From ‘made-in’ to ‘product-country images’ and ‘place branding’: a journey through research time and space

The article first reviews the title field, by tracing its evolution from the original notion of "made-in images" of the 1960s to the broader "product-place associations" of the 1990s and today’s "place branding", and then, based on studies by the authors and their associates, examines key findings that summarize the area’s current state of knowledge and future challenges. This includes the use of place cues in advertising, the content of place images and their role in foreign direct investment, cross-cultural variations and the animosity construct, and models of product and tourism image effects. A summary note highlights some of the key problems facing the practice of place branding today and the nearly limitless opportunities for future research in this field.