Support for Place Branding sometimes comes from where you least expected it. Bono (for those readers from another planet: officially named Paul David Hewson, is the lead singer of U2) has written a column for the New York Times entitled “Rebranding America”.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/18/opinion/18bono.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=rebranding%20america&st=cse

From an academic perspective, Bono’s arguments are very valid. Past and present heroes have a significant influence on the way people around the world perceive countries and cities. Maybe, for Americans, president Obama is not a hero yet, as he still needs to fulfill his promises, but perhaps, in the eyes of the rest of the world he already is, just by successfully being elected as US president, even when taking the risk of suggesting policy objectives that are unpopular in the US, but that could benefit world peace, prosperity and sustainability. Possibly, this is what the Nobel committee had in mind when awarding him the peace price. In any case, Bono rightfully argues that brand America has benefitted as its country image in the eyes of the world is again on top of the Nation Brand Index. If it isn’t for the fact that Obama won the Nobel prize, it is, as Simon Anholt, the founder of the Nation Brand Index argues, likely a reflection of World citizens admiring Americans for electing this president.