In learning about how countries are able to successfully rebrand themselves, I’ve learned that there has to be government intervention and a good industry that caters to a massive population of the public. In the case of France, during the initial process of it building its inexpensive image, the government played the most important role and King Louis XIV was heavily involved in shaping how the country is viewed from during that time up until today. The King was very influential in refining how the country is portrayed because he was said to have an expensive taste and really valued the arts. Therefore, he invested a lot of effort in those areas. Under the King Louis XIV’s powerful monarch, his authority along with a business partnership with the minister of finance, Jean-Baptiste Colbert really made it possible for shaping how France is viewed as today. It’s interesting to note that other places, like Italy had quite an established reputation regarding luxuries and such, but the country’s marketing strategies were limited. The idea was also not as nationalised as how it was done in France. What also allowed for France to maximise its national aesthetics was due to the King’s dedication and passion in really transforming the image of the country. Strong government influence is a component that cannot be neglected or underestimated because it can take things on a small scale and expand it nationally. If there is a powerful and supportive government to back matters up, a successful industry that attracts the public will follow. Relating this to the recent victory of Donald Trump in representing the face of the US nation, perhaps something similar to that of the French could occur. With great business experience and many connections in the business sector, under his leadership, Trump might be able to paint some sort of national aesthetic for the US. Since countries are always interested in expanding their market economies and generating more money, perhaps Trump envisions to transform the status quo of the country
Question: If the government was not as involved as it was during the refinement period that took place under King Louis XIV’s reign, would France be able to achieve its reputation and be known for a country of luxuries as it is today?
Work Cited:
Joan N. The Essence of Style: How the French Invented High Fashion, Fine Food, Chic Cafes, Style, Sophistication, and Glamour. New York: Free, 2005. Web. 20 January 2017.
<https://canvas.ucdavis.edu/courses/72045/files/folder/Readings/Week3?preview=617754>
Usher, Abott Payson. Colbert and Governmental Control of Industry in 17th Century France. 11th ser. 16 (1934): 237-40. The MIT Press , 25 Nov. 2015. Web. 20 January 2017. <https://canvas.ucdavis.edu/courses/72045/files/folder/Readings/Week3?preview=617735>.
Photo:https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.louis-xiv.de%2Fuploads%2Fpics%2F4b_03.jpg&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.louis-xiv.de%2Findex.php%3Fid%3D47&docid=a-ye2lI9iJ8ulM&tbnid=e-6YxX4ggawdpM%3A&vet=1&w=555&h=400&bih=635&biw=1351&q=colbert%20and%20louis%20xiv&ved=0ahUKEwi_zNaUwdPRAhXGy1QKHTx8CEwQMwgbKAEwAQ&iact=mrc&uact=8
*additional points to add to my post:
ReplyDeleteIn Eastern Europe, Croatia recently joined the European Union a few years back and I believe that rebranding its national aesthetics is possible. While its government may not be as strong as the governments from other countries as seen in examples with France, Korea, etc., I think it will make efforts to rebrand the itself to expand its economy since it has potential to develop further in many ways.