ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explores how countries, places, and nations make use of “language” to imagine and portray themselves and others today, tomorrow, as well as in the past. It examines how branding differs from other, related policies, and practices, such as nation building, banal nationalism, and populism. The book offers a current and comprehensive treatment of the role of language in country branding practices, strategies, and campaigns, for the benefit of academic and applied researchers with interests in these and related areas. It focuses on the two dominant emerging themes: nationalism and country branding, and place and country branding. The book presents a sociolinguistic analysis of a current political project that aims to saffronize India. It addresses inclusion and exclusion of primarily ethnic groups and their role in country branding.
