Germany has replaced the US as the country with the best "brand image," according to a new study of 50 countries released Thursday.
The Nation Brands Index (NBI) survey, carried out by German-based market research firm GfK and the British political consultant Simon Anholt, measured public opinion around the world on "the power and quality of each country's 'brand image.'"
Germany moved up to first place after coming in second in 2016. The US dropped from top to sixth, with France, Britain, Canada and Japan taking spots two to five.
Read more: Opinion: The world loves us Germans
Not just a pretty car
The study calculated the final NBI score by researching how well people viewed a country across six categories: its people, governance, exports, tourism, investment and immigration, and culture and heritage.
The land of sausages, Merkel and "Made in Germany" was in the top five in all but one category. Only in "tourism" did Germany fall outside the top five, coming in 10th.
German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel welcomed the results, saying: "Germany's image no longer rests on our economic strength. People think we're capable of much in the world."
Read more: How Berlin has ruined living anywhere else
Germany's tourist spots are not always the most enticing
'The Trump effect'
Foreigners' views of the US worsened considerably compared to 2016, particularly in the category "governance," where it slipped from spot 19 to spot 23.
The "Trump effect" explains the fall, according to Anholt.
"The loss of the US's image in the governance category is indicative of the Trump effect, which was triggered by President Trump's policies and his 'America First' message," he said.
Americans themselves nevertheless viewed their country more positively than in 2016.
Read more: Joseph Nye: Trump's tweets harm US soft power
France back, Britain steady
France went up three spots after coming in fifth in 2016 thanks to better scores in "governance" and "investment and immigration."
The land of fine wine, Balzac and Voltaire came in No. 1 for "culture."
Britain stayed steady at spot 3, despite fears the country's exit from the European Union (EU) would damage the country's international image.
Read more: The Macron effect: France now world's top 'soft power' thanks to president, cuisine and culture
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10 everyday things invented in Germany
Hole punch
It was once the king of the office, but digital storage has somewhat dampened its reign. But the canny hole punch was destined for greatness from the moment Matthias Theel dreamed it up and Friedrich Soennecken filed his patent on November 14, 1886. Alongside his other top invention, the ring binder, Soennecken's two-hole punch brought some percussive oomph to the otherwise sterile office setting.
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10 everyday things invented in Germany
MP3
It's as invisible as it is ubiquitous. But the MP3 was once little more than a pie-in-the-sky idea until tech whiz Karlheinz Brandenburg had his eureka moment in the early 1980s. The MP3 — or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III — was a revolution in audio. It allowed files to be coded and compressed, and thus stored, played and transferred with ease — as file-sharing sites like Napster rapidly discovered.
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10 everyday things invented in Germany
Electric drill
It's inadvertently become the symbol of manhood and no serious garden shed is complete without one. While the electric drill was invented in Australia in 1889, it was the enterprising Wilhelm Emil Fein of Ludwigsburg who made it handheld and portable in 1895 — thus liberating the frontiers of masculinity forever. And it's been responsible for countless dodgy home repair jobs ever since.
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10 everyday things invented in Germany
Fanta
During World War II Americans thought they'd hit Germany where it hurt the most, by putting an embargo on Coca-Cola imports. Never one to bow to a challenge, Max Keith — the head of Coca-Cola in Germany — decided to invent a new product for the German market, using local ingredients, including pomace (the remains of fruit) and whey. And so was born an iconic drink, aiding tooth decay since 1941.
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10 everyday things invented in Germany
Coffee filter
There is an invention in all of us, and in 1908 Dresden housewife Melitta Bentz seized her moment while pondering why her coffee was eternally so over-brewed and bitter. Realizing she could brew a more delicious cup by filtering out the loose grounds with an improvised paper filter, Bentz patented the idea and today the family company, Melitta Group KG, employs around 3,300 people.
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10 everyday things invented in Germany
Adhesive tape
As if developing Nivea and Labello wasn't enough, pharmacist Oscar Troplowitz set his mind to inventing something which was so profound it would certify his legacy. And he found it in sticky tape. While the idea had already been explored, it was Troplowitz's invention of leukoplast, an innovative adhesive patch, in 1901 which was the game changer. DIY repairs would never be the same again.
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10 everyday things invented in Germany
Accordion
While more widely associated with French chanson, the accordion was in fact dreamt up and designed in Berlin in 1822 by Christian Friedrich Ludwig Buschmann. Born in Thuringia, the craftsman reportedly invented the harmonica before turning his hand to something more iconic. The accordion would go on to conquer the globe, one street corner and busker at a time.
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10 everyday things invented in Germany
Christmas tree
Finland may claim Santa Claus, but the Christmas tree belongs to Germany. Emerging during the German Renaissance, the "Tannenbaum" tradition began as a simple decorative expression of Christmas before going gangbusters in the late 19th century. While historically adorned with nuts, fruit and candles, today the once humble tree has become a kaleidoscopic symbol of one-upmanship between neighbors.
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10 everyday things invented in Germany
Modern football cleats
While the prototype football cleat was invented in Britain, it was Adidas founder Adolf "Adi" Dassler who invented the modern boot with the game-changing screw-in stud technology in 1954, no doubt aiding a West German victory in the World Cup that same year. Older brother Rudolf Dassler of rival Puma wasn't amused, as he also claimed the innovation.
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10 everyday things invented in Germany
Taximeter
It's equally loved and loathed, and has made for many an anxious dash across town. Invented by Friedrich Wilhelm Gustav Bruhn in Berlin in 1891 for industrialist and motorcar pioneer Gottlieb Daimler, the taximeter has been heightening blood pressures ever since. But with the advent of Uber, will taximeters be a thing of the past? Not if impassioned taxi unions get their way.
Author: Julian Tompkin (km)
amp/rt (Reuters, dpa)
