Future Brand’s Country Brand Index, out this week, makes for some fascinating reading. The winners in the index included Canada, whose brand benefited from strong governance, commitment to the environment and the legacy of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.
Brazil was also a perhaps less predictable high performer, as the country took advantage of its position as one of the BRIC developing economies. Winning the bids for both the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympics will have done the country’s brand no harm at all.
Faring less well were both the US and the UK. Balanced against the innovation and vibrancy of the US were negative perceptions of its foreign policy, debt crisis and economic travails. The UK had more problems – despite the publicity around the royal wedding and the anticipation of the 2012 London Olympics, this was outweighed by concerns around the economy, banking associations and, particularly, the summer riots.
Interesting, yes, but important? Absolutely. Perceptions of a nation’s brand can have a demonstrable effect on the decisions of foreign investors, tourists and export purchasers.
But what about talent? With employment becoming ever more global, it is far easier to move people around the world for work. Countries whose nation brand is suffering – and the UK’s current high taxation debate will not be overly helpful in this regard – will find it harder and harder both to keep the sort of talent who could happily work in New York, Frankfurt, Mumbai or Shanghai. At the same time, if the UK or US’ lustre is fading, how easy will it be to attract in talented migrants?
The historical and cultural advantages that countries such as the UK and US have long benefited from are perhaps not what they were. And whereas the US nation brand is underpinned by dynamism and entrepreneurialism, that of the UK is overly dependent on heritage and nostalgia, according to Future Brands. Perhaps fine for tourists, less appealing however for inward investors and highly mobile talent.
The war for talent is, therefore, still with us. However, the battle is being waged at nation level as much as from employer to employer.
Getting to the heart of your employee mindset 
How was the index realised? Methodologies? Samples? Questions? Other (much vaunted) indices are subject to scrutiny because of the way they are put together and because of the 'experts' who put them together. You can get any answer you want – as you know. I have my pinch of salt.
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