This dissertation aims to examine the methods and theories created to guide the concept of nation reputation through the host of the 2012 Olympic Games. To further to explore the German people’s awareness of the UK after the 2012 Olympic Games and whether or not the Game has changed the perception by interviewing six sport and Olympic interested German people.
It is identified that German people already had an overall positive view of the United Kingdom. The opening ceremony has been the most watched part of the Games and the atmosphere combined the perception about the Britain's and the "Queen" and "James Bond" was the most associated attraction with the Olympic Games. The most relevant source to inform the German people was identified as Newspaper, Television and Social Media. Nevertheless, a glimpse expressed negative images of Britain.
The majority of the Interviewees were not able to identify whether the Olympic Games worked well. At least half of the interviewees expressed a general disagreement with a possible alternation of their perception of Britain due to positive media coverage during the 2012 London Olympic Games.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1 Study Rational
1.2 Research Aim
1.3 Research Objectives
1.4 Methodology Overview
1.5 Chapter overview
Chapter 2: Literature Review
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Government
2.3 Soft Power
2.4 Nation Branding
2.5 The Importance of the Media
2.6 The 2012 London Olympic Games
2.7 Concluding remarks
Chapter 3: Research Methodology and Methods
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Methodology
3.3 Methods
3.4 Data quality
3.5 Ethical Considerations
Chapter 4: Research results
4.1 Germans perception of Britain’s image
4.2 Governments influence to improve the countries image
4.3 Media sources informing German people’s image of Britain
4.4 Opening Ceremony
4.5 German people’s awareness of 2012 Olympic Games in London
4.6 Germans people’s perception of Britain’s as a welcoming destination
4.7 People’s perception after the 2012 London Olympic Games
Chapter 5: Conclusion
5.1 Conclusions
5.2 Limitations
5.3 Recommendation
6. References
7. Appendices
Research Objective & Core Themes
The primary aim of this dissertation is to critically evaluate whether the London 2012 Olympic Games has changed the perception of Britain among the German public, specifically regarding its image and its capability to stage international sports events.
- The intersection of mega-events and nation branding strategies.
- The role of mass media in shaping national reputation abroad.
- Evaluation of Britain's 'soft power' and 'smart power' strategies during the 2012 Games.
- Analysis of German perspectives on British infrastructure, security, and cultural image.
Excerpt from the Book
2.2 Government
Firstly, it is important to understand that governments have become dominant stakeholders as hosts of sports mega events (Mules and Faulkner, 1997; Mossberg, 2002; Grix and Lee, 2013), since the top levels of government are attracted to the representative qualities that governments have seen in the economic, social and urban changes within a city or region (Walters, 2011; Jennings, 2013). Governments hosting such mega events hope that the events will lead to a legacy and benefits for the nation as well as improvements in social and cultural profits, and community identity (Horne, 2007; Walters, 2011), and also the level of participation, meaning that the numbers “who can watch it and be part of it” should be maximised (Perryman, 2013, p. 19).
One question that needs to be asked, however, is whether the government gains or loses from hosting such a mega event. Much of the research up to now has been descriptive in nature, stating that it is not clear “who gains and who loses in organising major events such as the Olympic Games” (Jennings, 2013, p. 13). The government is the most important key stakeholder in mega sport events, which brings direct or indirect political support for the success of the events (Walters, 2011; Jennings, 2013). Political support is seen as complex, diverse and multib layered (Walters, 2011; Jennings, 2013; Merkel, 2014).
As Bowdin (2011), and Luscombe (2014) found, all levels of government (national, regional and local) use mega sport events as tools to train staff, develop networks and also to communicate with the public. Governments expect positive legacies, and events show opportunities for the government to influence projects that are of strategic importance, signalling their economic power, technological innovations or global status (Jennings, 2013).
Summary of Chapters
Chapter 1: Introduction: Outlines the research rational, the aim to evaluate Britain's reputation after 2012, and the foundational research objectives.
Chapter 2: Literature Review: Critically evaluates existing theories on nation branding, the event industry, soft power, and the specific case of London 2012.
Chapter 3: Research Methodology and Methods: Describes the qualitative, semi-structured interview approach used to gather primary data from sport-interested German participants.
Chapter 4: Research results: Analyses the primary research findings in comparison to secondary data, highlighting perceptions of British image, media influence, and the impact of the Opening Ceremony.
Chapter 5: Conclusion: Summarises the findings, noting that despite branding efforts, the Games did not fundamentally alter existing German perceptions of Britain.
Keywords
London 2012, Olympic Games, Nation Branding, Germany, British Image, Soft Power, Mega-events, Media, Public Perception, Qualitative Research, Sport Events, National Reputation, International Relations, Cultural Identity, Legacy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this research primarily about?
This research investigates whether the hosting of the London 2012 Olympic Games resulted in a tangible change in the German public's perception of the United Kingdom.
What are the central thematic fields?
The study focuses on the intersection of nation branding, the role of international mass media, the use of mega-events for political purposes, and the concept of soft power.
What is the primary research aim?
The aim is to critically evaluate if the London 2012 Olympic Games successfully altered the German perception of Britain's image and its capacity to host major events.
Which scientific methods are applied?
The author employs a qualitative approach, utilizing semi-structured interviews with six German individuals interested in sport, supported by an extensive review of existing academic literature.
What does the main body address?
The main body covers the theoretical background of nation branding, an analysis of the London 2012 strategies, and a detailed reporting of the interview results regarding media, the Opening Ceremony, and perceptions of Britain.
Which keywords characterize this work?
The work is defined by concepts such as Nation Branding, Mega-events, Soft Power, Public Perception, and International Media Influence.
How does the author define the relationship between government and mega-events?
The author identifies governments as dominant stakeholders who use such events as transformative instruments of public policy to signal economic power, technological innovation, and improve international status.
Did the research find that the London 2012 Games changed the participants' minds?
Overall, the findings suggest that the Games did not fundamentally change the participants' perception; rather, they largely confirmed previously held views, as pre-existing stereotypes proved difficult to shift.
What critique does the author provide regarding the Games' organization?
Participants highlighted issues such as the exclusion of wide areas of London from the marathon route and concerns regarding the high visibility of security and military hardware, which some perceived as intimidating rather than reassuring.
- Citation du texte
- Stefanie Stritt (Auteur), 2016, Has Hosting the London 2012 Olympic Games Changed the German Perception of Britain?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/911208
