Written by Chiaoning Su.
Image credit: 04.21 「2023 來去總統府住一晚」免費體驗活動報名正式啟動記者會 by 總統府 / Flickr, license: CC BY 2.0.
Considered a tool of public diplomacy, nation branding is defined as the “strategic self-presentation of a country with the aim of creating reputational capital through economic, political, and social interest promotion at home and abroad”. Traditionally, this practice has relied on a top-down approach, with political elites dominating the initiation, planning, and execution of nation branding campaigns. However, with the advent of new technologies, especially social media, public diplomacy has transitioned into the Web 2.0 era, enabling non-diplomatic actors to co-produce a nation’s image and play a significant role in public outreach.
The rise of social media influencers in nation branding
Governments have historically utilised celebrities for national branding, but the notion of “celebrity” is undergoing a significant transformation. The rise of social media influencers—digital content creators with substantial followings—has introduced a new wave of micro-celebrities. By partnering with brands and disseminating sponsored content, these influencers capitalise on their meticulously cultivated personas and online visibility, gaining both social capital and financial rewards. In fact, Forbes reported that over three-quarters of established brands now dedicate a portion of their budgets to influencer marketing, an industry valued at $16.4 billion in 2022.
In recent years, social media influencers have extended their reach beyond commercial ventures and into the political domain, amplifying sociopolitical issues. A prominent example occurred in 2022 in the United States, when officials from the National Security Council and White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki briefed 30 influential TikTok content creators on the evolving Russia-Ukraine conflict. This effort sought to communicate U.S. diplomatic strategies to younger audiences by leveraging digital megastars active on platforms favoured by youth.
Although social media influencers play an increasingly significant role in nation branding, their impact remains an underexplored area of study. van Driel and Dumitrica note that most social media influencers engage in a process of self-professionalisation, “appearing authentic while strategically engaging with their followers to remain attractive to advertisers” (p. 66). As these influencers are increasingly recruited to shape national brand narratives, the implications for national identity formation worldwide are moulded by the dynamics of marketplace forces and platform algorithms.
Forming the government-influencer partnership to promote Taiwan
For a nation like Taiwan, which relies heavily on strategic messaging to shape international discourse and influence policymaking, collaborating with social media influencers offers a new avenue to amplify its international visibility.
The “Spend a Night @ Taiwan’s Presidential Office Building” campaign, a soft power initiative coordinated by multiple governmental units, exemplifies a well-organised effort to promote Taiwan through strategic engagement with social media influencers. A close examination of the campaign logo reveals the Taiwanese government’s intentions for this program to enhance nation branding. Centred around the theme of a “door” in an open state, it conveys the concept of “welcome,” symbolising Taiwan’s friendly invitation to the world. The “window” element represents hope, signifying a pathway for free expression and global connection. The English logo incorporates elements of Taiwan’s retro style, adopting brushstrokes commonly used in early Taiwanese signage, allowing visitors to appreciate vintage Taiwanese design. Overall, the main visual reflects Taiwan’s warmth and approachable essence as a nation.
International influencers interested in an overnight stay at the Presidential Office were invited to submit video proposals outlining their motivation to visit Taiwan. In 2019, 10 groups from 11 countries were selected, while in the program’s latest iteration in 2023, 15 groups from 13 countries participated. Some of these influencers operate on a massive scale. For example, Nuseir Yassin and Alyne Tamir of Nas Daily command a Facebook following of 14 million and have previously collaborated with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to promote the city-state. Similarly, Canadian duo Mitchell Moffit and Gregory Brown, who host ASAP Science on YouTube, have nearly 11 million followers.
All participants produced Taiwan-focused content using their unique storytelling and branding strategies. Besides the beautiful landscape, local food, and warm hospitality, a recurring theme in their production is the Presidential Hall itself. As the Thai travel influencer Kanisorn Pringthongfoo told Al Jazeera, “It’s the first time in history that a government invites foreigners to stay at the most secure place in their country…It is impossible in some countries…and this can help Thai people understand the differences between Taiwan and China”. Opening the Presidential Hall to influencers should not be seen merely as a stunt to create social media traction; instead, it serves as a powerful reminder of the freedoms and openness that distinguish Taiwan from China’s more controlled environment.
Other influencers have also experienced the stark differences between Taiwan and China firsthand. Korean influencer Kim Ju Hyeok, for example, was driven to raise awareness about the complex geopolitical pressures Taiwan faces. In his work, he intentionally featured imagery such as President Tsai Ing-wen, the national flag, and military police, acknowledging that these elements might be sensitive to some viewers. Following the video’s release, Kim not only faced backlash from net users but also experienced the unilateral termination of his contract with a management agency that oversaw his accounts on Chinese video platforms. While this incident raised Kim’s concerns about Chinese surveillance of his digital activities on platforms like YouTube and Instagram, it also strengthened his resolve to highlight the shared history and personal connections between Taiwanese and Koreans.
Conclusion
The “Spend a Night @ Taiwan’s Presidential Office Building” campaign was a significant government-led initiative aimed at branding the nation through social media influencers. Given Taiwan’s openness and democratic values, influencers were granted a high degree of autonomy in how they presented their stories about Taiwan. While the content often focused on selected topics, it showcased Taiwan in a positive light through an authentic lens.
To elevate this effort, the Taiwanese government must address three key issues. First, how can the effectiveness of such initiatives be measured and amplified? It was unclear whether this campaign had established key performance indicators (KPIs) or what types of metrics were used for evaluation. Moreover, current best practices, as exemplified by the PESO model, emphasise the importance of integrating paid, earned, shared, and owned media to maximise impact. While some local media outlets covered the event, international media largely did not, raising questions about the campaign’s intended target audience. Was it aimed at internal audiences or outward promotion?
Secondly, how can the Taiwanese government engage more established foreign influencers residing in Taiwan and leverage their platforms to promote Taiwan in their home countries? For example, a YouTube channel led by a Frenchman named Ku (also known as Richard Camille), who now lives in Taiwan, has reached 1.93 million subscribers. Born and raised in southern France, Ku studied abroad in South Korea and completed an internship in Taiwan. After his studies, he returned to Taiwan, a country he had grown to love, and started his YouTube channel in 2018. In 2020, to celebrate reaching one million subscribers, Ku collaborated with both the Bureau Français de Taipei and the Taipei Representative Office in France to foster cultural exchange between the two nations. Using his platform and a one-million-Taiwan-dollar grant, Ku led a campaign to select and support one individual from each nation to “complete their dreams” in the partner country. Such bottom-up partnerships and people-to-people diplomacy can serve as effective models for strengthening international engagement and cultural connections.
Finally, with Beijing continuing to erode Taiwan’s international space, how can the Taiwanese government engage and involve more international content creators to tell Taiwan’s stories? This might require a dual approach: on the one hand, partnering with a select few mega influencers to generate media attention and efficiently raise awareness, while on the other hand, collaborating with numerous nano influencers on a regular basis to ensure Taiwan’s stories are continuously shared and heard across diverse audiences. By adopting this strategy, Taiwan can maintain a consistent presence on the global stage and amplify its narrative.
The burgeoning partnership between governments and influencers represents a new area of exploration, as the strategic authenticity of influencer culture intersects with a nation’s branding agenda, all within a space heavily influenced by consumerism and algorithmic dynamics. As Taiwan actively pursues this approach for strategic messaging aimed at an international audience, additional issues such as geopolitics and censorship must be carefully considered. Navigating these challenges will be crucial for ensuring that Taiwan’s stories are communicated effectively and resonate globally.
This article was published as part of a special issue on ‘Media Dynamics Across the Strait’.
Taiwan Insight 