Research and analysis
Some governments continue to plan and execute image-building and even image-planning activities without the benefit of research, perhaps because they don’t believe such things can be measured, or because they see measurement as a needless extra expense.
But through our innovative approach to research, Anholt & Co. have been proving for twenty years that accurate, detailed and robust measurement of the country’s brand is a straightforward, reliable and highly cost-effective process.
Regular measurement means being able to track the outcomes and compare the effectiveness of different brand-building activities.
It enables countries and their promotional agencies to leverage their expenditure to maximum effect, often revealing unexpected trade and engagement opportunities, even entirely new target markets.
It provides critical insights into the country’s real place in the world, highlighting future risks, and adding value to all forms of scenario planning.
As a tool for effective diplomacy, whether traditional or public, it is simply indispensable.
“Anholt’s rigorous methodology and penetrating analysis convinced even the greatest skeptics that his approach was the right one. His creative flair and compelling persuasiveness both delighted and inspired many of the people he worked with. It was a rare privilege and pleasure to work with Simon Anholt, and I would recommend Anholt & Co. to anyone committed to the long term interests and welfare of their country.”
Director, Latvian lnstitute
The Anholt Nation Brands Index®
In 2005, Simon Anholt launched the Anholt Nation Brands Index®, the first systematic study of country images. The NBI now incorporates nearly one billion datapoints of world-class research data, updated annually.
Over the last twenty years, around fifty national governments have subscribed to the Nation Brands Index®. Several of these have incorporated their annual NBI results for many years as an official component of their national statistical reporting.
In 2024, Anholt & Co. took over the management of the Anholt Nation Brands Index® after sixteen years in partnership with global research firms. This combination ensures that the most authoritative measurement of country images is rooted in the most authoritative experience of the real-world political and economic implications of those images.
A selection of NBI subscribers
For a copy of the Anholt Nation Brands Index® Subscriber Guide and the latest methodology document, please e-mail research@anholt.co
4D scenarios
Planning is no longer enough
In an increasingly volatile world, governments and other organisations can no longer plan their aims and future activities on the assumption that circumstances will be more or less normal. The likelihood is of sudden, continuous and occasionally fundamental change in the context in which countries operate.
Today, an increasing number of governments use Scenario Planning and other forms of Futures work in order to help them prepare for the certainty of uncertainty.
During the last two decades, Anholt & Co. has developed a model called 4D Scenarios, a blend of horizon-scanning, risk analysis, scenario planning, anthropological and psychological modelling, which is designed to perform exactly this function in the specific context of national image. It incorporates the impacts of time, geopolitics, externalities and cultural differences.
4D Scenarios in Detail
The purpose of the 4D Scenarios method is not to forecast the most probable future, but to suggest and test image management options under varying future circumstances. Applying this method proactively—essentially rehearsing for multiple potential futures—strengthens the ability of governments and especially national image offices to recognize, adapt to and take advantage of changes in the complex and dynamic international operating environment that is so specific to image management.