strategies are heavily reliant on the chosen communication strategies as they have a huge impact on the country's performance. Overall, more than 3,000 messages have been collected from official sources, and implemented as a basis of information throughout this report.
Bloom Consulting © 2003 - 2011 Page 06countrybranding@bloom-consulting.com / +34 91 308 0286 (CET)
A country branding rating factor is derived from theBloom Consulting Algorithm which is designed to recalculate the rating factor depending on the eco-nomic performance and the communication strategy chosen by each country.
Therefore, we can conclude that the Bloom Consulting Algorithm cannot be manipulated by any single action.Bloom Consulting has created the Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating © in order to evaluate the effectiveness of a country‘s chosen communication strategy.
The relationship between communication strategies and economic wealth varies substantially between geographic locations and economic development stages. Therefore, these factors, along with the number of countries within each sector and the repetition rate of each message within each communication strategy, were taken into account. This ensured that we could derive an accurate and just algorithm in order to designate each country with a rating factor, a country coefficient detailing the effectiveness of its communication strategy.
The Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating © scale has classified the rating factors into7 categories according to the effectiveness of a country’s communication strategy.
Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating © Categories Rating
This rating reflects the effectiveness of the top 25 performers chosen communication strategies.
Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating © Top 25 Countries 2011 - Tourism Rating
The top 5 country branding performers have all achieved positive rating factors; however so have other countries located further down the ranking. Countries such as China, Australia, Aus-tria, and Egypt all have a major positive rating factor due to the use of the most effective com-munication strategy.On the other hand, the Netherlands, Russia, and Japan all received a neutral rating, while Canada scored the lowest and the only negative rating factor despite making it into the top 25 global ranking. This is because, even though they attract a lot of renenue through tourists, they could be using a more effective communication strategy and attract even more.
50% of all countries tend to use the same type of communication strategy regardless of geographic location. The majority choose to communicate messages related to cultural tourism, and leisure and entertainment.
The extent to which countries make use of messages, which messages they communicate, and the number of messages they use among other key facts, varies greatly from region to region. Most countries use different strategies when branding themselves.
Country branding differentiation can be achieved through the various messages a country decides to communicate, all with the same intent, attracting tourists. In particular, the level of differentiation varies from country to country. There are countries that have a high or low differ-entiation rate based on the communication strategy they use, which allows us to see how many other countries use the same communication strategy.
The most popular communication strategies worldwide are also the most popular communica-tion strategies within every region with the exception of Oceania. Oceania’s most popular mes-sages also include water sports and fishing. All of the messages in Table 1 have been used in the communication strategy of more than 40% of countries worldwide.
Table1. Most popular messages used in a country‘s communication strategy - World1. Cultural Tourism 77%2. Leisure and Entertainment 69%3. Natual Features 53%4. Beautiful Destination 46%5. Sports Activities 43%
In fact, using popular messages does not guarantee a positive impact on the country branding strategy; actually, it’s the opposite. With the exception of cultural tourism, the most valuable messages according to the Bloom Consulting Algorithm © factor are not the most popular.
Table2. Most valuable messages used in a country‘s communication strategy - World 1. Gastronomy2. Relaxed Environment3. Urban and Rural Tourism4. Adventure Tourism5. Cultural Tourism
Communication strategies related to gastronomy are the most valued in the international arena. Other valued messages help to communicate such aspects of a country as relaxed environment and urban and rural tourism. Out of the top 5 most valuable messages, only cultural tourism is on the list of the most frequently repeated messages worldwide.
The communication strategies mentioned above are the ones that work best in the global arena. However, we know that a regional approach is needed and that the most valuable messages in each communication strategy vary from continent to continent. In Asia, Africa, and Oceania the messages communicated follow the same trend. However, in Latin America and Europe they use messages related to leisure and entertainment while in North America they use messages associ-ated with winter sports.
Bloom Consulting Country Brand Ranking Top 25 Countries 2011 – Tourism
The list of top country branding performers includes countries from all over the world. The US ranks first worldwide while European and Asian countries dominate the top 25. All other conti-nents are only represented by Australia, Egypt, and Mexico.
With the help of powerful multivariate statistical analysis tools, we successfully identified correlations between a country’s level of success in tourism and the perception that the country projects through its communication strategy. Case-differential tables, as well as matrices, were used to better comprehend the most significant relationships found, leadingto the Bloom Consulting Algorithm.
Hence, we present a ranking which positions a country brand according to its economic performance based on previous economic history and the Bloom Consulting Algorithm; a process which as yet, has never been done before. It is safe to say that our research has indicated that countries lack differentiation when it comes to attracting potential tourists. It is also proven that the most popular communication strategies are not the most effective. Tourists are looking beyond the traditional reasons to visit a country and are more inclined to try new experiences. This provides a great opportunity for countries to differentiate themselves.
The ResearchUnderstanding the research methodology
Development of CountriesHuman Asset ManagementBusiness Strategy
2011TOURISM TOP 25 PerformersEdition
One of the key differences in the Bloom Consulting Country Brand Ranking© and Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating© is the use of facts and official data as opposedto surveys and interviews. It combines hard data, such as economic indicators and country characteristics, along with communication strategies, giving birth to the Bloom Consulting Algorithm.A consistent use of official and recognized sources
More than one source of information has been used throughout this project to elaborate the global ranking. The United Nations (UN) provided a comprehensive list of 193 countries*, which enabled us to avoid any bias in selecting and identifying specific territories.
The economic variables selected to measure the performance of the countries were taken from the World Bank (WB). This ranking uses 2009 data, the latest data available from all sources.
The communication strategies used by countries to attract tourism were taken from the Tourism Board Organizations (TBOs) of the respective countries associated with the World Tourism Organisation.When these TBOs were not accessible through the Word Tourism Organisation,information was gathered from embassies .
It can therefore be confirmed, that through the consistent use of official internationallyrecognized sources, the data used is current and accurate.
A revised and validated use of data
With these sources at our disposal, we collected the country brand strategy information of each country in order to understand how the country brand wishes to be perceived.
Naturally, the quality of the data used throughout this project is crucial. For this reason, the research methodology includes a two-step approach to checking the information. Only confirmed and official data through the World Bank, World Tourism Organization, and the United Nations has been used. Moreover, all TBOs have been contacted by email and telephone in order to verify the veracity of our information.
Our methodology assumes that the communication strategies used by TBOs are accurate. We do not question their authenticity as this is not the purpose of the study, we are only inter-ested in the impact they have on a countries’ economy. Even though some countries may choose to promote aspects that differ slightly from reality, this behavior is rare and eventually would have a negative impact on their tourism and their country branding.
This study examines 157 countries; it was not possible to include all 193 countries supplied by the UN. If a country did not promote any significant messages or if economic data was not accessible, then they were eliminated from the study.
An explanatory and comprehensive clustering of communication strategies
All country branding strategies are heavily reliant on the chosen communication strategies as they have a huge impact on the country's performance. Overall, more than 3,000 messages have been collected from official sources, and implemented as a basis of information throughout this report.
A country branding rating factor is derived from theBloom Consulting Algorithm which is designed to recalculate the rating factor depending on the eco-nomic performance and the communication strategy chosen by each country.
Therefore, we can conclude that the Bloom Consulting Algorithm cannot be manipulated by any single action.Bloom Consulting has created the Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating © in order to evaluate the effectiveness of a country‘s chosen communication strategy.
The relationship between communication strategies and economic wealth varies substantially between geographic locations and economic development stages. Therefore, these factors, along with the number of countries within each sector and the repetition rate of each message within each communication strategy, were taken into account. This ensured that we could derive an accurate and just algorithm in order to designate each country with a rating factor, a country coefficient detailing the effectiveness of its communication strategy.
The Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating © scale has classified the rating factors into7 categories according to the effectiveness of a country’s communication strategy.
Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating © Categories Rating
This rating reflects the effectiveness of the top 25 performers chosen communication strategies.
Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating © Top 25 Countries 2011 - Tourism Rating
The top 5 country branding performers have all achieved positive rating factors; however so have other countries located further down the ranking. Countries such as China, Australia, Aus-tria, and Egypt all have a major positive rating factor due to the use of the most effective com-munication strategy.On the other hand, the Netherlands, Russia, and Japan all received a neutral rating, while Canada scored the lowest and the only negative rating factor despite making it into the top 25 global ranking. This is because, even though they attract a lot of renenue through tourists, they could be using a more effective communication strategy and attract even more.
50% of all countries tend to use the same type of communication strategy regardless of geographic location. The majority choose to communicate messages related to cultural tourism, and leisure and entertainment.
The extent to which countries make use of messages, which messages they communicate, and the number of messages they use among other key facts, varies greatly from region to region. Most countries use different strategies when branding themselves.
Country branding differentiation can be achieved through the various messages a country decides to communicate, all with the same intent, attracting tourists. In particular, the level of differentiation varies from country to country. There are countries that have a high or low differ-entiation rate based on the communication strategy they use, which allows us to see how many other countries use the same communication strategy.
The most popular communication strategies worldwide are also the most popular communica-tion strategies within every region with the exception of Oceania. Oceania’s most popular mes-sages also include water sports and fishing. All of the messages in Table 1 have been used in the communication strategy of more than 40% of countries worldwide.
Table1. Most popular messages used in a country‘s communication strategy - World1. Cultural Tourism 77%2. Leisure and Entertainment 69%3. Natual Features 53%4. Beautiful Destination 46%5. Sports Activities 43%
In fact, using popular messages does not guarantee a positive impact on the country branding strategy; actually, it’s the opposite. With the exception of cultural tourism, the most valuable messages according to the Bloom Consulting Algorithm © factor are not the most popular.
Table2. Most valuable messages used in a country‘s communication strategy - World 1. Gastronomy2. Relaxed Environment3. Urban and Rural Tourism4. Adventure Tourism5. Cultural Tourism
Communication strategies related to gastronomy are the most valued in the international arena. Other valued messages help to communicate such aspects of a country as relaxed environment and urban and rural tourism. Out of the top 5 most valuable messages, only cultural tourism is on the list of the most frequently repeated messages worldwide.
The communication strategies mentioned above are the ones that work best in the global arena. However, we know that a regional approach is needed and that the most valuable messages in each communication strategy vary from continent to continent. In Asia, Africa, and Oceania the messages communicated follow the same trend. However, in Latin America and Europe they use messages related to leisure and entertainment while in North America they use messages associ-ated with winter sports.
Bloom Consulting © 2003 - 2011 Page 07countrybranding@bloom-consulting.com / +34 91 308 0286 (CET)
Bloom Consulting Country Brand Ranking Top 25 Countries 2011 – Tourism
The list of top country branding performers includes countries from all over the world. The US ranks first worldwide while European and Asian countries dominate the top 25. All other conti-nents are only represented by Australia, Egypt, and Mexico.
With the help of powerful multivariate statistical analysis tools, we successfully identified correlations between a country’s level of success in tourism and the perception that the country projects through its communication strategy. Case-differential tables, as well as matrices, were used to better comprehend the most significant relationships found, leadingto the Bloom Consulting Algorithm.
Hence, we present a ranking which positions a country brand according to its economic performance based on previous economic history and the Bloom Consulting Algorithm; a process which as yet, has never been done before. It is safe to say that our research has indicated that countries lack differentiation when it comes to attracting potential tourists. It is also proven that the most popular communication strategies are not the most effective. Tourists are looking beyond the traditional reasons to visit a country and are more inclined to try new experiences. This provides a great opportunity for countries to differentiate themselves.
The RankingBloom Consulting Country Brand Ranking ©
Development of CountriesHuman Asset ManagementBusiness Strategy
2011TOURISM TOP 25 PerformersEdition
One of the key differences in the Bloom Consulting Country Brand Ranking© and Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating© is the use of facts and official data as opposedto surveys and interviews. It combines hard data, such as economic indicators and country characteristics, along with communication strategies, giving birth to the Bloom Consulting Algorithm.A consistent use of official and recognized sources
More than one source of information has been used throughout this project to elaborate the global ranking. The United Nations (UN) provided a comprehensive list of 193 countries*, which enabled us to avoid any bias in selecting and identifying specific territories.
The economic variables selected to measure the performance of the countries were taken from the World Bank (WB). This ranking uses 2009 data, the latest data available from all sources.
The communication strategies used by countries to attract tourism were taken from the Tourism Board Organizations (TBOs) of the respective countries associated with the World Tourism Organisation.When these TBOs were not accessible through the Word Tourism Organisation,information was gathered from embassies .
It can therefore be confirmed, that through the consistent use of official internationallyrecognized sources, the data used is current and accurate.
A revised and validated use of data
With these sources at our disposal, we collected the country brand strategy information of each country in order to understand how the country brand wishes to be perceived.
Naturally, the quality of the data used throughout this project is crucial. For this reason, the research methodology includes a two-step approach to checking the information. Only confirmed and official data through the World Bank, World Tourism Organization, and the United Nations has been used. Moreover, all TBOs have been contacted by email and telephone in order to verify the veracity of our information.
Our methodology assumes that the communication strategies used by TBOs are accurate. We do not question their authenticity as this is not the purpose of the study, we are only inter-ested in the impact they have on a countries’ economy. Even though some countries may choose to promote aspects that differ slightly from reality, this behavior is rare and eventually would have a negative impact on their tourism and their country branding.
This study examines 157 countries; it was not possible to include all 193 countries supplied by the UN. If a country did not promote any significant messages or if economic data was not accessible, then they were eliminated from the study.
An explanatory and comprehensive clustering of communication strategies
All country branding strategies are heavily reliant on the chosen communication strategies as they have a huge impact on the country's performance. Overall, more than 3,000 messages have been collected from official sources, and implemented as a basis of information throughout this report.
A country branding rating factor is derived from theBloom Consulting Algorithm which is designed to recalculate the rating factor depending on the eco-nomic performance and the communication strategy chosen by each country.
Therefore, we can conclude that the Bloom Consulting Algorithm cannot be manipulated by any single action.Bloom Consulting has created the Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating © in order to evaluate the effectiveness of a country‘s chosen communication strategy.
The relationship between communication strategies and economic wealth varies substantially between geographic locations and economic development stages. Therefore, these factors, along with the number of countries within each sector and the repetition rate of each message within each communication strategy, were taken into account. This ensured that we could derive an accurate and just algorithm in order to designate each country with a rating factor, a country coefficient detailing the effectiveness of its communication strategy.
The Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating © scale has classified the rating factors into7 categories according to the effectiveness of a country’s communication strategy.
Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating © Categories Rating
This rating reflects the effectiveness of the top 25 performers chosen communication strategies.
Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating © Top 25 Countries 2011 - Tourism Rating
The top 5 country branding performers have all achieved positive rating factors; however so have other countries located further down the ranking. Countries such as China, Australia, Aus-tria, and Egypt all have a major positive rating factor due to the use of the most effective com-munication strategy.On the other hand, the Netherlands, Russia, and Japan all received a neutral rating, while Canada scored the lowest and the only negative rating factor despite making it into the top 25 global ranking. This is because, even though they attract a lot of renenue through tourists, they could be using a more effective communication strategy and attract even more.
50% of all countries tend to use the same type of communication strategy regardless of geographic location. The majority choose to communicate messages related to cultural tourism, and leisure and entertainment.
The extent to which countries make use of messages, which messages they communicate, and the number of messages they use among other key facts, varies greatly from region to region. Most countries use different strategies when branding themselves.
Country branding differentiation can be achieved through the various messages a country decides to communicate, all with the same intent, attracting tourists. In particular, the level of differentiation varies from country to country. There are countries that have a high or low differ-entiation rate based on the communication strategy they use, which allows us to see how many other countries use the same communication strategy.
The most popular communication strategies worldwide are also the most popular communica-tion strategies within every region with the exception of Oceania. Oceania’s most popular mes-sages also include water sports and fishing. All of the messages in Table 1 have been used in the communication strategy of more than 40% of countries worldwide.
Table1. Most popular messages used in a country‘s communication strategy - World1. Cultural Tourism 77%2. Leisure and Entertainment 69%3. Natual Features 53%4. Beautiful Destination 46%5. Sports Activities 43%
In fact, using popular messages does not guarantee a positive impact on the country branding strategy; actually, it’s the opposite. With the exception of cultural tourism, the most valuable messages according to the Bloom Consulting Algorithm © factor are not the most popular.
Table2. Most valuable messages used in a country‘s communication strategy - World 1. Gastronomy2. Relaxed Environment3. Urban and Rural Tourism4. Adventure Tourism5. Cultural Tourism
Communication strategies related to gastronomy are the most valued in the international arena. Other valued messages help to communicate such aspects of a country as relaxed environment and urban and rural tourism. Out of the top 5 most valuable messages, only cultural tourism is on the list of the most frequently repeated messages worldwide.
The communication strategies mentioned above are the ones that work best in the global arena. However, we know that a regional approach is needed and that the most valuable messages in each communication strategy vary from continent to continent. In Asia, Africa, and Oceania the messages communicated follow the same trend. However, in Latin America and Europe they use messages related to leisure and entertainment while in North America they use messages associ-ated with winter sports.
Bloom Consulting Country Brand Ranking Top 25 Countries 2011 – Tourism
The list of top country branding performers includes countries from all over the world. The US ranks first worldwide while European and Asian countries dominate the top 25. All other conti-nents are only represented by Australia, Egypt, and Mexico.
Bloom Consulting © 2003 - 2011 Page 08countrybranding@bloom-consulting.com / +34 91 308 0286 (CET)
Belgium16.
Sweden22.
Canada23.
India20.
11. Hong Kong
Germany4.
Switzerland13.
Italy7.
China6.
Australia8.
UK5.
France3.
Mexico14.
Netherlands15.
Japan25Turkey12.
Spain2.
USA1.
Austria9.
With the help of powerful multivariate statistical analysis tools, we successfully identified correlations between a country’s level of success in tourism and the perception that the country projects through its communication strategy. Case-differential tables, as well as matrices, were used to better comprehend the most significant relationships found, leadingto the Bloom Consulting Algorithm.
Hence, we present a ranking which positions a country brand according to its economic performance based on previous economic history and the Bloom Consulting Algorithm; a process which as yet, has never been done before. It is safe to say that our research has indicated that countries lack differentiation when it comes to attracting potential tourists. It is also proven that the most popular communication strategies are not the most effective. Tourists are looking beyond the traditional reasons to visit a country and are more inclined to try new experiences. This provides a great opportunity for countries to differentiate themselves.
The Ranking - TOP 25Bloom Consulting Country Brand Ranking ©
Development of CountriesHuman Asset ManagementBusiness Strategy
2011TOURISM TOP 25 PerformersEdition
10. Thailand
Malaysia17.
Portugal21.
19. Greece
Egypt18.
Russian Federation24.
One of the key differences in the Bloom Consulting Country Brand Ranking© and Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating© is the use of facts and official data as opposedto surveys and interviews. It combines hard data, such as economic indicators and country characteristics, along with communication strategies, giving birth to the Bloom Consulting Algorithm.A consistent use of official and recognized sources
More than one source of information has been used throughout this project to elaborate the global ranking. The United Nations (UN) provided a comprehensive list of 193 countries*, which enabled us to avoid any bias in selecting and identifying specific territories.
The economic variables selected to measure the performance of the countries were taken from the World Bank (WB). This ranking uses 2009 data, the latest data available from all sources.
The communication strategies used by countries to attract tourism were taken from the Tourism Board Organizations (TBOs) of the respective countries associated with the World Tourism Organisation.When these TBOs were not accessible through the Word Tourism Organisation,information was gathered from embassies .
It can therefore be confirmed, that through the consistent use of official internationallyrecognized sources, the data used is current and accurate.
A revised and validated use of data
With these sources at our disposal, we collected the country brand strategy information of each country in order to understand how the country brand wishes to be perceived.
Naturally, the quality of the data used throughout this project is crucial. For this reason, the research methodology includes a two-step approach to checking the information. Only confirmed and official data through the World Bank, World Tourism Organization, and the United Nations has been used. Moreover, all TBOs have been contacted by email and telephone in order to verify the veracity of our information.
Our methodology assumes that the communication strategies used by TBOs are accurate. We do not question their authenticity as this is not the purpose of the study, we are only inter-ested in the impact they have on a countries’ economy. Even though some countries may choose to promote aspects that differ slightly from reality, this behavior is rare and eventually would have a negative impact on their tourism and their country branding.
This study examines 157 countries; it was not possible to include all 193 countries supplied by the UN. If a country did not promote any significant messages or if economic data was not accessible, then they were eliminated from the study.
An explanatory and comprehensive clustering of communication strategies
All country branding strategies are heavily reliant on the chosen communication strategies as they have a huge impact on the country's performance. Overall, more than 3,000 messages have been collected from official sources, and implemented as a basis of information throughout this report.
A country branding rating factor is derived from theBloom Consulting Algorithm which is designed to recalculate the rating factor depending on the eco-nomic performance and the communication strategy chosen by each country.
Therefore, we can conclude that the Bloom Consulting Algorithm cannot be manipulated by any single action.Bloom Consulting has created the Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating © in order to evaluate the effectiveness of a country‘s chosen communication strategy.
The relationship between communication strategies and economic wealth varies substantially between geographic locations and economic development stages. Therefore, these factors, along with the number of countries within each sector and the repetition rate of each message within each communication strategy, were taken into account. This ensured that we could derive an accurate and just algorithm in order to designate each country with a rating factor, a country coefficient detailing the effectiveness of its communication strategy.
Bloom Consulting © 2003 - 2011 Page 09countrybranding@bloom-consulting.com / +34 91 308 0286 (CET)
The Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating © scale has classified the rating factors into7 categories according to the effectiveness of a country’s communication strategy.
Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating © Categories Rating
This rating reflects the effectiveness of the top 25 performers chosen communication strategies.
Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating © Top 25 Countries 2011 - Tourism Rating
The top 5 country branding performers have all achieved positive rating factors; however so have other countries located further down the ranking. Countries such as China, Australia, Aus-tria, and Egypt all have a major positive rating factor due to the use of the most effective com-munication strategy.On the other hand, the Netherlands, Russia, and Japan all received a neutral rating, while Canada scored the lowest and the only negative rating factor despite making it into the top 25 global ranking. This is because, even though they attract a lot of renenue through tourists, they could be using a more effective communication strategy and attract even more.
50% of all countries tend to use the same type of communication strategy regardless of geographic location. The majority choose to communicate messages related to cultural tourism, and leisure and entertainment.
The extent to which countries make use of messages, which messages they communicate, and the number of messages they use among other key facts, varies greatly from region to region. Most countries use different strategies when branding themselves.
Country branding differentiation can be achieved through the various messages a country decides to communicate, all with the same intent, attracting tourists. In particular, the level of differentiation varies from country to country. There are countries that have a high or low differ-entiation rate based on the communication strategy they use, which allows us to see how many other countries use the same communication strategy.
The most popular communication strategies worldwide are also the most popular communica-tion strategies within every region with the exception of Oceania. Oceania’s most popular mes-sages also include water sports and fishing. All of the messages in Table 1 have been used in the communication strategy of more than 40% of countries worldwide.
Table1. Most popular messages used in a country‘s communication strategy - World1. Cultural Tourism 77%2. Leisure and Entertainment 69%3. Natual Features 53%4. Beautiful Destination 46%5. Sports Activities 43%
In fact, using popular messages does not guarantee a positive impact on the country branding strategy; actually, it’s the opposite. With the exception of cultural tourism, the most valuable messages according to the Bloom Consulting Algorithm © factor are not the most popular.
Table2. Most valuable messages used in a country‘s communication strategy - World 1. Gastronomy2. Relaxed Environment3. Urban and Rural Tourism4. Adventure Tourism5. Cultural Tourism
Communication strategies related to gastronomy are the most valued in the international arena. Other valued messages help to communicate such aspects of a country as relaxed environment and urban and rural tourism. Out of the top 5 most valuable messages, only cultural tourism is on the list of the most frequently repeated messages worldwide.
The communication strategies mentioned above are the ones that work best in the global arena. However, we know that a regional approach is needed and that the most valuable messages in each communication strategy vary from continent to continent. In Asia, Africa, and Oceania the messages communicated follow the same trend. However, in Latin America and Europe they use messages related to leisure and entertainment while in North America they use messages associ-ated with winter sports.
Bloom Consulting Country Brand Ranking Top 25 Countries 2011 – Tourism
The list of top country branding performers includes countries from all over the world. The US ranks first worldwide while European and Asian countries dominate the top 25. All other conti-nents are only represented by Australia, Egypt, and Mexico.
With the help of powerful multivariate statistical analysis tools, we successfully identified correlations between a country’s level of success in tourism and the perception that the country projects through its communication strategy. Case-differential tables, as well as matrices, were used to better comprehend the most significant relationships found, leadingto the Bloom Consulting Algorithm.
Hence, we present a ranking which positions a country brand according to its economic performance based on previous economic history and the Bloom Consulting Algorithm; a process which as yet, has never been done before. It is safe to say that our research has indicated that countries lack differentiation when it comes to attracting potential tourists. It is also proven that the most popular communication strategies are not the most effective. Tourists are looking beyond the traditional reasons to visit a country and are more inclined to try new experiences. This provides a great opportunity for countries to differentiate themselves.
The RatingBloom Consulting Country Brand Rating ©
Development of CountriesHuman Asset ManagementBusiness Strategy
2011TOURISM TOP 25 PerformersEdition
One of the key differences in the Bloom Consulting Country Brand Ranking© and Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating© is the use of facts and official data as opposedto surveys and interviews. It combines hard data, such as economic indicators and country characteristics, along with communication strategies, giving birth to the Bloom Consulting Algorithm.A consistent use of official and recognized sources
More than one source of information has been used throughout this project to elaborate the global ranking. The United Nations (UN) provided a comprehensive list of 193 countries*, which enabled us to avoid any bias in selecting and identifying specific territories.
The economic variables selected to measure the performance of the countries were taken from the World Bank (WB). This ranking uses 2009 data, the latest data available from all sources.
The communication strategies used by countries to attract tourism were taken from the Tourism Board Organizations (TBOs) of the respective countries associated with the World Tourism Organisation.When these TBOs were not accessible through the Word Tourism Organisation,information was gathered from embassies .
It can therefore be confirmed, that through the consistent use of official internationallyrecognized sources, the data used is current and accurate.
A revised and validated use of data
With these sources at our disposal, we collected the country brand strategy information of each country in order to understand how the country brand wishes to be perceived.
Naturally, the quality of the data used throughout this project is crucial. For this reason, the research methodology includes a two-step approach to checking the information. Only confirmed and official data through the World Bank, World Tourism Organization, and the United Nations has been used. Moreover, all TBOs have been contacted by email and telephone in order to verify the veracity of our information.
Our methodology assumes that the communication strategies used by TBOs are accurate. We do not question their authenticity as this is not the purpose of the study, we are only inter-ested in the impact they have on a countries’ economy. Even though some countries may choose to promote aspects that differ slightly from reality, this behavior is rare and eventually would have a negative impact on their tourism and their country branding.
This study examines 157 countries; it was not possible to include all 193 countries supplied by the UN. If a country did not promote any significant messages or if economic data was not accessible, then they were eliminated from the study.
An explanatory and comprehensive clustering of communication strategies
All country branding strategies are heavily reliant on the chosen communication strategies as they have a huge impact on the country's performance. Overall, more than 3,000 messages have been collected from official sources, and implemented as a basis of information throughout this report.
A country branding rating factor is derived from theBloom Consulting Algorithm which is designed to recalculate the rating factor depending on the eco-nomic performance and the communication strategy chosen by each country.
Therefore, we can conclude that the Bloom Consulting Algorithm cannot be manipulated by any single action.Bloom Consulting has created the Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating © in order to evaluate the effectiveness of a country‘s chosen communication strategy.
The relationship between communication strategies and economic wealth varies substantially between geographic locations and economic development stages. Therefore, these factors, along with the number of countries within each sector and the repetition rate of each message within each communication strategy, were taken into account. This ensured that we could derive an accurate and just algorithm in order to designate each country with a rating factor, a country coefficient detailing the effectiveness of its communication strategy.
The Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating © scale has classified the rating factors into7 categories according to the effectiveness of a country’s communication strategy.
Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating © Categories Rating
Bloom Consulting © 2003 - 2011 Page 10countrybranding@bloom-consulting.com / +34 91 308 0286 (CET)
This rating reflects the effectiveness of the top 25 performers chosen communication strategies.
Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating © Top 25 Countries 2011 - Tourism Rating
The top 5 country branding performers have all achieved positive rating factors; however so have other countries located further down the ranking. Countries such as China, Australia, Aus-tria, and Egypt all have a major positive rating factor due to the use of the most effective com-munication strategy.On the other hand, the Netherlands, Russia, and Japan all received a neutral rating, while Canada scored the lowest and the only negative rating factor despite making it into the top 25 global ranking. This is because, even though they attract a lot of renenue through tourists, they could be using a more effective communication strategy and attract even more.
Major positive impact
Moderate positive impact
Minor positive impact
No impact
Minor negative impact
Moderate negative impact
Major negative impact
Triple Green
Double Green
Single Green
White
Single Red
Double Red
Triple Red
50% of all countries tend to use the same type of communication strategy regardless of geographic location. The majority choose to communicate messages related to cultural tourism, and leisure and entertainment.
The extent to which countries make use of messages, which messages they communicate, and the number of messages they use among other key facts, varies greatly from region to region. Most countries use different strategies when branding themselves.
Country branding differentiation can be achieved through the various messages a country decides to communicate, all with the same intent, attracting tourists. In particular, the level of differentiation varies from country to country. There are countries that have a high or low differ-entiation rate based on the communication strategy they use, which allows us to see how many other countries use the same communication strategy.
The most popular communication strategies worldwide are also the most popular communica-tion strategies within every region with the exception of Oceania. Oceania’s most popular mes-sages also include water sports and fishing. All of the messages in Table 1 have been used in the communication strategy of more than 40% of countries worldwide.
Table1. Most popular messages used in a country‘s communication strategy - World1. Cultural Tourism 77%2. Leisure and Entertainment 69%3. Natual Features 53%4. Beautiful Destination 46%5. Sports Activities 43%
In fact, using popular messages does not guarantee a positive impact on the country branding strategy; actually, it’s the opposite. With the exception of cultural tourism, the most valuable messages according to the Bloom Consulting Algorithm © factor are not the most popular.
Table2. Most valuable messages used in a country‘s communication strategy - World 1. Gastronomy2. Relaxed Environment3. Urban and Rural Tourism4. Adventure Tourism5. Cultural Tourism
Communication strategies related to gastronomy are the most valued in the international arena. Other valued messages help to communicate such aspects of a country as relaxed environment and urban and rural tourism. Out of the top 5 most valuable messages, only cultural tourism is on the list of the most frequently repeated messages worldwide.
The communication strategies mentioned above are the ones that work best in the global arena. However, we know that a regional approach is needed and that the most valuable messages in each communication strategy vary from continent to continent. In Asia, Africa, and Oceania the messages communicated follow the same trend. However, in Latin America and Europe they use messages related to leisure and entertainment while in North America they use messages associ-ated with winter sports.
Bloom Consulting Country Brand Ranking Top 25 Countries 2011 – Tourism
The list of top country branding performers includes countries from all over the world. The US ranks first worldwide while European and Asian countries dominate the top 25. All other conti-nents are only represented by Australia, Egypt, and Mexico.
With the help of powerful multivariate statistical analysis tools, we successfully identified correlations between a country’s level of success in tourism and the perception that the country projects through its communication strategy. Case-differential tables, as well as matrices, were used to better comprehend the most significant relationships found, leadingto the Bloom Consulting Algorithm.
Hence, we present a ranking which positions a country brand according to its economic performance based on previous economic history and the Bloom Consulting Algorithm; a process which as yet, has never been done before. It is safe to say that our research has indicated that countries lack differentiation when it comes to attracting potential tourists. It is also proven that the most popular communication strategies are not the most effective. Tourists are looking beyond the traditional reasons to visit a country and are more inclined to try new experiences. This provides a great opportunity for countries to differentiate themselves.
The RatingBloom Consulting Country Brand Rating ©
Development of CountriesHuman Asset ManagementBusiness Strategy
2011TOURISM TOP 25 PerformersEdition
One of the key differences in the Bloom Consulting Country Brand Ranking© and Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating© is the use of facts and official data as opposedto surveys and interviews. It combines hard data, such as economic indicators and country characteristics, along with communication strategies, giving birth to the Bloom Consulting Algorithm.A consistent use of official and recognized sources
More than one source of information has been used throughout this project to elaborate the global ranking. The United Nations (UN) provided a comprehensive list of 193 countries*, which enabled us to avoid any bias in selecting and identifying specific territories.
The economic variables selected to measure the performance of the countries were taken from the World Bank (WB). This ranking uses 2009 data, the latest data available from all sources.
The communication strategies used by countries to attract tourism were taken from the Tourism Board Organizations (TBOs) of the respective countries associated with the World Tourism Organisation.When these TBOs were not accessible through the Word Tourism Organisation,information was gathered from embassies .
It can therefore be confirmed, that through the consistent use of official internationallyrecognized sources, the data used is current and accurate.
A revised and validated use of data
With these sources at our disposal, we collected the country brand strategy information of each country in order to understand how the country brand wishes to be perceived.
Naturally, the quality of the data used throughout this project is crucial. For this reason, the research methodology includes a two-step approach to checking the information. Only confirmed and official data through the World Bank, World Tourism Organization, and the United Nations has been used. Moreover, all TBOs have been contacted by email and telephone in order to verify the veracity of our information.
Our methodology assumes that the communication strategies used by TBOs are accurate. We do not question their authenticity as this is not the purpose of the study, we are only inter-ested in the impact they have on a countries’ economy. Even though some countries may choose to promote aspects that differ slightly from reality, this behavior is rare and eventually would have a negative impact on their tourism and their country branding.
This study examines 157 countries; it was not possible to include all 193 countries supplied by the UN. If a country did not promote any significant messages or if economic data was not accessible, then they were eliminated from the study.
An explanatory and comprehensive clustering of communication strategies
All country branding strategies are heavily reliant on the chosen communication strategies as they have a huge impact on the country's performance. Overall, more than 3,000 messages have been collected from official sources, and implemented as a basis of information throughout this report.
A country branding rating factor is derived from theBloom Consulting Algorithm which is designed to recalculate the rating factor depending on the eco-nomic performance and the communication strategy chosen by each country.
Therefore, we can conclude that the Bloom Consulting Algorithm cannot be manipulated by any single action.Bloom Consulting has created the Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating © in order to evaluate the effectiveness of a country‘s chosen communication strategy.
The relationship between communication strategies and economic wealth varies substantially between geographic locations and economic development stages. Therefore, these factors, along with the number of countries within each sector and the repetition rate of each message within each communication strategy, were taken into account. This ensured that we could derive an accurate and just algorithm in order to designate each country with a rating factor, a country coefficient detailing the effectiveness of its communication strategy.
The Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating © scale has classified the rating factors into7 categories according to the effectiveness of a country’s communication strategy.
Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating © Categories Rating
This rating reflects the effectiveness of the top 25 performers chosen communication strategies.
Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating © Top 25 Countries 2011 - Tourism Rating
The top 5 country branding performers have all achieved positive rating factors; however so have other countries located further down the ranking. Countries such as China, Australia, Aus-tria, and Egypt all have a major positive rating factor due to the use of the most effective com-munication strategy.On the other hand, the Netherlands, Russia, and Japan all received a neutral rating, while Canada scored the lowest and the only negative rating factor despite making it into the top 25 global ranking. This is because, even though they attract a lot of renenue through tourists, they could be using a more effective communication strategy and attract even more.
Bloom Consulting © 2003 - 2011 Page 11countrybranding@bloom-consulting.com / +34 91 308 0286 (CET)
USA
China
France
Australia
Mexico
Japan
BelgiumGermany
Netherlands
Italy India
Turkey
Canada
UK Hong Kong
Russian Federation
SwedenSwitzerland
Austria
50% of all countries tend to use the same type of communication strategy regardless of geographic location. The majority choose to communicate messages related to cultural tourism, and leisure and entertainment.
The extent to which countries make use of messages, which messages they communicate, and the number of messages they use among other key facts, varies greatly from region to region. Most countries use different strategies when branding themselves.
Country branding differentiation can be achieved through the various messages a country decides to communicate, all with the same intent, attracting tourists. In particular, the level of differentiation varies from country to country. There are countries that have a high or low differ-entiation rate based on the communication strategy they use, which allows us to see how many other countries use the same communication strategy.
The most popular communication strategies worldwide are also the most popular communica-tion strategies within every region with the exception of Oceania. Oceania’s most popular mes-sages also include water sports and fishing. All of the messages in Table 1 have been used in the communication strategy of more than 40% of countries worldwide.
Table1. Most popular messages used in a country‘s communication strategy - World1. Cultural Tourism 77%2. Leisure and Entertainment 69%3. Natual Features 53%4. Beautiful Destination 46%5. Sports Activities 43%
In fact, using popular messages does not guarantee a positive impact on the country branding strategy; actually, it’s the opposite. With the exception of cultural tourism, the most valuable messages according to the Bloom Consulting Algorithm © factor are not the most popular.
Table2. Most valuable messages used in a country‘s communication strategy - World 1. Gastronomy2. Relaxed Environment3. Urban and Rural Tourism4. Adventure Tourism5. Cultural Tourism
Communication strategies related to gastronomy are the most valued in the international arena. Other valued messages help to communicate such aspects of a country as relaxed environment and urban and rural tourism. Out of the top 5 most valuable messages, only cultural tourism is on the list of the most frequently repeated messages worldwide.
The communication strategies mentioned above are the ones that work best in the global arena. However, we know that a regional approach is needed and that the most valuable messages in each communication strategy vary from continent to continent. In Asia, Africa, and Oceania the messages communicated follow the same trend. However, in Latin America and Europe they use messages related to leisure and entertainment while in North America they use messages associ-ated with winter sports.
Bloom Consulting Country Brand Ranking Top 25 Countries 2011 – Tourism
The list of top country branding performers includes countries from all over the world. The US ranks first worldwide while European and Asian countries dominate the top 25. All other conti-nents are only represented by Australia, Egypt, and Mexico.
With the help of powerful multivariate statistical analysis tools, we successfully identified correlations between a country’s level of success in tourism and the perception that the country projects through its communication strategy. Case-differential tables, as well as matrices, were used to better comprehend the most significant relationships found, leadingto the Bloom Consulting Algorithm.
Hence, we present a ranking which positions a country brand according to its economic performance based on previous economic history and the Bloom Consulting Algorithm; a process which as yet, has never been done before. It is safe to say that our research has indicated that countries lack differentiation when it comes to attracting potential tourists. It is also proven that the most popular communication strategies are not the most effective. Tourists are looking beyond the traditional reasons to visit a country and are more inclined to try new experiences. This provides a great opportunity for countries to differentiate themselves.
The Rating – TOP 25Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating ©
Development of CountriesHuman Asset ManagementBusiness Strategy
2011TOURISM TOP 25 PerformersEdition
Thailand Portugal
Greece
Egypt
Malaysia
Spain
One of the key differences in the Bloom Consulting Country Brand Ranking© and Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating© is the use of facts and official data as opposedto surveys and interviews. It combines hard data, such as economic indicators and country characteristics, along with communication strategies, giving birth to the Bloom Consulting Algorithm.A consistent use of official and recognized sources
More than one source of information has been used throughout this project to elaborate the global ranking. The United Nations (UN) provided a comprehensive list of 193 countries*, which enabled us to avoid any bias in selecting and identifying specific territories.
The economic variables selected to measure the performance of the countries were taken from the World Bank (WB). This ranking uses 2009 data, the latest data available from all sources.
The communication strategies used by countries to attract tourism were taken from the Tourism Board Organizations (TBOs) of the respective countries associated with the World Tourism Organisation.When these TBOs were not accessible through the Word Tourism Organisation,information was gathered from embassies .
It can therefore be confirmed, that through the consistent use of official internationallyrecognized sources, the data used is current and accurate.
A revised and validated use of data
With these sources at our disposal, we collected the country brand strategy information of each country in order to understand how the country brand wishes to be perceived.
Naturally, the quality of the data used throughout this project is crucial. For this reason, the research methodology includes a two-step approach to checking the information. Only confirmed and official data through the World Bank, World Tourism Organization, and the United Nations has been used. Moreover, all TBOs have been contacted by email and telephone in order to verify the veracity of our information.
Our methodology assumes that the communication strategies used by TBOs are accurate. We do not question their authenticity as this is not the purpose of the study, we are only inter-ested in the impact they have on a countries’ economy. Even though some countries may choose to promote aspects that differ slightly from reality, this behavior is rare and eventually would have a negative impact on their tourism and their country branding.
This study examines 157 countries; it was not possible to include all 193 countries supplied by the UN. If a country did not promote any significant messages or if economic data was not accessible, then they were eliminated from the study.
An explanatory and comprehensive clustering of communication strategies
All country branding strategies are heavily reliant on the chosen communication strategies as they have a huge impact on the country's performance. Overall, more than 3,000 messages have been collected from official sources, and implemented as a basis of information throughout this report.
A country branding rating factor is derived from theBloom Consulting Algorithm which is designed to recalculate the rating factor depending on the eco-nomic performance and the communication strategy chosen by each country.
Therefore, we can conclude that the Bloom Consulting Algorithm cannot be manipulated by any single action.Bloom Consulting has created the Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating © in order to evaluate the effectiveness of a country‘s chosen communication strategy.
The relationship between communication strategies and economic wealth varies substantially between geographic locations and economic development stages. Therefore, these factors, along with the number of countries within each sector and the repetition rate of each message within each communication strategy, were taken into account. This ensured that we could derive an accurate and just algorithm in order to designate each country with a rating factor, a country coefficient detailing the effectiveness of its communication strategy.
The Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating © scale has classified the rating factors into7 categories according to the effectiveness of a country’s communication strategy.
Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating © Categories Rating
This rating reflects the effectiveness of the top 25 performers chosen communication strategies.
Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating © Top 25 Countries 2011 - Tourism Rating
The top 5 country branding performers have all achieved positive rating factors; however so have other countries located further down the ranking. Countries such as China, Australia, Aus-tria, and Egypt all have a major positive rating factor due to the use of the most effective com-munication strategy.On the other hand, the Netherlands, Russia, and Japan all received a neutral rating, while Canada scored the lowest and the only negative rating factor despite making it into the top 25 global ranking. This is because, even though they attract a lot of renenue through tourists, they could be using a more effective communication strategy and attract even more.
50% of all countries tend to use the same type of communication strategy regardless of geographic location. The majority choose to communicate messages related to cultural tourism, and leisure and entertainment.
The extent to which countries make use of messages, which messages they communicate, and the number of messages they use among other key facts, varies greatly from region to region. Most countries use different strategies when branding themselves.
Country branding differentiation can be achieved through the various messages a country decides to communicate, all with the same intent, attracting tourists. In particular, the level of differentiation varies from country to country. There are countries that have a high or low differ-entiation rate based on the communication strategy they use, which allows us to see how many other countries use the same communication strategy.
The most popular communication strategies worldwide are also the most popular communica-tion strategies within every region with the exception of Oceania. Oceania’s most popular mes-sages also include water sports and fishing. All of the messages in Table 1 have been used in the communication strategy of more than 40% of countries worldwide.
Table1. Most popular messages used in a country‘s communication strategy - World1. Cultural Tourism 77%2. Leisure and Entertainment 69%3. Natual Features 53%4. Beautiful Destination 46%5. Sports Activities 43%
Bloom Consulting © 2003 - 2011 Page 12countrybranding@bloom-consulting.com / +34 91 308 0286 (CET)
In fact, using popular messages does not guarantee a positive impact on the country branding strategy; actually, it’s the opposite. With the exception of cultural tourism, the most valuable messages according to the Bloom Consulting Algorithm © factor are not the most popular.
Table2. Most valuable messages used in a country‘s communication strategy - World 1. Gastronomy2. Relaxed Environment3. Urban and Rural Tourism4. Adventure Tourism5. Cultural Tourism
Communication strategies related to gastronomy are the most valued in the international arena. Other valued messages help to communicate such aspects of a country as relaxed environment and urban and rural tourism. Out of the top 5 most valuable messages, only cultural tourism is on the list of the most frequently repeated messages worldwide.
The communication strategies mentioned above are the ones that work best in the global arena. However, we know that a regional approach is needed and that the most valuable messages in each communication strategy vary from continent to continent. In Asia, Africa, and Oceania the messages communicated follow the same trend. However, in Latin America and Europe they use messages related to leisure and entertainment while in North America they use messages associ-ated with winter sports.
Bloom Consulting Country Brand Ranking Top 25 Countries 2011 – Tourism
The list of top country branding performers includes countries from all over the world. The US ranks first worldwide while European and Asian countries dominate the top 25. All other conti-nents are only represented by Australia, Egypt, and Mexico.
With the help of powerful multivariate statistical analysis tools, we successfully identified correlations between a country’s level of success in tourism and the perception that the country projects through its communication strategy. Case-differential tables, as well as matrices, were used to better comprehend the most significant relationships found, leadingto the Bloom Consulting Algorithm.
Hence, we present a ranking which positions a country brand according to its economic performance based on previous economic history and the Bloom Consulting Algorithm; a process which as yet, has never been done before. It is safe to say that our research has indicated that countries lack differentiation when it comes to attracting potential tourists. It is also proven that the most popular communication strategies are not the most effective. Tourists are looking beyond the traditional reasons to visit a country and are more inclined to try new experiences. This provides a great opportunity for countries to differentiate themselves.
The Country Branding StrategyHow the world is differentiating itself
Development of CountriesHuman Asset ManagementBusiness Strategy
2011TOURISM TOP 25 PerformersEdition
One of the key differences in the Bloom Consulting Country Brand Ranking© and Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating© is the use of facts and official data as opposedto surveys and interviews. It combines hard data, such as economic indicators and country characteristics, along with communication strategies, giving birth to the Bloom Consulting Algorithm.A consistent use of official and recognized sources
More than one source of information has been used throughout this project to elaborate the global ranking. The United Nations (UN) provided a comprehensive list of 193 countries*, which enabled us to avoid any bias in selecting and identifying specific territories.
The economic variables selected to measure the performance of the countries were taken from the World Bank (WB). This ranking uses 2009 data, the latest data available from all sources.
The communication strategies used by countries to attract tourism were taken from the Tourism Board Organizations (TBOs) of the respective countries associated with the World Tourism Organisation.When these TBOs were not accessible through the Word Tourism Organisation,information was gathered from embassies .
It can therefore be confirmed, that through the consistent use of official internationallyrecognized sources, the data used is current and accurate.
A revised and validated use of data
With these sources at our disposal, we collected the country brand strategy information of each country in order to understand how the country brand wishes to be perceived.
Naturally, the quality of the data used throughout this project is crucial. For this reason, the research methodology includes a two-step approach to checking the information. Only confirmed and official data through the World Bank, World Tourism Organization, and the United Nations has been used. Moreover, all TBOs have been contacted by email and telephone in order to verify the veracity of our information.
Our methodology assumes that the communication strategies used by TBOs are accurate. We do not question their authenticity as this is not the purpose of the study, we are only inter-ested in the impact they have on a countries’ economy. Even though some countries may choose to promote aspects that differ slightly from reality, this behavior is rare and eventually would have a negative impact on their tourism and their country branding.
This study examines 157 countries; it was not possible to include all 193 countries supplied by the UN. If a country did not promote any significant messages or if economic data was not accessible, then they were eliminated from the study.
An explanatory and comprehensive clustering of communication strategies
All country branding strategies are heavily reliant on the chosen communication strategies as they have a huge impact on the country's performance. Overall, more than 3,000 messages have been collected from official sources, and implemented as a basis of information throughout this report.
A country branding rating factor is derived from theBloom Consulting Algorithm which is designed to recalculate the rating factor depending on the eco-nomic performance and the communication strategy chosen by each country.
Therefore, we can conclude that the Bloom Consulting Algorithm cannot be manipulated by any single action.Bloom Consulting has created the Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating © in order to evaluate the effectiveness of a country‘s chosen communication strategy.
The relationship between communication strategies and economic wealth varies substantially between geographic locations and economic development stages. Therefore, these factors, along with the number of countries within each sector and the repetition rate of each message within each communication strategy, were taken into account. This ensured that we could derive an accurate and just algorithm in order to designate each country with a rating factor, a country coefficient detailing the effectiveness of its communication strategy.
The Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating © scale has classified the rating factors into7 categories according to the effectiveness of a country’s communication strategy.
Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating © Categories Rating
This rating reflects the effectiveness of the top 25 performers chosen communication strategies.
Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating © Top 25 Countries 2011 - Tourism Rating
The top 5 country branding performers have all achieved positive rating factors; however so have other countries located further down the ranking. Countries such as China, Australia, Aus-tria, and Egypt all have a major positive rating factor due to the use of the most effective com-munication strategy.On the other hand, the Netherlands, Russia, and Japan all received a neutral rating, while Canada scored the lowest and the only negative rating factor despite making it into the top 25 global ranking. This is because, even though they attract a lot of renenue through tourists, they could be using a more effective communication strategy and attract even more.
50% of all countries tend to use the same type of communication strategy regardless of geographic location. The majority choose to communicate messages related to cultural tourism, and leisure and entertainment.
The extent to which countries make use of messages, which messages they communicate, and the number of messages they use among other key facts, varies greatly from region to region. Most countries use different strategies when branding themselves.
Country branding differentiation can be achieved through the various messages a country decides to communicate, all with the same intent, attracting tourists. In particular, the level of differentiation varies from country to country. There are countries that have a high or low differ-entiation rate based on the communication strategy they use, which allows us to see how many other countries use the same communication strategy.
The most popular communication strategies worldwide are also the most popular communica-tion strategies within every region with the exception of Oceania. Oceania’s most popular mes-sages also include water sports and fishing. All of the messages in Table 1 have been used in the communication strategy of more than 40% of countries worldwide.
Table1. Most popular messages used in a country‘s communication strategy - World1. Cultural Tourism 77%2. Leisure and Entertainment 69%3. Natual Features 53%4. Beautiful Destination 46%5. Sports Activities 43%
In fact, using popular messages does not guarantee a positive impact on the country branding strategy; actually, it’s the opposite. With the exception of cultural tourism, the most valuable messages according to the Bloom Consulting Algorithm © factor are not the most popular.
Table2. Most valuable messages used in a country‘s communication strategy - World 1. Gastronomy2. Relaxed Environment3. Urban and Rural Tourism4. Adventure Tourism5. Cultural Tourism
Communication strategies related to gastronomy are the most valued in the international arena. Other valued messages help to communicate such aspects of a country as relaxed environment and urban and rural tourism. Out of the top 5 most valuable messages, only cultural tourism is on the list of the most frequently repeated messages worldwide.
The communication strategies mentioned above are the ones that work best in the global arena. However, we know that a regional approach is needed and that the most valuable messages in each communication strategy vary from continent to continent. In Asia, Africa, and Oceania the messages communicated follow the same trend. However, in Latin America and Europe they use messages related to leisure and entertainment while in North America they use messages associ-ated with winter sports.
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Bloom Consulting Country Brand Ranking Top 25 Countries 2011 – Tourism
The list of top country branding performers includes countries from all over the world. The US ranks first worldwide while European and Asian countries dominate the top 25. All other conti-nents are only represented by Australia, Egypt, and Mexico.
With the help of powerful multivariate statistical analysis tools, we successfully identified correlations between a country’s level of success in tourism and the perception that the country projects through its communication strategy. Case-differential tables, as well as matrices, were used to better comprehend the most significant relationships found, leadingto the Bloom Consulting Algorithm.
Hence, we present a ranking which positions a country brand according to its economic performance based on previous economic history and the Bloom Consulting Algorithm; a process which as yet, has never been done before. It is safe to say that our research has indicated that countries lack differentiation when it comes to attracting potential tourists. It is also proven that the most popular communication strategies are not the most effective. Tourists are looking beyond the traditional reasons to visit a country and are more inclined to try new experiences. This provides a great opportunity for countries to differentiate themselves.
The Country Branding StrategyHow the world is differentiating itself
Development of CountriesHuman Asset ManagementBusiness Strategy
2011TOURISM TOP 25 PerformersEdition
1. United States of America
2. Spain
7. Italy
8. Australia
10. Thailand
6. China
5. United Kingdom
3. France
9. Austria
4. Germany
As opposed to surveys and qualitative interviews, this country brand ranking combines the countries economic performance with the respective country branding strategies; a process which as yet, has never been done before. Such combination of variables has given birth to the Bloom Consulting Algorithm - which sets the world Ranking
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Bloom Consulting Country Brand Ranking ©2011 TOURISM - WORLD Ranking
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RateWorld Rank
17. Malaysia
26. Republic of Korea
29. Croatia
30. Morocco
32. Indonesia
33. Ireland
34. Czech Republic
35. Tunisia
23. Canada
24. Russian Federation
11. Hong Kong
15. Netherlands
16. Belgium
31. Singapore
14. Mexico
22. Sweden
20. India
13. Switzerland
25. Japan
12. Turkey
28. Poland
18. Egypt
27. South Africa
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21. Portugal
19. Greece
World Rank Rate
37. Philippines
39. Norway
40. Lebanon
44. Denmark
43. New Zealand
45. United Arab Emirates
48. Argentina
49. Finland
50. Bulgaria
52. Jordan
51. Cyprus
55. Slovenia
53. Dominican Republic
54. Syrian Arab Republic
56. Cuba
36. Saudi Arabia
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38. Hungary
41. Brazil
42. Viet Nam
46. Israel
47. Luxembourg
57. Slovakia
58. Chile
59. Bahamas
60. Costa Rica
World Rank Rate
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72. Cambodia
73. Malta
74. Barbados
83. Sri Lanka
76. United Republic of Tanzania
80. Ethiopia
79. Pakistan
81. El Salvador
78. Ghana
77. Lithuania
85. Oman
84. Latvia
82. Guatemala
61. Jamaica
62. Peru
71. Albania
64. Romania
65. Bahrain
70. Estonia
68. Iran
67. Panama
66. Kenya
69. Mauritius
63. Colombia
75. Kazakhstan
World Rank Rate
88. Serbia
86. Uruguay
87. Bosnia and Herzegovina
101. Montenegro
102. Senegal
100. Belarus
103. Yemen
105. Qatar
104. Fiji
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93. Honduras
94. Botswana
91. Uganda
89. Iceland
99. Trinidad and Tobago
92. Madagascar
95. Georgia
98. Maldives
90. Nigeria
96. Ecuador
97. Namibia
109. Armenia
108. Antigua and Barbuda
107. Seychelles
110. Saint Lucia
106. Kyrgyzstan
World Rank Rate
131. Grenada
132. Suriname
125. Paraguay
127. Saint Kits and Nevis
124. Benin
130. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
126. Rwanda
133. Gambia
129. Bangladesh
128. Zambia
135. Swaziland
134. Dominica
115. Mongolia
113. Nicaragua
114. Angola
118. Cameroon
112. Belize
120. Zimbabwe
121. Brunei Darussalam
111. Azerbaijan
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119. Sudan
117. Algeria
116. Nepal
122. Macedonia
123. Mozambique
World Rank Rate
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137. Burkina Faso
136. Vanuatu
142. Guyana
155. Papua New Guinea
146. Lesotho
147. Palau
148. Solomon Islands
149. Tajikistan
150. Tonga
151. Comoros
152. São Tomé and Principe
153. Federated States of Micronesia
156. Guinea
144. Malawi
145. Togo
143. Sierra Leon
154. Marshall Islands
157. Burundi
138. Niger
140. Samoa
141. Bhutan
139. Uzbekistan
World Rank Rate
One of the key differences in the Bloom Consulting Country Brand Ranking© and Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating© is the use of facts and official data as opposedto surveys and interviews. It combines hard data, such as economic indicators and country characteristics, along with communication strategies, giving birth to the Bloom Consulting Algorithm.A consistent use of official and recognized sources
More than one source of information has been used throughout this project to elaborate the global ranking. The United Nations (UN) provided a comprehensive list of 193 countries*, which enabled us to avoid any bias in selecting and identifying specific territories.
The economic variables selected to measure the performance of the countries were taken from the World Bank (WB). This ranking uses 2009 data, the latest data available from all sources.
The communication strategies used by countries to attract tourism were taken from the Tourism Board Organizations (TBOs) of the respective countries associated with the World Tourism Organisation.When these TBOs were not accessible through the Word Tourism Organisation,information was gathered from embassies .
It can therefore be confirmed, that through the consistent use of official internationallyrecognized sources, the data used is current and accurate.
A revised and validated use of data
With these sources at our disposal, we collected the country brand strategy information of each country in order to understand how the country brand wishes to be perceived.
Naturally, the quality of the data used throughout this project is crucial. For this reason, the research methodology includes a two-step approach to checking the information. Only confirmed and official data through the World Bank, World Tourism Organization, and the United Nations has been used. Moreover, all TBOs have been contacted by email and telephone in order to verify the veracity of our information.
Our methodology assumes that the communication strategies used by TBOs are accurate. We do not question their authenticity as this is not the purpose of the study, we are only inter-ested in the impact they have on a countries’ economy. Even though some countries may choose to promote aspects that differ slightly from reality, this behavior is rare and eventually would have a negative impact on their tourism and their country branding.
This study examines 157 countries; it was not possible to include all 193 countries supplied by the UN. If a country did not promote any significant messages or if economic data was not accessible, then they were eliminated from the study.
An explanatory and comprehensive clustering of communication strategies
All country branding strategies are heavily reliant on the chosen communication strategies as they have a huge impact on the country's performance. Overall, more than 3,000 messages have been collected from official sources, and implemented as a basis of information throughout this report.
A country branding rating factor is derived from theBloom Consulting Algorithm which is designed to recalculate the rating factor depending on the eco-nomic performance and the communication strategy chosen by each country.
Therefore, we can conclude that the Bloom Consulting Algorithm cannot be manipulated by any single action.Bloom Consulting has created the Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating © in order to evaluate the effectiveness of a country‘s chosen communication strategy.
The relationship between communication strategies and economic wealth varies substantially between geographic locations and economic development stages. Therefore, these factors, along with the number of countries within each sector and the repetition rate of each message within each communication strategy, were taken into account. This ensured that we could derive an accurate and just algorithm in order to designate each country with a rating factor, a country coefficient detailing the effectiveness of its communication strategy.
The Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating © scale has classified the rating factors into7 categories according to the effectiveness of a country’s communication strategy.
Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating © Categories Rating
This rating reflects the effectiveness of the top 25 performers chosen communication strategies.
Bloom Consulting Country Brand Rating © Top 25 Countries 2011 - Tourism Rating
The top 5 country branding performers have all achieved positive rating factors; however so have other countries located further down the ranking. Countries such as China, Australia, Aus-tria, and Egypt all have a major positive rating factor due to the use of the most effective com-munication strategy.On the other hand, the Netherlands, Russia, and Japan all received a neutral rating, while Canada scored the lowest and the only negative rating factor despite making it into the top 25 global ranking. This is because, even though they attract a lot of renenue through tourists, they could be using a more effective communication strategy and attract even more.
50% of all countries tend to use the same type of communication strategy regardless of geographic location. The majority choose to communicate messages related to cultural tourism, and leisure and entertainment.
The extent to which countries make use of messages, which messages they communicate, and the number of messages they use among other key facts, varies greatly from region to region. Most countries use different strategies when branding themselves.
Country branding differentiation can be achieved through the various messages a country decides to communicate, all with the same intent, attracting tourists. In particular, the level of differentiation varies from country to country. There are countries that have a high or low differ-entiation rate based on the communication strategy they use, which allows us to see how many other countries use the same communication strategy.
The most popular communication strategies worldwide are also the most popular communica-tion strategies within every region with the exception of Oceania. Oceania’s most popular mes-sages also include water sports and fishing. All of the messages in Table 1 have been used in the communication strategy of more than 40% of countries worldwide.
Table1. Most popular messages used in a country‘s communication strategy - World1. Cultural Tourism 77%2. Leisure and Entertainment 69%3. Natual Features 53%4. Beautiful Destination 46%5. Sports Activities 43%
In fact, using popular messages does not guarantee a positive impact on the country branding strategy; actually, it’s the opposite. With the exception of cultural tourism, the most valuable messages according to the Bloom Consulting Algorithm © factor are not the most popular.
Table2. Most valuable messages used in a country‘s communication strategy - World 1. Gastronomy2. Relaxed Environment3. Urban and Rural Tourism4. Adventure Tourism5. Cultural Tourism
Communication strategies related to gastronomy are the most valued in the international arena. Other valued messages help to communicate such aspects of a country as relaxed environment and urban and rural tourism. Out of the top 5 most valuable messages, only cultural tourism is on the list of the most frequently repeated messages worldwide.
The communication strategies mentioned above are the ones that work best in the global arena. However, we know that a regional approach is needed and that the most valuable messages in each communication strategy vary from continent to continent. In Asia, Africa, and Oceania the messages communicated follow the same trend. However, in Latin America and Europe they use messages related to leisure and entertainment while in North America they use messages associ-ated with winter sports.
Bloom Consulting Country Brand Ranking Top 25 Countries 2011 – Tourism
The list of top country branding performers includes countries from all over the world. The US ranks first worldwide while European and Asian countries dominate the top 25. All other conti-nents are only represented by Australia, Egypt, and Mexico.
Bloom Consulting is a strategy consulting firm specialized in country branding.José Filipe Torres founded Bloom Consulting in 2003 and is a regular spokesperson at confer-ences and universities worldwide. He has been interviewed by both The Economist and Forbes, where he was identified as one of the top 3 country branding experts in the world.
At the moment Bloom Consulting have offices in Bulgaria, Brazil, Italy, India, Portugal andSpain (headquarters), as well as research centers in Tokyo and London. Bloom Consulting work closely with presidents, monarchs, ministers and institutions in order to define their strategy, establish their vision, and implement it. Bloom’s clients include the Bulgarian, Latvian, Polish, Portuguese and Spanish governments, and also regions such as Madrid, Castilla y Leon in Spain, and Alqueva and the southwest regions of Portugal.
Bloom Consulting has developed a 3T approach © to separate Trade, Tourism, and Talent strategies. One fundamental point for the success of all of Bloom Consulting’s country brand-ing projects, is the CAMPRO methodology ©. This methodology is a combination of academic and professional knowledge under Bloom Consulting’s management and control, key to obtain-ing the most accurate recommendations and insights for all clients.
More information
While this report provides a general global overview, the information presented here is anything but a glimpse of the findings we have at our disposal. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like a catered and detailed version of the Bloom Consulting Country Brand Ranking © report for your country or region.
For more information, please visit:
www.bloom-consulting.com/country_branding_rankingwww.bloom-consulting.com/country_branding_rating
or send an email to countrybranding@bloom-consulting.com
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With the help of powerful multivariate statistical analysis tools, we successfully identified correlations between a country’s level of success in tourism and the perception that the country projects through its communication strategy. Case-differential tables, as well as matrices, were used to better comprehend the most significant relationships found, leadingto the Bloom Consulting Algorithm.
Hence, we present a ranking which positions a country brand according to its economic performance based on previous economic history and the Bloom Consulting Algorithm; a process which as yet, has never been done before. It is safe to say that our research has indicated that countries lack differentiation when it comes to attracting potential tourists. It is also proven that the most popular communication strategies are not the most effective. Tourists are looking beyond the traditional reasons to visit a country and are more inclined to try new experiences. This provides a great opportunity for countries to differentiate themselves.
AboutBloom Consulting
Development of CountriesHuman Asset ManagementBusiness Strategy
2011TOURISM TOP 25 PerformersEdition