The importance of nation branding and public diplomacy

AMERICA'S "nation branding" and "public diplomacy" strategies to build its image have produced surprisingly spectacular results that place the United States as the world's No 1 brand despite strong waves of anti-Americanism due to its interventions in the Middle East since 9/11.

Alongside the success, US public diplomacy - particularly in the Middle East - has been criticised as a failure by Western and Arab media, and also by academics.

The US, nonetheless, remained the top global national brand last year, according to the influential Anholt-GfK Roper Nation Brands Index (NBI). The US wrested back the prime spot from Germany, which held the leading position in 2014.