How Ukraine is building a global brand through Soft Power

Every year, London hosts the Soft Power Summit, where Brand Finance presents the Global Soft Power Index—a large-scale study of countries’ reputations. Brand Finance is a leading international consultancy specialising in brand valuation and strategic brand management.

The Global Soft Power Index is the only global ranking that assesses countries’ awareness, reputation, and influence based on culture, diplomacy, business, science, sport, and other intangible assets. The research is based on a survey of over 170,000 respondents across more than 100 countries, making it a unique tool for analysing nations’ international image.

Ukraine has been part of this ranking for five years. And the dynamics of our position over that period tell an interesting story.

Ukraine and Soft Power: What do the last five years’ dynamics show?

If you look at the overall trend, it may seem as though we have returned to the 2020 level: after a sharp rise in 2022–2023, our ranking began to decline in 2024. But what is behind that?

The strongest growth is in Ukraine’s awareness, which rose from 45th place in 2020 to 15th in 2023. The reason is obvious: the information shock linked to the full-scale war made Ukraine one of the most widely discussed countries in the world. The indicator of influence also increased significantly—global economics and international relations could not ignore what was happening in our country.

But can this be considered stable success? Here it is important to understand two key issues:

• Ukraine is gradually moving out of the global news agenda—interest is declining, even if it remains relatively high.

• Ukraine’s reputation remains unstable—we are still largely perceived through the lens of war, rather than as an independent brand with distinct values of its own.

How does Ukraine look compared to other European countries?

When we compare Ukraine with other European countries, we see that our awareness has grown significantly, but reputation and trust remain weak points. For example, countries with a similar overall Soft Power Index—such as Greece or Portugal—demonstrate much higher reputation scores.

As global media attention to Ukraine decreases, this may further affect our position in the future unless additional brand-strengthening strategies are activated.

The key task now is to convert the emotional impulse into a long-term, strategic development of the country’s image.

Can Soft Power be managed?

Traditionally, a state’s power in international relations was assessed through military or economic strength. Hard Power works through coercion—military action, economic sanctions, or diplomatic pressure. However, the modern world increasingly relies on Soft Power: the ability to influence without coercion, through cultural impact, international trust, compelling narratives, and the natural attractiveness of a country.

One of the key instruments of Soft Power is place branding—a strategic approach to building a recognizable and attractive image of a country, its cities, and its regions. By developing territorial brands, a country can attract investors, tourists, and talent, and strengthen its international reputation.

How does place branding work?

Place branding is not just an advertising campaign or a country logo. It is a strategic approach to shaping a recognisable and attractive image for investors, tourists, talent, and citizens themselves. The main goal is not only to create positive perception, but also to attract resources, people, and opportunities.

Global research shows that 24–26% of decisions about investment, relocation, or travel are based on emotional perception of a place. That is why the Soft Power Index is a powerful and relatively objective indicator of place-branding effectiveness.

How do you build it?

There are two main levels of work: the national image of the country and the branding of cities. Cities are often the first points of contact with the outside world, and a successful city brand automatically contributes to the country’s overall image.

Why is city branding important for the country’s image?

Perception of a country as a brand depends on many factors, including the economy, political stability, and international positioning. Research shows that the positioning and unique identity of each city make a significant contribution to the overall image of the state. Some cities, with exceptionally strong brands, even become locomotives for how the whole country is perceived.

Let’s look at a few successful global examples, including not only capitals but also cities that have significantly shaped perceptions of their countries through distinct branding strategies.

Barcelona: Once an industrial city, Barcelona in the 1990s bet on cultural and tourism development. A turning point was hosting the 1992 Olympic Games, which triggered large-scale urban infrastructure renewal and increased international appeal. The city actively developed cultural branding by supporting art, festivals, gastronomy, and Gaudí’s recognisable architecture. As a result, Barcelona became one of Europe’s most visited tourist centres and a symbol of the Mediterranean lifestyle—positively influencing Spain’s international image.

Lyon: France’s third-largest city has a vivid historic centre and a unique legacy: cinema originated here thanks to the Lumière brothers. Yet for a long time Lyon remained in the shadow of more famous French destinations, especially Paris.

The city government took an unconventional branding route by launching an illumination project—over 200 buildings and public spaces received unique artistic lighting. Over time, this evolved into a Festival of Lights known across Europe, attracting over 4 million tourists annually.

But the city’s goals went beyond tourism. The next step was establishing the Lyon Area Economic Development Agency, focused on investor attraction and business-environment development. One of the most interesting initiatives was an ambassador network among business leaders, entrepreneurs, and public figures who promoted Lyon within their professional circles. Today, the network includes over 25,000 ambassadors. Lyon ranks first among French cities for doing business and is one of Europe’s most popular short-break destinations.

Eindhoven: Eindhoven’s future depended on attracting top talent in technology and design. The city had a strong industrial history linked to companies such as Philips Electronics and DAF Trucks, but that alone was not enough to build a recognizable brand.

A dedicated brand-management institution was created to make strategic investments in the city’s image. A key focus was professional conferences and events that drew attention from Dutch and European media—such as Dutch Design Week and Dutch Technology Week.

In parallel, the city encouraged event participants to consider Eindhoven as a potential place to live and work. Moreover, the initiative group behind the city’s branding agreed with the municipality that all revenues from the tourist tax would be directed specifically toward brand development.

After several years of active promotion, Eindhoven became the Netherlands’ second city by economic indicators and home to over 140 technology start-ups.

Now, let’s look at the Ukrainian experience

Lviv is the first Ukrainian city to work consistently on its brand. It was among the first to consciously develop a city brand and strategically build its recognition over time. Through many years of systematic effort, Lviv has established itself as a tourist, gastronomic, and innovation hub of Ukraine.

Lviv actively used its historical and cultural strengths. Its gastronomic culture, coffeehouses, and distinctive restaurants made it one of Eastern Europe’s key gastro-tourism destinations. Annual festivals such as the Literary Festival and Book Forum, and the “Golden Lion” theatre festival, attract thousands of visitors and support local business growth.

Lviv has also become a major platform for international events. The city leverages its position as a “gateway to Europe,” attracting foreign investors and supporting the development of a technology ecosystem. One of the city’s brand pillars is IT Arena—Ukraine’s largest technology conference, bringing international speakers, start-ups, and investors each year and reinforcing Lviv’s status as a national tech centre.

Thanks to this multi-layered strategy, Lviv is now one of Ukraine’s most recognisable and visited cities — operating as a standalone brand while also strengthening the country’s overall image.

But success is not limited to big cities

Trostianets is one of the best examples of successful small-city branding in Ukraine. Located in Sumy region, it previously had little tourist recognition. Yet in recent years it has developed a strong brand that attracts visitors, supports the local economy, and strengthens Ukraine’s overall image.

Despite historical value and picturesque landscapes, Trostianets long remained little known on Ukraine’s tourist map. Its economy relied mainly on local industry, and tourism infrastructure was barely developed. The city did not leverage its potential to attract visitors.

A key strategy was building the “sweetest” identity: the “Chocolate Capital of Ukraine,” since one of the country’s best-known factories—Mondelez Ukraine (formerly “Korona”) — is located there. This brand was used actively to promote the city through gastronomic and event tourism.

One of the most popular events was the Chocolate Festival, which annually drew thousands of visitors. The city also hosted music festivals, including Skhid-Rok, attracting young people and tourists from across the country.

Before the war, tourist flow to Trostianets grew by 28% thanks to events and promotion.

However, on 24 February 2022, the Russian army occupied Trostianets and destroyed the city until 26 March 2022, when the Armed Forces of Ukraine pushed the enemy back. The city’s losses reached UAH 3.7 billion. 829 buildings were damaged, including the road and railway stations.

Despite the destruction, the city team has not given up and is already working on recovery and improvement. Plans include making Trostianets more environmentally friendly — creating a waste-recycling centre, building a new water treatment facility, and a biomass plant. The strategy also includes energy-efficient reconstruction of public buildings and housing, and a gradual move away from gas.

In addition, the city plans to create new green zones and preserve its “chocolate” status.

This case shows that even a small city can find a unique niche, develop its economy through a strong brand, and influence the country’s overall image.

What should be done next?

If city mayors, local community leaders, or representatives of public institutions are reading this article, here are the key takeaways for you:

Ukraine has already made a major leap in global Soft Power. But to secure that success, strategy must change. Cities should become growth points for the national brand.

Ukraine is going through a difficult period, and the future of many cities remains uncertain. Yet even under these conditions, it is important not only to rebuild destroyed infrastructure, but also to think about positioning our cities internationally. City branding can become not just a marketing tool, but part of a strategy for revival and resource attraction.

Preserve and develop local identity
Every Ukrainian city has a unique history, culture, and traditions. It is important not only to restore what has been lost, but also to highlight features that can make the city recognizable.

Create a comfortable urban environment
People return to places where it is comfortable to live and work. Modern city brands are built not only on heritage, but also on real experiences of residents and visitors—convenient infrastructure, ecology, and service quality.

Attract international support
Twinning (sister-city) ties, participation in international recovery programs, and attracting foreign investors are not only financial resources, but also opportunities to put Ukrainian cities on the global map.

Work with international media
It is important not only to highlight the consequences of war, but also to show that Ukrainian cities are recovering, creating new opportunities, and are open to the world. Appearing in “must-visit” lists helps attract attention from tourists and potential partners.

War does not cancel Ukraine’s future—it only makes strategic development even more important.

If Ukrainian cities start working on their brands and international recognition today, this will help them recover faster and attract the resources they will need after victory.

Iryna Mushtina

Co-founder of Power of Place, a place-branding agency.
Founder of the digital agency CF.Digital (Kyiv), Founder and CEO of CAT Digital (London).
Member of the Supervisory Board of the All-Ukrainian Advertising Coalition.
Co-founder and Chair of the Board of the Committee of Digital Developers of Ukraine.
Holds a Master’s degree in Place Branding from Middlesex University London.
Currently works on place-branding projects and advises public and charitable-sector organisations on strategic communications and digital transformation in Ukraine and the UK.

Nataliia Boiarchuk

Co-founder of Power of Place, a place-branding agency.
Managing Partner of the activation agency Adsapience (Kyiv). Co-founder of the Sustainability Strategies Institute.
Holds an MBA (Marketing and Finance) from the Babcock School of Management, Wake Forest University (USA), and a Sustainability Communications specialist diploma from CIPR (UK).
In recent years, she has advised and supported communications functions for civil-society organisations in nature conservation and green energy, and has been involved in developing and implementing projects supporting society through businesses in Ukraine and the UK.