ALPHA. Demokratiskolan.se is a PROTOTYPE · Content review in progress
Demokratiskolan
The Nation Branding card from MethodKit for Society and Politics
Card 77 of 128 · MethodKit for Society & Politics
  • AreaSweden in the world
  • Centre of gravityCentral government
  • Points of influence2 on the journey
  • Decisive electionThe general election
Sweden in the world

Nation Branding

Presenting your country abroad

What does the world think when it hears Sweden? The image of the country affects exports, tourism, the students who apply here and the weight of Swedish diplomacy. It is shaped by deliberate marketing, by news and social media, and by every single encounter with a Swede. The central government holds the strategy, but the image is also built by municipalities, companies and by you.

Where does the power lie?1

  • Municipality · place brand & twin towns · approx 10 %
  • Region · marketing the county · approx 5 %
  • State · strategy, promotion & embassies · approx 75 %
  • EU · colours the image of sweden · approx 10 %

The promotion of Sweden is led by the Government through the Ministry for Foreign Affairs (UD), with agencies and state-owned companies as tools. The general election steers the strategy and the resources, but the image of Sweden is created largely beyond the control of politics.

How it works: the breakdown

The municipalityThe face of the place
The regionThe county's story
Central governmentThe strategy · centre of gravity
Who decides?
The municipal executive board and the communications department, sometimes a destination company.
The regional development committee and the county's destination company.
The Government and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs (UD) lead. Svenska institutet tracks the image of Sweden abroad, Visit Sweden and Business Sweden market it, the embassies are the shop windows.
What do they decide?
The place brand: how the municipality presents itself to visitors, new residents and investors. Twin towns and international events.
Markets the county to visitors, investors and incoming talent, often together with the municipalities.
The strategy for the image of Sweden abroad: promotion of exports, tourism, culture and study, and preparedness against targeted influence campaigns.
Where are decisions made?
In the municipal executive board and in the marketing of the town.
In the regional development strategy and in the destination companies' campaigns.
In the Government Offices and at the agencies. The Swedish Psychological Defence Agency monitors influence from outside.
Who pays?
The municipal tax.
The regional tax and regional development funds.
The central government budget: institutes, promotion companies and embassies.
Fastest way in?
Municipal election Help show off your town: associations, events and twin-town exchanges need volunteers.
Regional election The regional election steers how the county invests in being seen.
General election The general election steers the direction and resources of the promotion.
EUSweden is increasingly seen as part of the EU, and the union's actions colour the image of the member states. The European Parliament election shapes the common voice.

Read the table by column to understand one level, or by row to compare the levels. The green level is the area's centre of gravity.

How it works: follow the decision

The case The image of Sweden is challenged and defended
  1. State

    An image is set in motion

    Abroad, the image of Sweden is shaped by news, culture, companies and social media. Svenska institutet continuously tracks how Sweden is perceived in other countries and reports home.

  2. State

    The strategy is set

    The Government points out how Sweden is to be promoted: exports, tourism, study, culture. Agencies and state-owned companies receive mandates and money, the embassies become channels.

    Point of influence

    The general election steers the budget and tone of the promotion. The members of the foreign affairs committee can be contacted.

  3. State

    False images are countered

    When false claims about Sweden are spread systematically, the Swedish Psychological Defence Agency can identify the campaigns and support other agencies in countering them with facts.

  4. MunicipalityRegion

    The towns show themselves off

    Municipalities and regions build their own brands: events, twin-town visits, student welcomes and investor meetings. The mosaic of places together becomes the image of Sweden.

    Point of influence

    Local associations carry much of the hosting: become a host family, a volunteer at an event or active in a friendship association.

  5. Your everyday life

    You are the image of Sweden

    The tourist asking for directions, the colleague working remotely, the comment thread in English: every encounter adjusts the image of Sweden a little. No agency holds that power.

The journey looks the same in reverse: what has been built came the same way, through the same decisions. Whoever knows where the decisions are made also knows where they can be changed.

Questions to discuss

  1. What do you think the world associates Sweden with today, and does it match your own picture?

  2. How much tax money is it reasonable to spend on marketing Sweden abroad?

  3. What does your municipality do to be seen, and does it capture what the town actually is?

  4. How should an open society counter false images of the country without starting to control information?

  5. What image of Sweden do you give yourself, in travel, social media and encounters with visitors?

Glossary

Sverigefrämjande
The central government's combined work to strengthen the image of Sweden and promote exports, tourism and exchanges.
Platsvarumärke
The deliberate story about a place, aimed at visitors, new residents and investors.
Svenska institutet
The agency that tracks and promotes the image of Sweden abroad.
Informationspåverkan
Systematic attempts by foreign actors to mislead with false or slanted information.
Vänort
A foreign municipality that your municipality has a long-term exchange with.

Go further

Footnotes

1) This is an estimate of how decision-making power over the issue is split between the municipality, the region, central government and the EU, based on how responsibility is divided in legislation. A teaching guide, not an exact measurement.