France Nation Branding

Michael Do

Blog 3: Nation Branding

This blog explores the different ideas of nation branding within a country, and how it is tied within the national identity of the country I am writing about (France). This includes the Eurovision Song Contest analyzation of performances from the previous blog and if they truly do relate to the nation brand that the country is attempting to convey. I believe France’s nation branding is misaligned with their national identity, which is represented through their ESC performances and how outsiders view their country compared to the actual national identity itself.

Blog 1 was focused on establishing the national identity of France. Aspects such as the inner workings of France were taken into consideration (law's, government actions, treatment of the ‘other’, social standing within the community, etc). Reasons of why the national identity was formed to what it is today is due to history of the country or politician statements. Blog 2 focused on France’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest and what implications the performances gave in regards to France’s national branding to other countries along with hidden signs of national identity in the country if there were any. Having knowledge of nation branding is important for this blog along with the definition.

The definition for nation branding is stated as “Nation branding, the phenomenon by which governments engage in self conscious activities aimed at producing a certain image of the nation state” (Jordan 16). France promoting themes of romance and peace to other countries through events can be seen as nation branding. Nation branding is a bit different than national identity, which was defined in blog post one as “national identity is conceptualized as sameness” (Blog 1). Sameness in regards to how an individual has a sense of belonging or identity associated with a country. The difference is that while the government tries to portray and identify the country with one aspect (nation branding), the country's history and citizens may have an entirely different image that goes against the nation branding.

France’s national identity differs from their national branding. The majority of France can be seen as elitist due to how they treat the ‘others’, as identified in blog post 1. The working class are treated poorly, while the upper class has much more opportunity in terms of jobs and education opportunities such as getting into better colleges due to their social status. Immigrants are also treated worse by the majority and have similar treatment to the lower class. One of the statistics from blog 1 states “Youth unemployment of 32% for French-born citizens whose parents arrived from Africa, including sub-Saharan countries and those of the Maghreb, is twice as high as for those with no immigrant background” (Blog 1). This differs heavily from the nation branding France promotes to other countries, which appears as romance and peace. Politicians have also outright said immigrants are a problem in France, with their president stating that “I think there are too many arrivals, of immigration that shouldn't be there” (Blog 1). The inner workings of France differ heavily from what they display to other countries.

France promotes its nation branding through their emphasis on romanticism, something their country’s history is known for. Their focus on feelings and romance are represented through the Eurovision Song Contest performances from 2000-2004. Each song from this stretch of years focuses on romanticism due to how the performances are portrayed on stage and through the songs lyrics. All of the performances are slow paced songs and minimalistic to focus on emotion, along with a heavy emphasis on love and romance through the lyrics.

For example, the 2000 performance from France at ESC was very romanticized- esque because the singer was heavily focused on while having a minimal background, which made the song’s lyrics more noticeable because there was nothing else on stage to focus on other than the background singers, guitarist and drummer . Some of the lyrics from this particular performance also directly relate to love and emotion, qualities that are attributes of romanticism, “ A little bit like angels, wings, we're flying away, you and I” (Blog 2). Lyrics like this along with the stage performance gives a representation to the casual viewer of what they want France to be seen and known as internationally.

This promotes France’s international branding of their image to other countries on the surface. People who do not research the country thoroughly will be lead to believe that France is about romance and peace due to Eurovision performances, monuments in the country such as the Eiffel tower or even other websites calling Paris “The most romantic city in the world. A place where starry-eyed lovers stroll” (Kinkade), but in reality there is a misalignment due to the national identity within the country not being the same as the national branding France makes out the country to be. As stated earlier, the majority have a negative outlook on the ethnic minorities of France, which is the opposite of the love and emotion that is depicted through the different types of nation branding that France does.

France’s views on it Eurovision seems to be in line with what is represented in the national branding. Irving Wolther created the article Seven Dimensions of the Eurovision Song Contest. One of the dimensions he mentions is the media part of Eurovision. He states ESC can be defined as “an event staged by the media only for the purpose of further media coverage” and “Broadcasters wish to influence their national selection and, in some cases the stage performance of their representative, is above all aimed at avoiding any reputational risks that may arise from ‘inappropriate’ acts” (Wolther 166). The stretch of performances from 2000-2004 can be seen as safe and adhering to the national brand that France is trying to promote due to the safe performances from their singers where the lyrics are all about romance, the stage is minimal, and all of the performances have nothing that could be seen as controversial to the France national brand. This implies that France is supportive of ESC because the performers fit what they’re trying to show to the vast audience that ESC brings, romanticism and a sense of peacefulness between all the performances.

Wolther also discusses a national-cultural dimension. He mentions “Great emphasis is placed on presenting something special that sets the national entry apart from other countries’ songs, reflecting and constructing national-cultural identity at the same time” (Wolther 169). France’s niche in the ESC is romantic love songs, which sets the tone and brand for their country to viewers of other countries. The construction can be seen in the consecutive performances from France in 2000-2004, establishing the national cultural identity that others on the outside know about France. There may be pressure on singers or bands to adhere to the country's brand/reputation so that no controversy can be formed.

France’s view on national branding also fits the peace that is presented in their ESC performances. The government attempts to promote unity with acts such as creating a Ministry of Immigration, Integration, National Identity and Co-Development to promote national identity within the country. This can be seen from an outsider as the government attempting to aid the problem of harsh treatment towards the lower class. Even though the government does this, it can be interpreted as subtle nation branding because France attempts to make it look like there will be change, but the issues are still in tact. The mistreatment and rift of national identity is still present due to politicians making statements that disregard immigrants or mistreatment based on France’s past because of the country’s rich history.

Overall, France as a country has a misalignment between the national identity and national branding. France gives off the romance and peace vibe from their different Eurovision performances and also through the city of Paris itself. They even have the government making new organizations to promote national identity. But the overall national identity in France is still in shambles due to what politicians have said in the past regarding minor ethnic groups and the mistreatment from the higher class to the lower class. There are still core issues within France that making laws or organizations, or presenting something differently to the world will not fix unless there is a fix from top to bottom.

France Euro vision performances

Blog 2: France Eurovision Performances

Introduction

In this blog post, I focus on 5 past Eurovision performances from the country France. The focus is on interpreting the lyrics and actual stage performances by the artists in the contest. Close analyzation of what they wear, what effects are going on in the background, if the stage performances match up with the lyrics and other details going on. France as a country participating in Eurovision typically has a formula of slow songs with little effects in the background to emphasize the romanticized feeling of France. This is especially true of years 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2006, with all of their performances having the same kind of minimalistic feel to it in regards to stage performance and the song. The outlier performance from France that goes against this notion is their 2014 showing. Their 2014 performance fits many cliches of Eurovision such as poppy music with bright lights and effects in the background that catch the viewer’s eye, but is also a representative of issues in the core of France identity.

France 2000:

“On aura le ciel” (2000) is sung by Sofia Mestari. To start, the only change to the light was at the beginning of the performance when Sofia first begins singing, where the floor lights up with a scarlet color. The light on the floor and the background stays scarlet and gold, never changing to what is spoken in the lyrics like some other Eurovision performances have done (Austria 2014).

In terms of background props, there is only the instrumentalist along with 3 background singers. Visuals in the performance are conservative, the singers and instrumentalist just sing and play their guitar and drums in harmony with Sofia. No dancers are in the performance, fitting with the overall focus on vocals and instruments due to the minimal approach from lack of changing lights and effects. One thing stood out in the background which were lips with the France flag colors that was next to the lights. The lips appeared as a symbol of representing a love song and not much more.               My interpretation of the lyrics regard it as a positive love song throughout and not much more. Parts in the song such as “ And on your heart, my heart, light, taken by the wind, Oh you… and I” (Diggiloo), do not have much meaning other than a girl being lovestruck with her significant other. Much of the lyrics in the song are along the same line, “ A little bit like angels, wings, we're flying away, you and I” and playing under the sky, “Oh... to play with clouds under the blue sky, my baby” (Diggiloo). These lyrics are on the notion of young lovers being in a feeling of bliss due to all the references of clouds, skies and angels. The way Sophia sings also fits the theme of the performance and song. Her voice does not go monotone, and sounds cheery and hopeful throughout. Overall this performance fits the narrative of France and love that is associated with it.          

 France 2001:

“Je nai que mon âme” (2001) is sung by Natasha St Pier. This performance, like 2000, also had a conservative style which focuses more on the love side of France. On stage, there was only Natasha, along with blue lights shining down onto her and spiraling light of gold in the background. A TV screen is above Natasha’s head which had ocean waves going on throughout the song. The lack of change in lighting and effects lead me to believe the performance is all about what Natasha is singing and her vocals.

The lyrics as I interpreted, were Natasha relying on herself and being independent due to a past relationship. Natasha’s song is titled I Only Have My Soul in english, and some of the lyrics attest to how she is bottling up feelings within herself “And my body is on fire because of the sound of your voice, I'm only a woman who likes you silently”. There are also lines that highlight weakness within herself, “Derisory arms to talk about myself”, displaying herself coping with the past. However, the last few lines of the song is sung in English opposed to French in the first part, which an article thinks ruined the atmosphere of the song “I don’t like the mix of languages as it breaks the atmosphere for me and this one’s a prime example. The French bit sounds so poetic but when we get to English it all becomes a bit harsh” (Dimivision). I believe switching from French to English makes the song better due to the change it signifies. Her lyrics become stronger in meaning when talking about herself, “I'd rather be damned if I lose my faith” and “I am what I am, all I have is my soul”, displaying how she believes in what she has. Her vocal range extends in her English singing, signifying added strength because of how much stronger she sounds. This song fits the minimal feeling of stage performance like the 2000 France Eurovision, but has a darker tone which makes it stand apart.

France 2003:

Louisa Baileche is the singer who performed the song “Monts et merveilles” (2003) for France at the 2003 Eurovision song contest. This performance also fits the mold of the 2000 and 2001 performances from France. Emphasis on romanticism represent the love narrative presented in France. The lights, effects and background are minimal, seeing as there are only 4 other people on stage with Louisa and they are all playing instruments rather than dancing. Light does not change much at all during the performance but there are more effects in the background than in the previous 2 performance. Midway through the song, as the lyrics become hopeful and the instruments start to pick up, there is a clapping motion with the lights and effects in the background.

The clapping effect ties into the lyrics because as the song goes on, the woman becomes more hopeful. In the beginning, Louisa sings the song at a very slow pace, which ties into how she is coping with looking for her lover, “I examine the sky like a deluded angel” and “Where are you, my love?”, which displays her inner turmoil going on. The effects of the clapping and instruments picking up go along with her lyrics as the song becomes more positive at the end, “Only sunshine, not to talk about it anymore, To forget a little”. Positivity in the lyrics goes hand in hand with the clapping effects of the song, giving the performance an added dimension to it because there is some sort of visual to go along with the song as it progressed, unlike the 2000 and 2001 performance where no effects or lighting changed. France 2003 Eurovision performance fit the mold of minimalistic like previous years but also added a little extra entertainment to the viewers.

France 2006:

Virginie Pouchin is the artist who sings “Il était Temps” for France at the 2006 Eurovision contest. Like the other 3 performances mentioned earlier, the performance itself has very little detail going on. There are white lights and stair-like structures in the background with a violinist but there is nothing else happening. No effects are created to match the lyrics and the white light stays the same color the whole time.

I interpreted the lyrics as being able to reach a dream, and for Virginie it might have been performing in the Eurovision final. Lyrics such as “It was time for heaven to remember me at last”, and “I'd be glad to tell the children, that I've touched it once in my lifetime” gives the view that since Virginie is singing in Eurovision, it is her touching the dream and now she can be memorable.

France 2014:

The song “Moustache” (2014) is sung by the French band TWIN TWIN. This performance was the outlier in the France Eurovision performances because of the change from minimal lighting and effects, to blaring light switches and effects going on in the background, along with the lyrics being more than just a love song. Lighting in the performance constantly changes with neon colors while the floor is also switched from a checker look to solid colors at times. The background consists of a grid with moustaches appearing from time to time and all 4 of the instrumentalist are jumping around instead of standing still. One detail to note is the only black male in the performance is shirtless and has face paint on, signifying something of the race issue in France. This performance fits the mold of a cliche Eurovision performance due to all the lighting and effects that attempt to catch the viewer's eye.

Instead of focusing on love or reaching a goal, the lyrics in this song have a different meaning, one of masculinity and vigor. Some of the lyrics used attest to this, such as “I don’t like to show my feelings, I lift weights at the gym, my body is a war machine” all indicating towards sign of strength and displaying masculine qualities such as not showing feelings to others. The theme of wanting a moustache is also emphasized throughout the song, signifying the need of one to be masculine and strong. Lastly, treatment of lower class people is also represented in the song “I don’t even know my own cleaning lady!”, displaying the lack of empathy towards others.

The first 4 performances suggest that France embraces their love and positive culture shown on the surface that is seen in Paris “City of Love. The most romantic city in the world. A place where starry-eyed lovers stroll” (Kinkade), due to the lyrics and romanticized feeling shown in the performances. Moustache represents the subtle racism, treatment of the lower class and how women and men are treated differently in France.

Word count:1650

France: 2016 Eurovision

National Identity of France

France is a country with rich history along with diverse backgrounds in many of the people who inhabit the country. This blog is focused on looking at and recognizing what the national identity of France is and how the Others help strengthen the identity. First, this blog needs to establish the guideline of France and what kind of dominant attributes are displayed through France culture. Attributes would be gender, race, ethnicity, language, sexuality and religion.

France’s national identity has been debated for a long time. The country of France is very large, being the 3rd biggest country in Europe, and has 66 million people populating the country. With so many people in one country, it usually comes with differing opinions. Typically, most people presume the dominant culture of France comes from what is seen in Paris, because it is the capital of France, most populated city in France and a huge tourist spot for many people visiting Western Europe. Dominant culture in terms of religion and language in France is Catholicism and the most spoken language is French, along with German and Arabic (Zimmermann). The minor ethnic groups include the Basque, Germans, Jews, Muslims and a myriad of other groups. Stating these dominant cultures while listing out the minority groups help establish the national identity of France along with the relation to the Others.

National identity is “conceptualized as sameness” (Triandafyllidou). For many people in France, they identify their national identity with the majority which are the dominant cultures listed above such as being catholic, speaking French, having French descent, etc. For the minority groups who do not associate themselves with the dominant attributes, could be listed as “The Others”. The Others “differ from the members of the community precisely in features such as speaking a different language or having a different dress style” (Triandafyllidou). An example of the attitudes displayed from people of the dominant culture to the Others is from an article by The Independent. This article states that the author was talking to his old 60 year old French neighbor, who stated he would not watch the soccer game because, “The team disgusts me because they are not really French" (The Independent). This is an example of dominant attitude towards the Others because he refuses to watch the game because some of the members on the team have different toned skin, even though they were born in France, resulting in alienation of the Others and essentially attempting to drive them out. Another example is a statistic from Economist. The statistic states “Youth unemployment of 32% for French-born citizens whose parents arrived from Africa, including sub-Saharan countries and those of the Maghreb, is twice as high as for those with no immigrant background” (Economist). French society displays a clear bias for non immigrants, to the point of jobs and livelihood being affected. Actions such as these are not just limited socially, but on the political level as well.

The attitudes towards the Others are also directly related to politics as well. Even though there are laws which encourage equality, “In May 2007 the government created the Ministry of Immigration, Integration, National Identity and Co-Development, which among other things was tasked with “promoting national identity” (Simon) and actions by the government which also promote equality “in May, the Minister of Immigration, Integration, National Identity and Mutually Supportive Development pursued a reform which could restrict the role of the six NGOs nominated to work in migration detention centres. In November, the Council of State upheld the reform” (Amnesty International). There are still issues with attitudes towards Others which stems from political leaders of France.

France still has a problem with treatment towards minor ethnic groups in the present, evidenced by what their President had to say on immigration and such. Francois Hollande, the president of France, has repeatedly addressed the immigration issue as a problem “I think there are too many arrivals, of immigration that shouldn't be there” (Samuel) and “It's not Islam itself that poses a problem for being a religion that dangerous for the Republic but because it wants to assert itself as a religion inside the French Republic" (Samuel). Francois is voluntarily driving out some of the minority ethnic groups in France by saying that, essentially keeping Catholicism as the dominant religion.

The reason why social inequality exists towards the Others may be in the roots of French history. Events such as World War 2 and how France was invaded, or recent events such as the 2015 Paris attacks have left the citizens of France with negative feelings of minority groups in France. Establishment of a dominant religion in earlier times, “It is testimony to the degree to which religion was nationalized and the nation sacralized in nineteenth century Europe” (Berger) also leads to a more defined national identity because the majority is already within one religion. This leads to the attitude between the dominant culture and Others we have today, such as the old man stating he would never watch soccer played by the France national team just because of skin color.

The national identity and relationship between majority and minority is clear in France. The Others in this country are considerably on the outside due to not having the same skin color, ethnic background, and religion as the dominant culture in France. Past events in the history of France have ingrained this type of behavior and the relationship between the majority and the minority, making it considerably hard to live as an Other in France. Limitations are imposed such as looking for jobs for minorities. France is slowly headed in the right direction due to laws regarding immigration and national identity. As long as the laws slowly increase to favor the relationship between majority and minority, change will be seen from politicians to the citizens of France.

Word Count:971