Beyond Banks and Tanks: The New Definition of a Nation’s Power, and the Surprising Role of Sustainability

In our last Sustainable Brands webinar INSPIRE and BAV Consulting, made the case that managing consumer-facing, corporate brands in a sustainable way pays off in terms of brand equity and financial performance. BAV has since embarked on a revolutionary new brand study, this time posing the question: how does the conversation change if we start thinking of countries as brands? BAV has been studying countries in its database of consumer brand perceptions since 1993, and this summer conducted a new, much larger Nation Brand study in partnership with Wharton and U.S. News & World Report.

The premise of the research was: what makes the “perfect country” today? The results demonstrated a factor called “Global Citizenship” is an important driver of national per capita GDP, more important than traditional measures of power we call “banks and tanks.” The implications for countries are tremendous; most importantly, ignoring things like sustainability can limit a country’s financial potential.

In this webinar, Trish Wheaton of INSPIRE and Anna Blender of BAV Consulting we will address the role of countries, governments, governmental and non-governmental entities, and corporations as stewards of sustainability. Why should each care about creating more sustainable philosophies and systems, how they should work together, and what are the expected outcomes for each? We will delve into what the research from BAV Consulting teaches us, and present case studies of countries that are leading the way towards a more progressive approach to governing sustainably.

What You Will Learn:
Participants will leave the webinar understanding:

• The new definition of “country” – and how it has evolved with the “fourth technological revolution” and emerging global issues
• How important it is for governments to act as stewards of sustainability; a powerful tool for organizations looking to “light a fire” under their respective governments
• Ideas for engaging with governments on a national and regional/state level in corporate/government partnerships
• How innovation, quality of life and sustainability can be thought of together in crafting more forward-looking government policies and strategies

About The Speakers

Anna Blender is a Senior Vice President at BAV® Consulting, a global brand strategy firm that translates quantitative consumer insights into actionable ways to drive brand growth towards more purpose and more profit. As the lead of the Nation Branding Practice at BAV Consulting, Anna brings together expertise in International Relations, Economics, Finance and Sustainability. Her consulting work ranges from the corporate sector, where she works with brands in the retail, financial services, media and sports industries; to global non-profit organizations; to countries’ governments, where she tries to advocate for the role of brand-building as a key diplomatic tool. She graduated from Wharton with majors in International Studies, Finance and Marketing.

Trish Wheaton is founder and President of INSPIRE, the cross company sustainability practice from the Young & Rubicam Group. Trish’s career spans over 30 years in the communications business inclusing serving as President/CEO of agency offices in Canada and the UK. More recently she was the Global CMO of Wunderman, one of the world’s largest digital networks and Global Managing Partner, Y&R Advertising. In 2014 she founded INSPIRE, a practice committed to helping craft brand purpose and credible communications that translate into tangible commercial value and sustainable futures for brands. She started out her career as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer to Kenya, East Africa.