Identity as a Core Dimension of Nation Branding: An Analysis of Marca Perú’s Communication in Its First Decade

Abstract

In 2009, Peru launched its first nation branding strategy to promote investment, exports, and tourism. This study analyses Marca Perú’s communication activities to identify the key factors involved in the construction of its brand identity and to assess, drawing on Villafañe’s (2014) framework, whether its narrative and attributes have succeeded in establishing a functional brand code. It examines PromPerú’s communication strategy during its first decade (2009–2019) through a qualitative analysis of its communication, grounded in a critical discourse approach and in the interpretative perspective applied to nation branding proposed by Silverman (2015). The analysis enabled the identification and classification of the brand narrative, its attributes, the brand promise, and its tailoring to different stakeholder groups. The findings show that Marca Perú has maintained a distinctive positioning based on its cultural and natural diversity, thereby consolidating a recognisable brand identity. However, the coexistence of two distinct social constructs is evident: one internal, aimed at strengthening a sense of Peruvian identity, and the other external, focused on the country’s international projection. The study concludes that, although the narrative of Marca Perú has succeeded in articulating a strong identity, it still faces the challenge of reconciling these two constructs into a unified narrative that consistently delivers on its brand promise, both domestically and internationally.