Developing brands and emerging markets: An empirical application

Developing nations often face a series of economic hurdles in route to developed status. As they transition from one economic phase to another there is a general need to modify the basis of competitive advantage that they attempt to achieve in the marketplace. The authors present a place brand platform that can be used by developing nations to limit the cyclicality of demand, reliance on mass production, and the necessity for price competition. The framework is developed based upon a review of branding efforts and marketing theory. The basic framework is applied to a case study in ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) and parallels are drawn for regional nations.