Speaking at the CMO Summit in London, government policy adviser
Simon Anholt said: “The movie Borat has done more for people’s awareness of
Khazakstan than any Government-sponsored awareness campaign could ever have
achieved.“Talking about what he termed Competitive Identity - how nations, cities and
regions can manage their international reputation more effectively in order
to stimulate tourism, investment, cultural exchanges, trade and exports -
Anholt argued that the Kazakh Government should capitalize on the film’s
negative connotations. “It’s much easier to establish a positive brand
image of a country once awareness had been established, even if it is
negative to start with.” said Simon.

Anholt is the creator of the Anholt Nation Brands Index; an analytical
ranking of the world’s nation brands, powered by market intelligence
solutions provider, Global Market Insite. He was the keynote speaker at the
CMO Summit held in London today. With more than 2,500 members, the CMO
Council is a private, not-for-profit organization for senior marketing and
brand decision-makers across multiple industry sectors and markets
worldwide.
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