Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Catwalk Power: Germany's new foreign image policy

  • Special Section: German Foreign Policy
  • Published:
Journal of International Relations and Development Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The foreign image policy of states, that is their efforts to influence how they are seen by foreign publics, is an under-researched aspect of International Relations (IR) and Foreign Policy Analysis (FPA). This is wrong, argues this article. As foreign image policy reflects states' self-understandings, its examination provides inside insights into the transformation of states. The analysis of the foreign image policy of Germany brings to light a remarkable transformation. Until the mid-1990s, Germany cared about its image mostly for security reasons and used traditional instruments of foreign cultural policy for its image projection. Since the mid-1990s, its image policy pursues commercial goals — promoting the Standort — and for this purpose relies on public relations and marketing instruments such as the ‘Land of Ideas’ nation-branding campaign. This new policy has been enabled by the globalization discourse and its construction of a ‘global competition’ between ‘competition states’. At the same time, Germany's new foreign image policy re-produces the globalization discourse and its key concepts. Foreign image policy and globalization are mutually re-enforcing. This interconnectedness with the globalization discourse points to the wider significance of foreign image policy. Therefore, research along these lines carries the promise of bringing FPA back into the agenda of IR.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. In an advertising campaign by Germany's national investment promotion agency ‘Invest in Germany’. All advertisements are accessible at http://www.land-der-ideen.de/CDA/bildarchiv,27,0,,de.html (accessed 21 October, 2008).

  2. Image, and synonymously reputation, is here understood as ‘the generally shared opinion of a referent's character or nature’ Sharman (2007: 20). Accordingly, a state's foreign image policy is an attempt to influence the international opinion about its ‘character’, others' view of how it is like.

  3. Foremost the Sonderforschungsbereich Staatlichkeit im Wandel at the University of Bremen.

  4. For an account of the Weimar Republic's as well as the Third Reich's foreign cultural policy see Düwell (2005: 59–66); Maaß (2005: 23).

  5. See, for example, parliamentarians' comments on Kinkel's speech in the Bundestag-Debate on foreign cultural policy of 13 June, 1996 (Plenarprotokoll 13/110).

  6. A re-print of the speech is to be found in the journal Internationale Politik, 1996 (3), pp. 96–9; the translations are mine.

  7. See, for example, his speech in the forementioned Bundestags-Debate (13 June, 1996; Plenarprotokoll 13/110), a paper by Kinkel in ‘Die Welt’ (29 September, 1995), and Kinkel's ‘Zehn Thesen zur Auswärtigen Kulturpolitik’ (Bulletin der Bundesregierung Nr. 24, 20 March 1997).

  8. See, for example, the contributions in the Zeitschrift für Kulturaustausch 2/1996.

  9. Koalitionsvereinbarung zwischen der Sozialdemokratischen Partei Deutschlands und Bündnis 90/Die Grünen vom 20. Oktober 1988'; reprinted in BT-Drucksache 14/1266, p. 20–2, my translation.

  10. See http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/diplo/de/Aussenpolitik/KulturDialog/ERI/ErnstReuterInitiative.html (accessed 21 October, 2008).

  11. Zeitschrift für Kulturaustausch 4/1998, my translation.

  12. 5. Bericht der Bundesregierung zur Auswärtigen Kulturpolitik (2000), p. 4, my translation.

  13. Auswärtige Kulturpolitik — Konzeption 2000, p. 13, my translation.

  14. Bericht der Bundesregierung zur Auswärtigen Kulturpolitik 2002, November 2003, p. 6; Bericht der Bundesregierung zur Auswärtigen Kulturpolitik 2003, November 2004, p. 6.

  15. Interview mit Außenminister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Zeitschrift für Kulturaustausch 2/2006; my translation.

  16. Bericht der Bundesregierung zur Auswärtigen Kulturpolitik 2005/2006, Oktober 2006, p. 6.

  17. Bericht zur Auswärtigen Kulturpolitik 2004, August 2005, p. 6.

  18. Bericht der Bundesregierung zur Auswärtigen Kulturpolitik 2005/200', Oktober 2006, p. 6.

  19. Süddeutsche Zeitung, 16 November, 2006.

  20. Foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, talk in the Ausschuss für Kultur und Medien, Deutscher Bundestag, 17.5.2006, Protokoll 16/11, p. 8, my translation.

  21. Bericht über den Stand der Entwicklung und Reformmaßnahmen bei der medialen Außenrepräsentanz, Unterrichtung durch die Bundesregierung, 30.5.2002, BT-Drucksache 14/9502, p. 3; my translation.

  22. http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/diplo/de/AAmt/Abteilungen/Kommunikation.html, my translation (accessed 16 December, 2006); see also http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/diplo/de/Aussenpolitik/PublicDiplomacy/PublicDiplomacy.html (accessed 16 December, 2006).

  23. Bericht über den Stand der Entwicklung und Reformmaßnahmen bei der medialen Außenrepräsentanz, Unterrichtung durch die Bundesregierung', 30.5.2002, BT-Drucksache 14/9502, p. 6.

  24. To be found at http://www.deutschland.de (accessed 20 February, 2007).

  25. http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/diplo/de/AAmt/Auslandsvertretungen/GIC-D-Zentren.html (accessed 20 October, 2008).

  26. http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/diplo/de/Aussenpolitik/PublicDiplomacy/PublicDiplomacy.html (accessed 20 February, 2007).

  27. http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/diplo/de/Aussenpolitik/AussenWiFoerderung/Werbung_20f_C3_BCr_20Deutschland.html (accessed 16 December, 2006).

  28. http://www.bmwi.de/BMWi/Navigation/Aussenwirtschaft/investieren-in-deutschland.html (accessed 21 October, 2008).

  29. Unterrichtung durch die Bundesregierung. Künftige Gestaltung der Standortwerbung zur Gewinnung ausländischer Investitionen für Deutschland, 5.10.2000, BT-Drucksache 14/4240, p. 3.

  30. Unterrichtung durch die Bundesregierung. Künftige Gestaltung der Standortwerbung zur Gewinnung ausländischer Investitionen für Deutschland, 5.10.2000, BT-Drucksache 14/4240, p. 3; Antwort der Bundesregierung auf die Kleine Anfrage der Abgeordneten Dr. Rainer Stinner u.a., 17.2.2003, BT-Drucksache 15/454, p. 2.

  31. For example, the advertising campaign ‘Think Germany’ in the London tube, featuring, among others, German footballer Jens Lehmann; see http://www.invest-in-germany.de/de (accessed 21 October, 2008).

  32. The initiative is a public–private partnership (Land der Ideen, Newsletter, Ausgabe 11/2006, p. 1), with the federal government contributing some 10 million Euro to its original 23 million Euro budget, the German Industry Association (Bund Deutscher Industrie) and leading corporations (among them Adidas, Bayer and Lufthansa) the rest (Welt am Sonntag, 30 July, 2006, p. 25).

  33. http://www.land-der-ideen.de/CDA/pressearchiv_-_detail,1210,0,newsid-8225,de.html (accessed 21 October, 2008; my translation).

  34. http://www.land-der-ideen.de/CDA/die_initiative,14,0,,de.html (accessed 21 October, 2008; my translation).

  35. The film can be accessed on the campaign website: http://www.land-of-ideas.org/CDA/image_film,3191,0,,en.html (accessed 21 October, 2008).

  36. See http://www.land-of-ideas.org/CDA/investment_promotion,6337,0,,en.html (accessed 21 October 2008).

  37. http://www.land-der-ideen.de/CDA/investment_promotion,6220,0,,de.html (accessed 21 October, 2008; my translation).

  38. The campaign itself makes use of this label; see Land der Ideen, Newsletter, Ausgabe 10/2006, p. 4.

  39. I am grateful to one of the anonymous reviewers for alerting me to this point.

  40. The latest index can be found at http://www.nationbrandindex.com/ (accessed 6 August, 2007).

  41. Evangelischer Pressedienst epd, 16.8.2006.

  42. Moreover, the advertising campaign featuring Claudia Schiffer was applauded by the creative industry; the Parisian ‘Musée de la Publicité’ even decided to exhibit one of the posters (http://www.land-of-ideas.org/CDA/press_archive_-_detail,1962,0,newsid-7614,en.html; accessed 21 October, 2008).

  43. Dealing with nation-branding more specifically, such internal consequences are explored by Aronczyk Aronczyk (2008).

  44. Quoted in: General-Anzeiger, 7 December, 2006; my translation, emphasis added.

  45. http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/diplo/de/Aussenpolitik/Kulturpolitik/AKBPKagermannRede.pdf (accessed 8 December, 2006), my translation, emphasis added.

  46. BT-Drucksache 16/1000, 21 March, 2006, p. 5; my translation, emphasis added.

References

  • Amr, Hady (2004) ‘The Need to Communicate: How to Improve the U.S. Public Diplomacy with the Islamic World’, The Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution, Analysis Paper, Number 6.

  • Aronczyk, Melissa (2008) ‘Living the Brand: Nationality, Globality and the Identity Strategies of Nation Branding Consultants’, International Journal of Communication 2: 41–65.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bauer, Gerd Ulrich (2003) ‘Auswärtige Kulturpolitik’, in Alois Wierlacher and Andrea Bogner, eds, Handbuch interkulturelle Germanistik, 132–143, Stuttgart: Metsler.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baumann, Rainer, Volker Rittberger and Wolfgang Wagner (1999) ‘Macht und Machtpolitik. Neorealistische Außenpolitiktheorie und Prognosen über die Außenpolitik des vereinten Deutschland’, Zeitschrift für Internationale Beziehungen 6 (2): 245–286.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cerny, Philip G. (1997) ‘Paradoxes of the Competition State: The Dynamics of Political Globalization’, Government and Opposition 32 (2): 251–274.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cerny, Philip G. (2000) ‘Structuring the Political Arena: Public Goods, States and Governance in a Globalizing World’, in Ronen Palan, ed., Global Political Economy: Contemporary Theories, 21–35, London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chong, Alan (2002) ‘The Post-International Challenge to Foreign Policy: Signposting ‘Plus Non-State’ Politics’, Review of International Studies 28: 783–795.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coolsaet, Rik (2004) ‘Trade and Diplomacy: The Belgian Case’, International Studies Perspectives 5 (1): 61–65.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Düwell, Kurt (2005) ‘Geschichte der Auswärtigen Kulturpolitik im 20. Jahrhundert’, in Kurt-Jürgen Maaß, ed., Kultur und Außenpolitik. Handbuch für Studium und Praxis, 54–83, Baden-Baden: Nomos.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fougner, Tore (2006) ‘The State, International Competitiveness and Neoliberal Globalization: Is there a Future Beyond ‘the Competition State’?’ Review of International Studies 32 (1): 165–185.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grolig, Wilfried and Rainer Eugen Schlageter (2007) ‘Auswärtige Kultur- und Bildungspolitik und Public Diplomacy’, in Thomas Jäger, Alexander Höse and Kai Oppermann, eds, Deutsche Außenpolitik. Sicherheit, Wohlfahrt, Institutionen und Normen, 547–566, Wiesbaden: VS Verlag.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ham, Peter van (2001) ‘The Rise of the Brand State: The Postmodern Politics of Image and Reputation’, Foreign Affairs 80 (5): 2–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ham, Peter van (2002) ‘Branding Territory: Inside the Wonderful Worlds of PR and IR Theory’, Millennium: Journal of International Studies 31 (2): 249–269.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ham, Peter van (2003) ‘War, Lies, and Videotape: Public Diplomacy and the USA's War on Terrorism’, in Security Dialogue 34 (4): 427–444.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ham, Peter van (2005) ‘Power, Public Diplomacy, and the Pax Americana’, in Jan Melissen, ed, The New Public Diplomacy: Soft Power in International Relations, 47–66, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ham, Peter van (2008) ‘Place Branding: The State of the Art’, Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 616: 126–149.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harnischfeger, Horst (2007) ‘Auswärtige Kulturpolitik’, in Siegmar Schmidt, Gunther Hellmann and Reinhard Wolf, eds, Handbuch zur deutschen Außenpolitik, 713–723, Wiesbaden: VS Verlag.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Held, David, McGrew Anthony, Goldblatt David and Paerraton Jonathan (1999) Global Transformations, Cambridge Polity Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Held, David and Anthony McGrew, eds, (2002) Governing Globalization: Power, Authority and Global Governance, Cambridge: Polity Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Helleiner, Eric (2005) ‘Conclusion: The Meaning and Contemporary Significance of Economic Nationalism’, in Eric Helleiner and Andreas Pickel, eds, Economic Nationalism in a Globalizing World, 220–234, Ithaca: Cornell University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hill, Christopher (2003) The Changing Politics of Foreign Policy, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jarren, Otfried and Patrick Donges (2006) Politische Kommunikation in der Mediengesellschaft. Eine Einführung, Wiesbaden: VS Verlag.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirste, Knut and Hans W. Maull (1996) ‘Zivilmacht und Rollentheorie’, in Zeitschrift für Internationale Beziehungen 3 (2): 283–312.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kordes, Walter and Hans Pollmann (1983/1972) Das Presse- und Informationsamt der Bundesregierung, Düsseldorf: Droste.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kotler, Philip and David Gertner (2002) ‘Country as Brand, Product, and Beyond: A Place Marketing and Brand Management Perspective’, Brand Management 9 (4–5): 249–261.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Langer, Roy (2001) ‘Place Images and Place Marketing’, Copenhagen Business School, http://ep.lib.cbs.dk/download/ISBN/x656108206.pdf#search=%22roy%20langer%20%22place%20images%20and%20place%20marketing%22%22, (accessed 4 October, 2006).

  • Lee, Donna and David Hudson (2004) ‘The Old and New Significance of Political Economy in Diplomacy’, Review of International Studies 30 (3): 343–360.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leibfried, Stephan and Michael Zürn, eds (2006) Transformationen des Staates, Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leonhard, Mark and Andrew Small (2005) British Public Diplomacy in the Age of Schisms, London: The Foreign Policy Centre.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maaß, Kurt-Jürgen (2005) ‘Überblick: Ziele und Instrumente der Auswärtigen Kulturpolitik’, in Kurt-Jürgen Maaß, ed., Kultur und Außenpolitik:Handbuch für Studium und Praxis, 23–30, Baden-Baden: Nomos.

    Google Scholar 

  • Melissen, Jan (2005) ‘The New Public Diplomacy: Between Theory and Practice’, in Jan Melissen, ed., The New Public Diplomacy: Soft Power in International Relations, 3–27, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Meyer, John W. and Brian Rowan (1991) ‘Institutionalized Organizations: Formal Structure as a Myth and Ceremony’, in Walter Powell and Paul J. DiMaggio, eds, The New Institutionalism Organizational Analysis, 41–62, Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Palan, Ronen, Jason Abbott and Phil Deans (1996) State Strategies in the Global Political Economy, London: Pinter.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rittberger, Volker and Verena Andrei (2005) ‘Macht, Profit und Interessen. Auswärtige Kulturpolitik und Außenpolitiktheorien’, in Kurt-Jürgen Maaß, ed, Kultur und Außenpolitik. Handbuch für Studium und Praxis, 31–52, Baden-Baden: Nomos.

    Google Scholar 

  • Robertson, Roland (1992) Globalization, London: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosamond, Ben (2000) ‘Review Article: Globalization and Europeanization’, Yearbook of European Studies 14: 261–274.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosamond, Ben (2001) ‘Constructing Globalization’, in Karin M. Fierke and Knud Erik Jorgensen, eds, Constructing International Relations. The Next Generation, 201–223, New York and London: M.E. Sharpe.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosamond, Ben (2002) ‘Imagining the European Economy: ‘Competitiveness’ and the Social Construction of ‘Europe’ as an Economic Space’, New Political Economy 7 (2): 157–177.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schmidt, Siegmar, Gunther Hellmann and Reinhard Wolf, eds (2007) Handbuch zur deutschen Außenpolitik, Wiesbaden: VS Verlag.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Schulte, Karl-Sebastian (2000) Auswärtige Kulturpolitik im politischen System der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Berlin: VWF.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sharman, J.C. (2007) ‘Rationalist and Constructivist Perspectives on Reputation’, Political Studies 55 (1): 20–37.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Singer, Otto (2003) Auswärtige Kulturpolitik, in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland. Konzeptionelle Grundlagen und institutionelle Entwicklung seit 1945, Wissenschaftliche Dienste des Deutschen Bundestages.

    Google Scholar 

  • Singer, Otto (2004) Der Deutsche Bundestag und die Auswärtige Kulturpolitik, Wissenschaftliche Dienste des Deutschen Bundestages.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sorensen, Georg (2004) The Transformation of the State: Beyond the Myth of Retreat, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Staack, Michael (2000) Handelsstaat Deutschland. Deutsche Außenpolitik in einem neuen internationalen System, Paderborn: Ferdinand Schöningh.

    Google Scholar 

  • True, Jacqui (2005) ‘Country before Money? Economic Globalization and National Identity in New Zealand’, in Eric Helleiner and Andreas Pickel, eds, Economic Nationalism in a Globalizing World, 202–219, Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Walker, Horst O. (1982) Das Presse- und Informationsamt der Bundesregierung, Frankfurt am Main: Haag+ Heschen.

    Google Scholar 

  • Watson, Matthew and Colin Hay (2003) ‘The Discourse of Globalization and the Logic of No Alternative: Rendering the Contingent Necessary in the Political Economy of New Labour’, Policy & Politics 31 (3): 289–305.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

    Rainer Hülsse

Authors
  1. Rainer Hülsse
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hülsse, R. The Catwalk Power: Germany's new foreign image policy. J Int Relat Dev 12, 293–316 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1057/jird.2009.12

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/jird.2009.12

Keywords

Search

Navigation