GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media and Simon Anholt Release Global Reputation Study...

GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media and Simon Anholt Release Global Reputation
Study Ranking 50 Countries
Germany on Top, U.S. Seventh in Nation Brands Index(SM)

NEW YORK, Sept. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media, a
division of GfK Custom Research North America, today announced results from
the 2008 Anholt-GfK Roper Nation Brands Index(SM) (NBI) report.
Germany is viewed as the best overall "brand", receiving the highest
ranking of the 50 nations measured. The United States ranks seventh overall
behind Germany, France, U.K., Canada, Japan and Italy, respectively.
Familiarity-wise, the U.S. comes out on top: a majority, (91%) have at least
some knowledge of the U.S. in general.
2008 Anholt-GfK Roper Nation Brands Index(SM) Ranking
(Top 20 of 50 Nations)

1 Germany 11 Spain
2 France 12 Netherlands
3 United Kingdom 13 Norway (tie)
4 Canada 13 Austria (tie)
5 Japan 15 Denmark
6 Italy 16 Scotland
7 United States 17 New Zealand
8 Switzerland 18 Finland
9 Australia 19 Ireland
10 Sweden 20 Belgium

The index is based on a survey in which respondents from across 20 major
developed and developing countries are asked to rate their agreement with
statements about each nation. The statements cover six categories: Exports,
Governance, Culture, People, Tourism and Immigration/Investment. The NBI
ranking is based on the average of these six scores.
"The NBI is a report card for countries, measuring the world's perception
of each nation as if it were a public brand," explains Simon Anholt, NBI
founder. "Within the top 10 most positively perceived countries, the ranking
reveals a strong correlation between a nation's overall brand and its economic
status."
Adds Xiaoyan Zhao, Senior Vice President and director of the NBI study at
GfK Roper Public Affairs and Media, "Much as a commercial brand relies on a
favorable public opinion to sell products, countries depend on their
reputation and image to bring in tourists, business, investment and other
facets important to a nation's financial strength and its international
standing."
Following are the top ranked countries in each category, as well as two
additional countries with noteworthy positions on the list:
Culture Brand Ranking Tourism Brand Ranking
1. France 1. Italy
2. Italy 2. France
3. United Kingdom 3. Spain
18. Egypt 13. Brazil
20. India 31. Turkey

People Brand Ranking Governance Brand Ranking
1. Canada 1. Switzerland
2. Australia 2. Canada
3. Italy 3. Sweden
31. Russia 22. United States
34. South Africa 50. Iran

Exports Brand Ranking Immigration/Investment Brand Ranking
1. Japan 1. Canada
2. United States 2. United Kingdom (tie)
3. Germany 2. United States (tie)
21. China 10. Japan
50. Nigeria 29. United Arab Emirates

GfK and Anholt are currently conducting research for the Anholt-GfK Roper
City Brands Index(SM) which will be available winter 2008. For more
information, including a copy of the 2008 NBI Highlights Report, please visit
www.gfkamerica.com and/or www.simonanholt.com.
About the Anholt-GfK Roper Nation Brands Index(SM)
Conducted annually with GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media beginning in
2008, the Nation Brands Index measures the image of 50 countries with respect
to Exports, Governance, Culture, People, Tourism and Immigration/Investment.
Each year, a total of 20,000 adults ages 18 and up are interviewed in 20 core
countries.
About GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media
GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media is a division of GfK Custom Research
North America. The division specializes in customized public opinion polling,
media & communications research, and corporate reputation measurement -- in
the US and globally. In addition to delivering a broad range of customized
research studies, GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media draws from GfK's syndicated
consumer tracking services, GfK Roper Reports(R) US and GfK Roper Reports(R)
Worldwide, which monitor consumer values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors in
the US and more than 25 other countries.
About GfK Custom Research North America
Headquartered in New York, GfK Custom Research North America is part of
the GfK Group (www.gfk.com). The GfK Group is the No. 4 market research
organization worldwide. Its activities cover the three business sectors of
Custom Research, Retail and Technology and Media. The Group has 115 companies
covering over 100 countries. Of a total of 9,457 employees (as of June 30,
2008), 81.6% are based outside Germany. For further information, visit our
website: www.gfkamerica.com
About Simon Anholt
Simon Anholt is recognized as the world's leading authority on the
branding of countries, regions and cities. He is a member of the UK
Government's Public Diplomacy Board, and works as an independent advisor to
around 20 other national, regional and city governments on brand strategy and
public diplomacy. Anholt developed the concept of the Nation Brands Index in
2005. He is founding editor of the quarterly journal, Place Branding and
Public Diplomacy, and the author of Brand New Justice, Brand America and
Competitive Identity - the New Brand Management for Nations, Cities and
Regions.
SOURCE GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media

Deanna Decker, ddecker@psbpr.com, or Meghan Callaghan, mcallaghan@psbpr.com,
both of Padilla Speer Beardsley, +1-212-752-8338; for GfK Roper Public Affairs
& Media; or Liz Nolley of GfK Custom Research North America, +1-212-240-5300,
info@gfkamerica.com