Here is the (tangible) proof that government leaders influence their nation brand
Angela Merkel taking selfies with the Syrian refugees. The bare-chested Vladimir Putin toting a rifle in the midst of the Siberian tundra. Barack Obama Fist-Bumping a White House Cleaner. Those images stick with us and affect not only what we think about the political figures themselves, but about the countries, they lead as well.
However, rarely has one politician triggered as much interest in his homeland as when the (now former)
president of Uruguay drove his vintage blue Volkswagen Beetle onto the front covers of the world media.
José “Pepe” Mujica became known as the world’s most humble president when the news of his unconventional lifestyle circled the world. Along with his peculiar choice of a car, the simple life of a former guerrilla on a shabby farm outside Montevideo, growing flowers in the company of his wife and a three-legged dog Manuela, instantly fascinated the crowds. Citizens of the countries whose leaders drive expensive BMWs and live in luxurious villas (Berlusconi’s most famous one alone has 26 bedrooms, seven swimming pools, a lake and, a basic necessity, an artificial volcano) were extremely drawn to the idea of the humble president who donates most of his income to charity and has Googled frantically to see what this impressive man is all about.
The Digital Country Index 2016 revealed that Uruguay was the 5th most searched country in the “Governance” category, has attracted as much as 12% more searches than its gigantic and notorious neighbours, Brazil and Argentina, combined.
This comparatively miniature country has far surpassed the competition of its own continent and has moved on to with the big and the mighty of the global scene, with the likes of Canada compete and the USA, all due to its widely recognizable leader. Namely, under the umbrella of the Governance category, Uruguay was the most searched for the country in the world for the Brand tag “Political Leaders”.
It was the searches in this category that made up as much as 55 % of the total searches for National Prominence and made Uruguay so successful on a global scale. A logical consequence of Uruguay’s liberal leadership was also that it became the 2nd most searched for the country in Latin America for the Brand tag Tolerance and Human Rights.
Mujica has managed to create a lot of hype around Uruguay. First of all, with his say in the policies of the country. The land of cattle farming was the first one in the world to fully legalize marijuana, as Mujica argued that drug trafficking is more dangerous than marijuana itself. He also legalized abortion, same-sex marriage and opened the doors to the prisoners released from Guantanamo. But Pepe also left a legacy to Uruguay’s country brand with his personality and life as such. A tiny South American country with a population of only 3.3 million, squeezed between Brazil and Argentina, has under the leadership of “the president every other country would like to have” become cooler than ever — liberal, tolerant, humble.
The case of Uruguay’s beloved leader is a good reminder for the elected officials to think about their effect and to make sure they present their country in a positive way.
Well done Uruguay! Let’s see if this is a one-off, or if this will stay.
