MONOCLE

637 results for soft power

A 26

Article

Soft focus

15 August 2009

If you’re Germany, you have no option but to assert yourself globally with a softly, softly approach. Since the fall of the Wall, Germany’s foreign office has become master of gently promoting ‘Brand Germany’, with Berlin…

A 69

Article

The soft parade

21 November 2013

Around the world, some countries look beyond military might to exert a more nuanced influence. In our fourth annual soft power survey, we take the pulse of these subtle superpowers and ask if soft can thrive in hard times…

A 109

Article

Softly does it

16 November 2017

Our annual survey of the nations that best use their gentler sides to get things done.

A 59

Article

Soft central

15 November 2012

Monocle's third annual Soft Power Survey is an attempt to push the debate on where soft power comes from and how to use it. With current shifts in the global power balance, never has it been more relevant.

A 112

Article

Ardent effort

22 March 2018

The Kiwis’ new prime minister Jacinda Ardern is boldly searching for solutions.

A 49

Article

Clean break

17 November 2011

A new robust approach to diplomatic relations marks a break with tradition for Canada. And many believe it has damaged the nation’s soft-power credentials.

L 7

Article

Expo 7: The road to damascus

17 September 2007

It’s a short drive from the sleek corniche in Beirut to the bountiful souk in Damascus but the residents of these two great cities eye each other with a distinct lack of neighbourly affection. It doesn’t help when you…

C 55

Article

Telly Cities

21 June 2012

No matter how much money and effort is put into marketing your city, if you want tourists to visit and everyone to know its name, nothing compares to having a popular TV series being filmed in your city. Monocle looks at…

A 91

Article

Far and wide

18 February 2016

Be it peacekeeping in the Solomon Islands, exporting TV shows to Germany or getting scientific at the South Pole, Australia’s worldwide reach is greater than you might think. We’ve been on a global tour to discover where…

A 39

Article

The new soft sell

18 November 2010

Which countries get their way in the world without having to resort to military might? Who are the soft power leaders who know the value of well-placed aid or a good pop star? Over the following pages we name the top 25…

Film

The time for Thailand

7 April 2021

As the business world prepares to get moving again, here are 10 things that you might have missed about Thailand during the past 12 months. From its sunny disposition to its trade and innovation, quality of life and sust…

Film

Japanese mascots

19 February 2015

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…

Radio

The Menu - Japanese culinary soft power

20 October 2023

We explore the world of Japanese cuisine and its role in boosting the nation’s profile around the globe. Monica Lillis sits down with London-based saké sommelier Erika Haigh and Monocle’s Copenhagen correspondent, Michael…

A 119

Article

Shake a leg

15 November 2018

Our ninth annual survey of the nations whose softer tactics are getting results.

A 114

Article

Lion’s den

17 May 2018

Despite its athletes, writers and conservation efforts winning international acclaim, Kenya’s divisions, corruption and poverty gap are curbing its potential.

A 38

Article

Voice of a nation

21 October 2010

Singer Nana Mouskouri is now retired but her songs remain inseparable from Greek culture. She’s a staunch nationalist, having lived through Greece’s transition to a democracy, and is determined that her proud country will…