LIETUVA IR ESTIJA – SKIRTINGI ĮVAIZDŽIAI: DRĄSI ŠALIS IR ŠIAURĖ SU POLĖKIU
LITHUANIA AND ESTONIA – DIFFERENT IMAGES: “A BOLD COUNTRY” AND “DASHING NORDIC”

Summary/Abstract: The importance of the nation’s image today has extremely increased. A lot of states make efforts to construct their positive image. It is a long process, and the most effective way to construct a nation’s image is to convey the characteristics and traits that you would like to present to a wider public.the author scrutinizes the conduct of a nation and the national brand and its interaction with self-identity. He discusses the specific features of the nation’s image and the nation’s brand in the context of the nation’s identity and to points the importance of a region’s self-identity and its impact on the nation’s image. The purpose of the article is, in the context of self-identity, to discuss the nation’s image of Eestonia and Llithuania, to emphasize the different Eestonian and Llithuanian ways of constructing the nation’s image. The article indicates the reasons why Estonia has managed to construct a successful state image, while Lithuania still cannot find the right path to constructing a suit¬able state image. The nation’s brand notion covers such commercial and material grounds as investments or incoming tourism. The article disputes that such a way is not the best way construct nation’s image. The notion of the nation’s image is broader than the notion of the nation’s brand. Despite commercial ground, the na¬tion’s image also encompasses such factors as state prominence, the surrounding opinion or the foreign¬ers’ associations and thoughts about the country. Therefore, the image of a nation is more suitable than the nation’s brand. During the construction of the nation’s image it is highly recommended to refer to the nation’s identity. The nation’s image should always grow from its identity. Both expressions are deeply indoctrinated in the collective sense. Ttoday, the conduct of the nation’s image should also reflect a wider context. The nation’s image should overstep the nation’s notion and refer to a lager regional context. Constructing the nation’s image, Estonia is doing exactly so, it attaches the post-soviet state to Nordic countries, the most developed region in the world Ttallinn presents itself as another Nordic country, and because of the different historical circumstances, Estonia poses itself as “Nordic with twist”. Lithuania faces the crisis of self-identity, that’s why it shifts form one nation’s image to another. Because Lithuania disputes on self-identity, the nation’s image cannot reflect or refer to the nation’s identity. This causes the construction of the nation’s image on such slogans as “Lithuania is a brave country”. Unfortunately, such construct does not refer to the broader region extent and Lithuania cannot attach itself to an already promoted and well communicated message. Besides, the braveness of Llithuanians should be proven, and it does not refer to such important issues as, for example, the investment possibilities in the state.

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