It is not often that a book on branding receives glowing reviews from Presidents and Prime Ministers around the world, but Brand New Justice richly deserves the praise:

For countries like Croatia, which strive to market their products abroad, Brand New Justice contains a wealth of valuable advice and some extremely sound economic and social theory. Stjepan Mesic President of the Republic of Croatia For countries like Mongolia, which need to break into international markets, this concept provides some much needed hope and inspiration. Nambar Enkhbayar Prime Minister of Mongolia

And for the rest of us - consultants, agencies, and marketers around the world - the book offers an antidote to all the anti-globalization and anti-branding rhetoric of the past few years.

The book chapter titles illustrate the flow of the thinking: 1. Why brands count 2. What brands do for countries 3. Developing markets, emerging brands 4. The challenge of branded exports 5. When countries become brands 6. Now is the time

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In the first chapter, 'Why brands count', Simon Anholt lays out a compelling description of brands as attractors of wealth. He paints a brief picture of the historic evolution of intangible wealth, the reasons behind this evolution and the consequences for 'supplier nations'.

He then lays out his overall approach to achieving Brand New Justice for these nations:

If the development of these export brands is supported and encouraged by government, and written as a key component into a consistent, imaginative and well-managed national brand strategy, it can make a real difference to the country's long-term prospects.

But the real difference about this book, and the reason for the earlier quotes, is the way it then goes on to provide sound practical advice on how to build export brands.

The first section of the Chapter 'The challenge of branded exports' look at the lessons which emerge most frequently and powerfully from the brands he profiles. Other Chapter sections have titles such as 'Eleven levers for outsmarting the competition', 'Getting distribution and retail presence', and 'Quality standards and consumer perceptions'. All good sound advice for anyone in a 'supplier nation' who plans to build an export brand.

All in all it is a very refreshing book for anyone who works in brand management, and a vital read if you wish to understand the power of brands to attract wealth, not only for companies but also for the economies and countries in which they operate.

Simon Anholt is Chairman of Earthspeak consultancy and adviser to various government bodies.