Germany’s recent victory in the 2014 World Cup football championship has boosted the country’s global brand perception, according to a new study from research firm GfK.
In the latest version of the annual Anholt-GfK Roper Nation Brands Index, Germany is number one – knocking the US off the top spot after five years
The annual study is based on more than 20,000 interviews conducted across 20 countries. The research measures global perceptions of 50 countries based on 23 attributes related to exports, governance, culture, people, tourism and immigration/investment.
The Germans had previously held the top spot in 2008, during the era of George W Bush’s white house, when the US’s international image was weaker – also enjoyed strong gains in the areas of honest and competent government, investment climate and social equality.
Polling took place in July 2014, just after the Germans’ success at 2014 FIFA World Cup. The global perception of Germany’s sporting excellence rose more than any other category for any other country included in the index.
It will be recalled that Germany also won the world championships in the female and male under-aged categories in 2014.
“Germany appears to have benefited not only from the sports prowess it displayed on the world stage at the FIFA World Cup, but also by solidifying its perceived leadership in Europe through a robust economy and steady political stewardship,” said index founder Simon Anholt, the independent policy advisor to heads of state around the world who claims to have coined the term “nation branding”.
It should be noted that, since this poll was conducted, Germany’s economy has been on the decline. German industrial production fell sharply in August, manufacturing slumped to a 15-month low in September, and economists expressed concerns in October that Germany could slip into its third recession in six years.
It seems that the country may have its football team to thank for this award.
The US, which has held the top spot since 2009, slipped because of international perceptions about its role in global peace and security, where it ranks 19th out of 50 countries.
Xiaoyan Zhao, GfK’s director of the Nation Brands Index, said that both Russia and Egypt downgraded the US “in an unprecedented manner” in this “year of various international confrontations”.
However, the US is still seen as the strongest nation for creativity, contemporary culture and educational institutions.
Here are the 10 countries with the top brand rankings this year, according to GFK’s study:
- Germany
2. United States
3. United Kingdom
4. France
5. Canada
6. Japan
7. Italy
8. Switzerland
9. Australia
10. Sweden
