With corporate brands more powerful than country brands, there’s a lot of work out there for agencies keen to rethink a nation’s identity. Over the next 40-plus pages *Monocle* looks at the construct of countries.
As the rest of the world closes its doors, Argentina is opening up. Treasury minister Nicolás Dujovne tells us about leaving his country’s protectionist past behind and stepping into a free future.
Often referred to as the last dictatorship in Europe, Belarus has woken up to its image problem and has embarked on a PR mission. But, with its strong-armed leadership still in place, are the changes anything more than…
The mayor of Colombia’s second city is forging ahead with plans to fight inequality and cut the murder rate. His success may hinge on the creation of new jobs and an influx of foreign business.
Qatar may be small, but with a GDP of €46bn it has the money to pull off minor miracles. Its latest plan is to become one of the world’s leading sports nations and to host the 2016 Olympic Games. The motivation is simple…
The poorest prefecture in Japan, Okinawa, in the far south of the country, is experiencing a renaissance as companies large and small capitalise on its relaxed, affordable lifestyle, great beaches and warm climate. And the…
As their cutesy, cartoon profiles – and fanbases – continue to soar, Japan’s cuddly collection of corporate mascots has come to inhabit a central part of the nation’s identity. We meet these celebrated creations and the…
Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson has been the president of Iceland for 18 years; in that time he’s witnessed a financial crash and an energy renaissance. Now, in what will be his final term, he is moderating the global clamour for…
As Japan starts to rebuild following the events of March, the management of the crisis and its aftermath has revealed deep-seated problems within the Japanese political system. The country boasts a long list of dysfuncti…
Welcome to Monocle’s annual round-up of 20 people who we think deserve a bigger stage. We cover diverse professions from shoe designers to politicians because we believe it’s not only the grand scale that matters, but the…
Is it time to pull down the shutters on the UN? In a highly personal commentary on the strife at the United Nations, a former special assistant to Kofi Annan says the 60-year-old institution is no longer fit to solve the…
As foreign goverments and corporations circle Senegal’s newfound energy resources, its stable and progressive capital, Dakar, is learning how to best channel its influence and growth.