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GfK Partner, Simon Anholt, Wins 2009 Nobels Colloquia Prize for Economics Leadership

New York, NY December 18, 2009 – Independent policy advisor and GfK business partner, Simon Anholt was recently awarded the 2009 Nobels Colloquia Prize for Economic Leadership by Giulio Tremonti, the Italian Minister of Economic Affairs. The jury for the award, now in its ninth year, consists of ten Nobel Laureates in Economics.

According to the Citation provided by the Nobels Colloquia award jury, Mr. Anholt is being recognized "For his contribution to understanding and managing the identity and image of nations, cities and regions; and the impact of reputation on their prosperity and competitiveness. Through his concepts of ‘Nation Brand’ and ‘City Brand’, Anholt has acquired a global reputation.”

The citiation goes on to state that Mr. Anholt’s annual surveys, the Anholt-GfK Roper Nation Brands Index® (NBI) and Anholt-GfK Roper City Brands Index® (CBI), now offered in partnership with GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media, "are today the most important and respected global rankings of places.”

Additionally, Mr. Anholt’s ‘Competitive Identity’ theory, which serves as the basis of the Anholt-GfK Roper NBI and CBI studies, has "radically altered the way that many countries now plan and manage their domestic and foreign policy-making. Anholt’s core principle is that national reputation cannot be artificially constructed, only earned through consistent and effective contributions to the supranational issues that matter to people around the world. In this sense, Competitive Identity is as much a revolution in the governance of nations as Corporate Social Responsibility has been in the management of corporations, ” according to the Nobels Colloquia award jury.

"As the research partner for the Anholt-GfK Roper NBI and CBI studies, we are thrilled that Simon Anholt has been honored with this prestigious award’” said Xiaoyan Zhao, Senior Vice President at GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media and research director for the Anholt-GfK Roper NBI and CBI studies. "As the world’s leading authority on place branding, Nobels Colloquia Prize for Economic Leadership is a fitting tribute to Simon’s unique contribution to the field of reputation management around the world.”