The master's thesis addresses branding as a means of a country's public diplomacy, which uses soft power resources to overcome the limitations of traditional diplomatic approaches in persuading and attracting foreign audiences. As comparative advantages with which a country shapes its image, the thesis highlights niche cultural products, which are deeply rooted in the country's culture and identity, thereby possessing internal legitimacy and the ability to effectively address foreign audiences with their attributes. In identifying the factors that promote and inhibit the nation branding with niche cultural products, the master's thesis relies on its own five-phase analysis model, which is furthermore applied to an empirical analysis of Slovenian wine and the Rebula wine variety. Based on the latter, it concludes that niche cultural products that already enjoy internal legitimacy among the domestic audience, with strong support from decision-makers, a well-regulated institutional and legislative framework, and existing strategic guidelines, can potentially shape the image of the country in the cultural, economic, and political dimensions.
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