Country Brand Challenges: Why is Brazil’s image complex and multifaceted?

In the global economy arena along with the context of international business, a country’s image has become a central issue for reputation, wide-ranging competition, and export growth. Consequently, it is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the fact that developing countries are visible in the media deliberately or not. Their image is not only influenced by economic, social, political, and diplomatic standpoints but also reaching for actions throughout their roles globally. Therefore, nation branding strategies are being applied worldwide due to the need to build a solid, genuine, and transparent nation image. Previous research has indicated that various dimensions and several variables have a progressive influence on country image, positively or negatively – even neutrally – because Brazil’s image is complex. Definitely, there is a lack of studies about Brazil’s image, which is seen as dichotomous and confusing because of its positive and negative attributes and associations (Mariutti and Giraldi, 2013; Anholt, 2007; Beni, 2006; Kotler and Keller, 2006; Kotler and Gertner, 2004; Bignami, 2002). Currently, because of the many reasons - economic importance, sports event hosting, social changes, cultural recognition, among others - the media can internationally or not stimulate Brazil’s image. Besides, discussion continues about the best marketing strategies for the management of any country’s image.