This article analyzes the attempts of four countries created upon the disintegrationof the former Yugoslavia – Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina andSerbia – to use communication as a tool for establishing themselves as distinct traveldestinations and for creating attractive brands in the international political and economicmarkets. The paper focuses particularly on the analysis of the communication andpromotion approaches, and concepts and strategies used by these countries in termsof the processes behind the aims outlined in the preceding sentence. The level ofsuccess of each country, as regards the subject matter of this article, is determined forthe purpose of the analysis in question, by the best known brand perception surveys.The paper also analyzes the disintegration of Yugoslavia in the context of the newlycreatedcountries’ attempts to establish themselves internationally and compares theirapproaches to developing their brands and the models they are using for it. Thecountries in question are focused on tourism promotion. In these countries we see atendency towards ignoring other aspects of branding. None of the analyzed countrieshave introduced the systematic management of their brands due to the fact that theprocess of brand development is obstructed by unresolved political issues or a failureof their politicians and ordinary citizens to understand the advantages of branding.Slovenia, according to the criteria used in this analysis, has adopted more efficientpractices than the other three countries covered in this paper but it is important tostress that Croatia ranks first when it comes to tourism branding. The paper suggeststhat the importance of country branding has not yet been fully appreciated in Croatia,Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia and that no integral branding conceptsare being used, despite sporadic attempts undertaken by the mentioned countries.
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