LONDON , Dec 5 - Croatia ranks 9th in terms of the rate of growth of its national brand - as China tops the list- according to Brand Finance, a leading global brand valuation consultancy. The figures come from the London-based firm's recent Nation Brands 100, a report on the value of the world's top nation brands.
A nation brand is a measure of a country's reputation abroad. Since consumers are more willing to visit, invest in, or buy products from countries with strong reputations, these brands are valuable economic assets. The strong reputation of Switzerland, for example, encourages people to buy Swiss products, which they assume to be of high quality.
Croatia's nation brand increased in value to $30 billion US in 2011. While this total is much lower than that of the world's largest economies, it placed Croatia as the 9th fastest growing nation brand, one of only two European countries to make the “most improved” list. Croatia’s nation brand increased in value by 21.2% in 2011. This is an especially impressive accomplishment considering that the nation brands of most European states actually lost value. The worst performing country in Europe – and the world – was Greece, which lost over 40% of its brand value.
Croatia’s nation brand still suffers from low perceptions of infrastructure and business-readiness, but has seen growth as the country continues to develop and move closer to the European Union.
The BrandFinance Nation Brand 100 provides a comprehensive report on the world's leading nation brands and presents an analysis of the impact that a country's reputation and image have on foreign consumers and investors.
The report combines a wide range of economic, demographic, and political factors, and is based on in-depth research by Brand Finance's global network of offices.
For the entire report, click here
Sent by John Ashbourne , anlyst
5th December 2011