Article pp.169-172 du Vol.37 n°218-219 (2011)

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9 Contributors to this issue

13 France: Why think tank for Brand?

Jean-Noël Kapferer

Strong brands are a strategic asset. Those who have one can measure this competitive advantage everyday. How are nation brands specific and different from classic commercial brands? What are the levers of their values? The author shows how the nation brand goes far beyond the “made in.” garantee. The urgency of acting on and for brand France is demonstrated. As a result a think tank of experts was selected from academia as well as from professional circles, all of them focused on the growth of the nation economic and symbolic power outside its frontiers.

I – The realities of Brand France

27 Understanding in depth and managing Brand France Françoise Bonnal

A nation brand is not like any brand. Multidimensional, multi-players, multi- targets and without a dedicated pilot, its image pattern, inherited from history, gives a distorted version of its reality. Brand France does not escape the rule.

Based on unreleased surveys and actual examples, this article details the image of Brand France, its potentialities and handicaps, and suggests orientations to manage Brand France, with a governance as one would conduct an orchestra.

issue 218-219 November-December 2011

S U M M A R Y

BRAND FRANCE Guest Editor: Jean-Noël Kapferer

Cet article des Editions Lavoisier est disponible en acces libre et gratuit sur archives-rfg.revuesonline.com

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45 The Brand France see by China: lessons from the French Pavilion at Shangai World Expo 2010

Catherine Becker

This paper based on more than a hundred face-to-face interviews within various social stratas, in China enhanced with an analysis of blogs or forums – exposes how 2011 Shanghai Universal Fair French Pavillon has reinforced the French romantic image. This approach was seen as belonging to the past roots only and unable to build any strong France brand asset in the long run. Building up a strong France brand image in China will need to project instead a modern and entrepreneurial romantism, with ambition and will to drive the whole country.

53 From France to the world: Michelin Red Guide, vehicle of the Brand France influence

Carole Drucker-Godard, Isabelle Bouty, Marie-Léandre Gomez

This article shows how Michelin has contributed to extending French gastronomic standards through the internationalization of the Red Guide. Based on the example of the guidebook’s development in the US (2005) and in Japan (2007), we analyze the role of Michelin as an institutional entrepreneur. Based on the analysis of the local press articles between 2000 and 2010 we show how the guide and the institutional rules it carries, were progressively taken for granted.

67 Branded territories: a marketing dream?

Jean-Luc Margot-Duclot

The idea of a branded territory is a misleading concept, as it is usually the businesses from these territories, and their products, which build the brand and not the other way around. Nowhere in the different rankings is the brand of a territory considered as a criterion for settling there or for attractive investment.

Paris’s ranking and image do not reflect its real economic clout. It is widely perceived as the life style and romantic capital of the world: such facets of Paris’ image should be used as a lever to promote the true economic reality of the city (i.e. first GDP in Europe) and beyond it of France.

II – What values for the “Made in France”?

93 France, its products and magical thinking Éric Fouquier

The spirit of consumption is haunted by magical thinking. The present paper shows that “Made in France” spirit uses two processes that are typical of magical thinking. The mana function calls upon a national genius which would 170 Revue française de gestion – N° 218-219/2011

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be the core of product manufacturing. The fetish mode gives french goods the role of antibodies against the uncertainties of the hypermodern civilization. The believed spiritual dimension of the France brand opens new leads as for consumption regulation policies.

107 “Made in France” in question. Attitudes and behavior of brands of the luxury sector

Maxime Koromyslov

Based on the role of certifications of origin in consumer purchase behavior, this research analyzes the behavior of French luxury professionals (manufacturers, employees, trade unions, etc.) concerning the “Made in France”certification.

This exploratory study conducted among the thirty-four players in the luxury sector shows how they integrate this attribute into their strategic choices and reveal differences of attitudes within this sector.

III – What Brand platform for France:

ambition, values, positioning

125 The valuation of Brand France. What strategy to increase it?

Vincent Bastien

In this article, we analyze the brand “France” as a commercial brand operating on the world market. We evaluate it financially, following the current methodology of brand valuation, to identify the sources of its value. Then we diagnose and quantify the risks and opportunities induced by France’s image of

“country of luxury”, and propose a way of managing the brand France and implement a luxury strategy at the whole country level.

139 What positioning for Brand France tomorrow? What brand architecture to activate it?

Jean-Noël Kapferer

The identity of Brand France is well known, with its dual character. The author recommends to go beyond identity and questions instead the relevance of France for tomorrow’s world. On that basis a “Brand Platform” is proposed with a clear mission statement, unique values and a positioning (qualitative life enhancement). Now this does not mean just creating a logo and a slogan.

Brands are built by there products: the issue of coherence of the many expressions of the nation will be central in the reinforcement of brand France worldwide.

Summary 171

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Opinion

155 The cost structure: mother of the competitiveness of all Nation brands Henri Lagarde

To succeed a brand must create value but also not be hampered by undue costs.

According to the author, former CEO of major companies, the brand “Made in France” is in decline, mainly because the production costs of goods manufactured in France are disadvantaged by taxes and payroll charges. This is demonstrated by the comparison of the production costs of a French and a German company. Two main measures are necessary to restore the conditions of competitiveness of the brand “Made in France”: to lower or suppress payroll charges and to raise VAT.

169 Summary

173 Instruction for Authors

172 Revue française de gestion – N° 218-219/2011