Country Brand as a Socio-Cultural Phenomenon: Functional Presentation Cover Image

БРЕНД КРАЇНИ ЯК СОЦІОКУЛЬТУРНИЙ ФЕНОМЕН: ФУНКЦІОНАЛЬНА ПРЕЗЕНТАЦІЯ
Country Brand as a Socio-Cultural Phenomenon: Functional Presentation

Author(s): Oksana Savenko
Subject(s): Political behavior, Politics and society, Social Theory, Sociology of Culture, Sociology of Politics, Politics and Identity
Published by: Національна академія керівних кадрів культури і мистецтв
Keywords: national branding; country brand; sociocultural methodology; sociocultural functions; culture; identity; symbol; nation; values;

Summary/Abstract: The purpose of the article is to identify and substantiate the socio-cultural functions of the nation's brand. The research methodology is based on an interdisciplinary synthesis of cultural studies, management, socio-cultural communication, sociology, imageology, marketing, and other sciences. Therefore, special approaches within these disciplines have been used, as well as general scientific methods (generalisation, comparison, analysis and synthesis) and principles of knowledge (reliability of results, impartiality). Scientific novelty. For the first time in Ukrainian cultural studies, the functions of the country's brand as a socio-cultural phenomenon have been identified and substantiated. Conclusions. The national brand is a socio-cultural phenomenon that reflects all social processes and has every opportunity to influence the construction and positioning of most aspects of social life. After all, within the country borders, the brand reflects certain social processes and the corresponding system of values of the socio-cultural community and each individual who fits into its lifestyle. Therefore, the modern branding of the country should be a practice of construction, implementation, positioning, and management, which should be based primarily on the sociocultural potential of the brand that best reveals its dual nature. On the one hand, it is the reflection of the socio-cultural reality, and on the other hand, it actively influences the processes that take place in it. Among the main sociocultural functions of national branding, we single out the following ones: unifying-nation-building, differential-identification, symbolic-meaningful, negenthropic-revitalisation. In line with the sociocultural methodology, the ideological and value function of the national brand and the function of intercultural communication need their justification.