Correspondence: György Szondi, Leeds Business School, Leeds Metropolitan University, Leighton Hall, Headingley, Campus, Leeds LS6, 3QS, UK. Tel: 0113 283 7544; Fax: 0113 283 7507; e-mail: G.Szondi@leedsmet.ac.uk

¹is a senior lecturer in public relations at Leeds Business School, Leeds Metropolitan University, UK. His publications and research interests include international public relations and reputation management for nations; public diplomacy; risk and crisis communication. He has been a regular speaker and PR trainer at workshops and conferences throughout Eastern Europe, including Hungary, Poland, Estonia and Latvia. He worked for Hill and Knowlton, the international PR agency in Budapest, Hungary and in its international headquarters in London.

Received 4 September 2006; Revised 4 September 2006.

Abstract

Developing coherent and comprehensive country brands is of vital importance for transitional countries as branding can contribute to the success of transition. Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) is a typical transitional region where the evolution of country branding provides valuable insights and experiences for other transitional regions as well. This paper overviews the most important challenges as well as mistakes of place branding in the region. After conceptualising place branding in the CEE context, the most important functions of country brands in transitional countries are outlined. This paper concentrates on those countries that joined the European Union in 2004 although some references are made to other Eastern European nations, which are at earlier stages of their political and economic transition.