Nordicum - Real Estate Annual Finland 2010 | Page 10

Get the Story Straight
Simon Anholt discusses Finland, reputation
and the death of nation branding

If one were to ask Simon Anholt, the father of nation
branding, what is the first thing that pops into his head
when somebody mentions the word “Finland”,
the answer might surprise you.

he closest thing to a perfectly functioning society which humanity
can offer,” Anholt replies.
The 48-year-old Briton seems to have
taken a special liking to Finland – he feels
that the country has a unique identity and
many features which could be used in boosting its significance in international circles.
Number one would be the Finnish version
of ‘yes-we-can’:
“Basically, the most important thing is
that Finns know how to get things done. This
is something the planet desperately needs,
and Finland can provide. “
Anholt’s familiarity with Finland goes
beyond your basic Wikipedia article, it soon
becomes apparent. He has, after all, visited
the country about a dozen times. What is Anholt’s connection to Finland then?
“My mother used to live in Nokia in
the 1950s – she was an English teacher for
the British Council – and spoke fluent Finnish,” Anholt reveals. As a consequence, Anholt can, for instance, pinpoint similarities
that Finland shares with other countries – but
not too many foreigners know about. Two examples: Finland and Argentina share a deep
love of tango while Finland and Hungary are
linguistic cousins.

“T

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The Unknown Soldier
However, Finland is not all aces in Anholt
Nation Brands Index – even if this year, Finland managed to move up from spot 18 to 17.
The Nordic brethren Sweden and Denmark
continue to do better in the Index (placing 10
and 15, respectively). Anholt is of the opinion that the one problem Finland has is differentiating itself from the rest of the Scandinavian countries.
“This is because people don’t know
much about Finland,” Anholt explains, adding that he’s talking about the general public here – not any type of elite audiences or
people who happen to have direct experience of the country.
Being a relative unknown, some
“Northern exposure” could be in order to
boost the rankings:
“There is definitely room for improvement. At the moment, Finland’s rankings
mainly reflect a generic view of Scandinavia which is good and positive, but doesn’t
begin to do justice to Finland’s real identity and capability.”
Recently, Anholt has been diving into
the country’s “real identity and capability”
with vigour, as he is consulting the Finnish

nation branding team – led by Jorma Ollila,
the Chairman of Nokia and Shell. Appointed by Alexander Stubb, Minister of Foreign
Affairs, the nation branding team is a twoyear project aimed at enhancing Finland’s
image and reputation.
With one year under its belt, Ollila’s
team is expected to turn in its findings in
autumn 2010. Anholt is not about to kissand-tell about what goes on in the project:
“There’s nothing really to talk about
just yet, as the process isn’t finished,” he
says on this topic.

Brain Candy
Finland is, of course, not the first country
to enlist the aid of the nation branding guru.
During the last 12 years or so, he has advised
the governments of more than 40 countries
on questions of national identity and reputation. When pressed for the most memorable occasion, Anholt replies that all cases
have their moments.
“No two countries are alike. Working
with Finland has certainly been one of the
most intellectually stimulating.”
In addition to helping countries reinvent themselves, Anholt has been rein-