ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the country-of-origin effect and places it in the context of nation branding. The chapter focuses on issues including country-of-origin and brands, country-of-origin and demographics, country-of-origin and semiotic theory, as well as noting that country-of-origin perceptions are not necessarily static but can change over time. The relevance of country-of-origin to nation branding is illustrated in this chapter’s practitioner insight, in which Mikhail Sadchenkov describes the initiation of the Made in Russia project. The academic perspective considers past and present images of Germany, whilst this chapter’s case outlines Ghana’s nation branding strategy for attracting foreign direct investment.
