Nation Branding Communication : A Case Study of the Brand Singapore

Abstract: Globalization has significantly reshaped communication trends that influence nation branding practices. Many studies examine the development of a nation and destination branding; however, little has been done to examining the planning processes and the selection of representative messages that nations choose to communicate through their individual brands. Therefore, the aim of this study is to identify the key concepts that are used to build Brand Singapore. Singapore is a small, diverse country that attracts attention both as a tourism destination and political and economic entity. Hence, the study examines its branding materials and messages chosen in order to stand out from the competition, as well as the rationale behind these choices. For those purposes, the process of multimodal critical discourse analysis (MCDA) was used on text and visual based messages present in the “Singapore – Where Passion is Made Possible” nation branding video of Singapore. In order to break down and identify the core messages that Brand Singapore communicates, results were subjected to contexts of safety and diversity in Singapore along with theories of re-orientalism and competitive identity. The examination revealed that Singapore is persistently showcasing itself as a multi-ethnical country, but it is rather understanding and tolerant. The presence of the social and economic hierarchy is present, and the Chinese ethnicity is granted the highest status in the messages. Communication practitioners and marketing organizations will find this study helpful in developing branding strategy planning for the most demanding countries.