Branding a Nation in Times of War

A little over a year ago, Russia invaded Ukraine. But how does the war affect the country's nation branding? A story about storytelling in greatest distress.

As you receive this issue of Content Pillars, it is the 374th day of Russian aggression against Ukraine. A few days after the start of this aggression, the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had spoken in the German Bundestag of a "turning point in time". This change of times has not been accomplished until today - and it will not be accomplished as long as Ukraine has to defend itself.

For the past year, a walk through Vienna has been a constant reminder of this war, which is unfolding in all its cruelty only some 400 kilometers to the east. Ukrainian flags, slogans for an imminent peace and, above all, many Ukrainian refugees characterize the cityscape. In small Austria alone, some 80,000 people from Ukraine have sought refuge, and they are now a natural part of the population in big cities like Vienna: Russian or Ukrainian can be heard constantly on the streets, in cafés, in restaurants.