Branding national myths and symbols (BNMS) is a field of research focusing on

brand A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's goods or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create and ...

ing and

marketing Marketing is the act of acquiring, satisfying and retaining customers. It is one of the primary components of Business administration, business management and commerce. Marketing is usually conducted by the seller, typically a retailer or ma ...

of a nation's

myths Myth is a genre of folklore consisting primarily of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society. For scholars, this is very different from the vernacular usage of the term "myth" that refers to a belief that is not true. Instead, the ...

and

symbols A symbol is a mark, sign, or word that indicates, signifies, or is understood as representing an idea, object, or relationship. Symbols allow people to go beyond what is known or seen by creating linkages between otherwise different concep ...

. The research blends the theories of marketing, cultural communications,

sociology Sociology is the scientific study of human society that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. The term sociol ...

, public relations, and

semiotics Semiotics ( ) is the systematic study of sign processes and the communication of meaning. In semiotics, a sign is defined as anything that communicates intentional and unintentional meaning or feelings to the sign's interpreter. Semiosis is a ...

. The awareness of a nation's (or a collective group's) internal myths and symbols may result in raising cultural relations between nations, according to this theory. The use dates from before the 1990, and field of study dates from about 2000, but was not given this moniker by a scholar until 2009. The principles of BNMS are related to, but are different from

nation branding Nation branding aims to measure, build and manage the reputation of countries (closely related to place branding). In the book ''Diplomacy in a Globalizing World: Theories and Practices'', the authors define nation branding as "the application of ...

. The main difference between two principles is that nation branding is primarily concerned with raising the global image of a nation for better economic return, while BNMS is concerned with the revealing and demonstrating the meanings behind a nation's internal myths and symbols. In other words, nation branding is the selling or promotion of the external identity of a nation, while BNMS is the revealing of their internal identity, either for its own citizens to believe in, or to achieve better global relations between nations. According to the theory, each national myth and symbol has its own hidden meanings that may reinforce these misunderstandings between nations. Examples of BNMS include changing the symbols on currency, a national anthem (see, ''e.g.'',

National Anthem Project The National Anthem Project was a public awareness campaign launched in 2005 as a major initiative of MENC: The National Association for Music Education. At the time of its launch, the National Anthem Project website declared "MENC is sponsoring T ...

by the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

), and advertising in political campaigns.

Core concepts

national myth A national myth is an inspiring narrative or anecdote about a nation's past. Such myths often serve as important national symbols and affirm a set of national values. A myth is entirely ficticious but it is often mixture with aspects of histori ...

is an inspiring narrative or

anecdote An anecdote is "a story with a point", such as to communicate an abstract idea about a person, place, or thing through the concrete details of a short narrative or to characterize by delineating a specific quirk or trait. Anecdotes may be real ...

about a nation's past. Such myths often serve as an important

national symbol A national symbol is a manifestation of a nation or community, serving as a representation of their National identity, identity and values. National symbols may be not only applied to sovereign states but also nations and countries in a state of ...

and affirm a set of national values. A national myth may sometimes take the form of a

national epic A national epic is an epic poem or a literary work of epic scope which seeks to or is believed to capture and express the essence or spirit of a particular nation—not necessarily a nation state, but at least an ethnic or linguistic group wi ...

, part of the nation's

civil religion Civil religion, also referred to as a civic religion, is the implicit religious values of a nation, as expressed through public rituals, symbols (such as the national flag), and ceremonies on sacred days and at sacred places (such as monuments, bat ...

, a legend or fictionalized narrative, which has been elevated to serious

mythological Myth is a genre of folklore consisting primarily of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society. For scholars, this is very different from the vernacular usage of the term "myth" that refers to a belief that is not true. Instead, the ...

, symbolical and esteemed level so as to be true to the nation. It might simply over-dramatize true incidents, omit important historical details, or add details for which there is no evidence; or it might simply be a fictional story that no one takes to be true literally, but contains a symbolic meaning for the nation. The national folklore of many nations includes a

founding myth An origin myth is a type of myth that explains the beginnings of a natural or social aspect of the world. Creation myths are a type of origin myth narrating the formation of the universe. However, numerous cultures have stories that take place a ...

, which may involve a struggle against

colonialism Colonialism is the control of another territory, natural resources and people by a foreign group. Colonizers control the political and tribal power of the colonised territory. While frequently an Imperialism, imperialist project, colonialism c ...

or a

war of independence Wars of national liberation, also called wars of independence or wars of liberation, are conflicts fought by nations to gain independence. The term is used in conjunction with wars against foreign powers (or at least those perceived as foreign) ...

. National myths serve many social and political purposes, such as state-sponsored

propaganda Propaganda is communication that is primarily used to influence or persuade an audience to further an agenda, which may not be objective and may be selectively presenting facts to encourage a particular synthesis or perception, or using loaded l ...

, or of inspiring civic virtue and self-sacrifice. In some cases, the meaning of the national myth may become disputed among different parts of the population, such as majority and minority groups, which makes ''branding'' and ''advertising'' of the national myth necessary. The

World Intellectual Property Organization The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO; (OMPI)) is one of the 15 specialized agencies of the United Nations (UN). Pursuant to the 1967 Convention Establishing the World Intellectual Property Organization, WIPO was created to pr ...

(WIPO) has conducted a number of symposia on the protection of

folklore Folklore is the body of expressive culture shared by a particular group of people, culture or subculture. This includes oral traditions such as Narrative, tales, myths, legends, proverbs, Poetry, poems, jokes, and other oral traditions. This also ...

, i.e., "

traditional cultural expressions Cultural expressions are creative manifestations of the cultural identities of their authors. They are treated in the international legal system in terms of cultural rights, intellectual property law and international trade. Definition The ob ...

", with the goal of preventing their "misappropriation" by branding, patenting, trademarking, or copyright by other persons.

Recent examples

A recent, clear example as of 2011 is the use of "Greco-Roman symbols merged into Christianity" on the

Euro The euro (currency symbol, symbol: euro sign, €; ISO 4217, currency code: EUR) is the official currency of 20 of the Member state of the European Union, member states of the European Union. This group of states is officially known as the ...

note.Hatice Sitki, "EU-Turkey: Atatürk and Charlemagne on your euro notes," ''CafeBabel.com'', 8 February 2011. Found a
cafebabel.co.uk website
. Accessed February 11, 2011. Many nations have put their national ideas on their money "via branding national myths and symbols." The image of the crowning

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( ; 2 April 748 – 28 January 814) was List of Frankish kings, King of the Franks from 768, List of kings of the Lombards, King of the Lombards from 774, and Holy Roman Emperor, Emperor of what is now known as the Carolingian ...

is on a Euro note, because he is "accepted as the Father of Europe and thereby of the EU, with buildings and rooms named after him." The accepted "symbol for EU culture ... symbolises a Doric column ..." but does not necessarily represent Europe's other cultures (Norse, etc.). Ultimately, Europe is based on the myth of the demi-god '' Europa'' and many of its symbols are based on ancient Greek art forms. If Turkey joined the EU, the current images could be a source of conflict: Another example from 2011 is that of

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

's self-branding of its scientific expertise, which fell apart after the earthquake and tsunami that March, followed by the

nuclear accidents A nuclear and radiation accident is defined by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as "an event that has led to significant consequences to people, the environment or the facility." Examples include lethal effects to individuals, la ...

.Mitsuyoshi Numano, (trans. Joel R. Cohn), "Beyond expectations," i
"A Country's Lasting Aftershocks"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', March 20, 2011, Week in Review, p. 12. Accessed March 21, 2011. In ''

'', Mitsuyoshi Numano wrote, "It even begins to appear that Japan’s vaunted scientific and technical prowess has taken on the character of a kind of myth, and that myth has deluded the nation’s politicians and business leaders."

Research in the field

Jonathan Rose first wrote about this concept in 2000, in which he claimed that Canada has had "an unholy alliance between advertising agencies and political parties" since the formation of the Confederation in 1867.Ian R. Sadinsky and Thomas K. Gussman, "Federal Government Advertising and Sponsorships: New Directions in Management and Oversight", CISPAA, Volume 2, number 7, pp. 305, 306, found a
CBC website
citing Jonathan W. Rose, ''Making 'Pictures in Our Heads' — Government Advertising in Canada'' (Praeger Series in Political Communication, 2000), found a
Google Books
Both accessed January 13, 2011. In a 2003 article, Rose wrote that national myths and symbols reinforce and create a "community and binding ts citizens These myths are not judged on their veracity but rather ntheir metaphorical and symbolic meaning." Rose maintained that the messages within these "created" myths are disseminated and ultimately maintained through its "civil society from its institutions, public policies and government". His prototypical study was on the

Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

government's creation of national myths in the 1980s and 1990s. Rose pointed out what was unique (in the 1980s) several major points: # "government advertising is used to create and develop national symbols and myths." # that government used "advertising

hat A hat is a Headgear, head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorpor ...

centres around the existence of sub-national minorities," particularly to respond to threats from time to time of successionism in the province of

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

, which could be generalized to other nations with vocal minorities. # "advertising has become so pervasive in Canadian politics that issues requiring popular support are more than likely to be brought to the public directly through advertising campaigns." ''Branding National Myths and Symbols'' was first coined in 2009 by Turkish-Australian scholar Hatice Sitki, who proposed in ''Myths, Symbols and Branding: Turkish National Identity and the EU'', that these long-existing myths keep us from truly understanding and working with the " other". Sitki proposes that cultural misunderstanding will continue between nations until they understand one another's cultural myths and symbols. Sitki explains in the ''Cyclical Formula "Us/Other+Other"'', how

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

and the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...

can benefit by accepting that they have, and continue, to play a "triple role" to one another. ''BNMS'' argues that collective groups such as the EU do not need to be "branded" in order to improve their economic value. Rather, they need to be branded to achieve their cultural goal of moving from a " poly-cultural" society to becoming a "

multicultural Multiculturalism is the coexistence of multiple cultures. The word is used in sociology, in political philosophy, and colloquially. In sociology and everyday usage, it is usually a synonym for ''ethnic'' or cultural pluralism in which various e ...

" society. One way for this to be achieved is for nations to realise and work with the hidden meanings of their myths and symbols. Vijay Prashad proposes that the concept of polyculturalism is a way to combat anti-

racism Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one Race (human categorization), race or ethnicity over another. It may also me ...

. Prashad defines poly cultures as a "provisional concept grounded in antiracism, rather than in diversity..." Roger Hewitt takes a different approach to how peoples with different languages can understand each other. Hewitt argues that the concept of polyculturalism is "not intrinsically equal." The "national myths" used in ''

Masterpiece Theatre ''Masterpiece'' (formerly known as ''Masterpiece Theatre'') is a drama anthology television series produced by WGBH Boston. It premiered on PBS on January 10, 1971. The series has presented numerous acclaimed British productions. Many of these ...

'' lead to "strengthen ngimperial attitudes", according to a 2009 book about the spate of Victorian British novels made in films from the 1980s through the 21st Century, and sources it cited.Dianne F. Sadoff, ''Victorian Vogue: British Novels on Screen'', (U of Minnesota Press, 2009), p. 29, , citing works by Timothy Brennan and Jonathan Rose. Found a
Google Books
accessed January 13, 2011. Elizabeth Hafkin Pleck argues that the "invented tradition ... of

Kwanzaa Kwanzaa () is an annual celebration of African-American culture from December 26 to January 1, culminating in a communal feast called ''Karamu'', usually on the sixth day. It was created by activist Maulana Karenga based on African harvest fe ...

" was equivalent to the American Indian challenge to "the National myth of inclusion of

Thanksgiving Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in October and November in the United States, Canada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Germany. It is also observed in the Australian territory ...

...."Elizabeth Hafkin Pleck, ''Celebrating the family: ethnicity, consumer culture, and family rituals'', p. 72. (Author Harvard University Press, 2000), . Found a
Internet Archive"> Internet Archive
Accessed January 14, 2011.

References

Rose, J., 'Government advertising and the creation of national myths: The Canadian case', in ‘International Journal of Non-Profit and Voluntary Sector Marketing, Vol. 8, No. 2:153-165, Henry Stewart Publishing, January 2003. Abstract found a
Wiley Online Library
and text found a
Queens University website
; both accessed January 13, 2011. Sitki, H., 'How to meet your other, or your ‘Us/Other+Other’ Turkey and Europe/EU’, paper presented at 'Rethinking Humanities and Social Sciences', University of Zadar, September 2010 Sitki, H., ‘Myths, Symbols and Branding: Turkish National Identity and the EU', VDM, Dr. Muller Aktiengesellschaft & Co. KG, 2009. Se
Postgraduate students by research at Deakin University Centre for Citizenship and Gloibisation
{{webarchive , url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120323113833/http://www.deakin.edu.au/arts-ed/ccg/management/hdr.php , date=March 23, 2012 , accessed January 13, 2011. Endo, R., 'Everybody was Kung Fu Fighting: Afro-Asian connections and the myth of racial purity', by Vijay Prashard, International Migration Review, vol. 37, No. 4, The Future of the Second Generation: The Integration of Migrant Youth in Six European Countries (Winter) 1313-1314, 2003 Hewitt, R., 'Language, Youth and the destabilisation of ethnicity', published in R Harris and B Rampton (eds.), The Language, Ethnicity and Race Reader, Routledge, London, 2003

External links

Nation-branding website

Human communication Political campaign techniques Public relations Diplomacy International relations Brand management National symbols Mythology Propaganda

Core concepts

Recent examples

Research in the field

See also

References

Further reading

External links