What “cool” Nordics teach the rest of us about nation branding

Why is it that a small, inhospitable geographically peripheral part of Northern Europe is currently among the hottest places in the world in terms of global attractiveness?

Make no mistake: the successful export of Nordic “cool” culture is not accidental nor merely the result of savvy marketing campaigns. On the contrary, these countries have all made a deliberate, concerted effort at promoting their global brands in a strategic way which includes but also goes beyond cultural aspects. In the case of the Nordics, cultural appeal is complemented by a strong and principled international stance and domestic well-being.

It naturally comes to mind that others in Europe, in particular Central Europe: the Poles, the Hungarians, Czechs, Slovaks and Romanians should learn from the Nordics. They should team up, not just in words and forms of declarations but for real.