Anholt-GfK Roper Nation Brands IndexSM: 2016 report for Scotland
2016 findings of the Anholt-GfK Roper Nation Brands IndexSM (NBI) on Scotland’s international reputation.
5. Scotland's six dimensions of reputation
Introduction
5.1 The Anholt-GfK Roper Nation Brands Index SM explores a country's image by examining six dimensions of national competence, all of which are weighted equally and together make up the NBI SM score. These dimensions comprise:
- Exports: perceptions of products and services from each country; their view of a country's contribution to innovation in science and technology, and the degree to which a country is recognised as a creative place.
- Governance: perceptions of a country's government competency and fairness, as well as its perceived commitment to global issues such as peace, poverty and the environment.
- Culture: perceptions of a country's cultural heritage; appreciation of its contemporary culture and perceptions of its sporting excellence.
- People: a country's reputation for employability; how open and welcoming its people are perceived to be; appeal of the people on a personal level.
- Tourism: the level of interest in visiting a country and the draw of its natural beauty, historic built environment and city attractions.
- Immigration and Investment: a country's appeal as a place to live, work, invest or study, how people perceive a country's economic and social situation.
5.2 Figure 5.1 displays Scotland's 2014 and 2016 performance across the six primary dimensions, with each vertex representing one of the six dimensions. As can be seen, there is little to no difference in terms of score on each dimension between 2014 and 2016.
5.3 Overall, Scotland has a strong and fairly balanced image, rated as a Top 20 country on five of the six dimensions of reputation, which is comparable to the 2014 results. Countries with a similar image profile to Scotland include Austria, New Zealand and Denmark.
Figure 5.1: NBI SM Scotland's performance across the six dimensions of reputation (score) 2014 - 2016
5.4 In terms of rank, there have been a number of changes, which must be understood as relative to the sampled countries rather than absolute changes in how Scotland is perceived. Scotland's rank was higher in 2016 than 2014 on four of the six dimensions (Exports, Governance, People and Culture), while maintaining on the other two dimensions (Tourism and Immigration-Investment). Scotland's most positive dimensions in 2016 were Governance and Tourism, both of which placed 12 th out of the 50 countries, while Scotland's least positive dimensions were Immigration and Investment (17 th), which was stable from 2014, and Exports (21 st) which was one place lower than in 2014.
5.5 As Figure 5.2 illustrates, there was little to no difference in average scores given by the different geographic regions of the world. The Middle East/Africa scored Scotland highest overall (63.6 per cent), followed by North America (63.2 per cent). The region which scored Scotland the lowest was Central and Eastern Europe (60.4 per cent).
5.6 There was no difference between how panel EU [9] and panel non- EU countries scored Scotland overall and for each dimension. The UK scored Scotland higher than Scotland scored itself on four of six dimensions (Governance, Culture, People and Tourism), while Scotland scored itself the highest for Exports (63.7 per cent) and Immigration and Investment (66.6 per cent).
Figure 5.2: NBI SM Scotland's six dimensions of reputation by geographic region 2016
5.7 Older individuals tended to have a more positive view of Scotland than younger individuals, with those 45 years and older having the most positive image of Scotland across all six dimensions. Those who had visited Scotland gave the highest scores, ranking Scotland 12 th overall, in comparison to those who had not visited, ranking Scotland 15 th.
5.8 The following section investigates each of the six dimensions, with three tables relating to each dimension. In each table, the rank and score is given for that dimension overall. Scores are presented as a score out of 100, calculated as an average of the scores given for the underlying attributes. However, for each of the attributes, the score is given as a value between zero and seven where zero is the lowest (worst) value possible, and seven the highest (best) value possible.
Exports
5.9 The Exports dimension aims to provide a sense of the economic strength and potential of a country, by asking three questions on a country's contribution to science and technology, products and services, and being a creative place with cutting-edge ideas and new ways of thinking.
5.10 Scotland's overall score and ranking for Exports increased between 2014 and 2016 by 1.2 per cent and one rank. Scores for attributes are based on a scale from 1 to 7 (where 1 is low and 7 high). The score remained stable for contribution to innovation and science, while the score increased for the attributes of products and services and Scotland as a creative place (see Table 5.1).
5.11 Scotland is ranked relatively high for its products and services (18 th), indicating that consumers abroad value the quality of Scottish produce. However, Scotland's contribution to innovation in science and technology, and its creativity, are ranked outside the Top 20. This score does not reflect a negative view of these factors but rather a 'don't know/neutral' response, suggesting that the respondents did not recognise Scotland for these Export attributes when thinking about its reputation.
Table 5.1: NBI SM Scotland's reputation for exports 2014 and 2016
| 2014 | 2016 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Score | Rank | Score | |
| Exports (Average) | 22 | 55.9 | 21 | 57 |
| Contribution to innovation and science | 24 | 4.2 | 24 | 4.2 |
| Products and services | 18 | 4.4 | 18 | 4.5 |
| Country as a creative place | 21 | 4.4 | 20 | 4.5 |
5.12 There was little to no variation across age groups in terms of the three attributes of Exports (see Table 5.2), apart from those 45 years and older consistently ranking Scotland higher across all three attributes of Exports compared with those in younger age groups.
Table 5.2: NBI SM Scotland's reputation for exports by age 2016
| Age | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 - 29 | 30 - 44 | 45 + | Average | |
| Exports (Average) | 57 (21) | 56.7 (22) | 57.4 (16) | 57 (21) |
| Contribution to innovation and science | 4.2 (24) | 4.2 (24) | 4.3 (21) | 4.2 (24) |
| Products and services | 4.5 (19) | 4.5 (18) | 4.5 (14) | 4.5 (17) |
| Country as a creative place | 4.5 (21) | 4.4 (22) | 4.5 (17) | 4.5 (20) |
| Average | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 |
5.13 Business/executives consistently scored Scotland higher for Exports across all export attributes. However, participants in this group tended to give countries higher scores overall compared to those in other occupations. As a result, in terms of rank, business/executives ranked Scotland lower than those in other occupations (see Table 5.3).
5.14 Those who had visited Scotland scored Scotland almost 10 points higher for exports than those who had not, and scored Scotland higher on each Export attribute. However, people who have visited a country consistently gave the visited country higher scores overall.
5.15 The same pattern holds for those who had visited a Scottish website. Participants who had visited a Scottish website consistently scored Scotland higher for Exports, and for each attribute of Exports, than those who had not. However, in terms of rank there was little difference between groups.
Table 5.3: NBI SM How Scotland's exports are viewed: occupation & tourism 2016
| Occupation | Business/Executive | Other |
|---|---|---|
| Contribution to innovation and science | 4.4 (24) | 4.2 (23) |
| Products and services | 4.7 (17) | 4.4 (16) |
| Country as a creative place | 4.6 (21) | 4.4 (20) |
| Average | 59.6 (22) | 56 (21) |
| Visited Scotland | Yes | No |
| Contribution to innovation and science | 4.8 (23) | 4.1 (23) |
| Products and services | 5.1 (16) | 4.4 (17) |
| Country as a creative place | 4.9 (21) | 4.4 (20) |
| Average | 65.9 (19) | 55.7 (21) |
| Visited a Scottish website | Yes | No |
| Contribution to innovation and science | 4.7 (24) | 4.1 (23) |
| Products and services | 5 (17) | 4.4 (17) |
| Country as a creative place | 5 (21) | 4.4 (20) |
| Average | 64.8 (22) | 55.3 (21) |
5.16 Participants were asked to select one or more words that best describe Scotland's products and services (from a choice of ten). The most popular words were:
- Agriculture (23 per cent)
- Food (15 per cent)
- Crafts (14 per cent).
The least popular words were Automotive, Film and television, and Oil (6 per cent each).
Governance
5.17 The Governance dimension aims to explore perceptions of how a country is governed domestically, including whether the government is competent, honest and fair to its citizens, and how it acts internationally through its contribution to global policy issues such as poverty, environmental protection, and international peace.
5.18 Governance continues to be perceived as one of Scotland's strongest national competencies, (ranked as 12 th across all countries in the Index, along with Tourism). Perceptions of Governance improved Scotland's rank between 2014 and 2016, although the score showed little change (see Table 5.4). This is because rank is responsive to changes in the sample of evaluated countries while absolute score is not. Countries which scored higher than Scotland were, in the main, high income democracies, mostly in Western Europe.
Table 5.4: NBI SM Scotland's reputation for governance 2014 and 2016
| 2014 | 2016 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Score | Rank | Score | |
| Governance (Average) | 14 | 62.2 | 12 | 62.4 |
| Competent and honest | 15 | 4.7 | 12 | 4.7 |
| Fair and respectful of citizens' rights | 14 | 5 | 12 | 5 |
| International peace and security | 14 | 4.8 | 10 | 4.8 |
| Environmental protection | 14 | 4.7 | 10 | 4.8 |
| Efforts to reduce global poverty | 16 | 4.4 | 14 | 4.4 |
5.19 Scotland has maintained its reputation as being competently and honestly governed, with all of the NBI SM attributes within Governance ranked within the Top 15 countries, and two within the Top 10. The highest score in 2016, as in 2014, was in relation to Scotland's fairness and respect of citizens' rights.
5.20 The countries which gave Scotland the highest rankings for Governance overall were Scotland itself and the United Kingdom (both ranking Scotland 4 th). The countries which gave Scotland the lowest rankings for Governance included South Korea (18 th), Egypt and Japan (17 th), and China (16 th).
5.21 Those participants between the ages of 30 and 44 scored Scotland higher than those in the 18-29 age group for every attribute of Governance, while those 45 years and older scored Scotland higher for every attribute than those in the 30-44 age group. Thus, the older people were, the more positive their view of Scotland's Governance tended to be (see Table 5.5).
Table 5.5: NBI SM Scotland's reputation for governance by age 2016
| Age | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 - 29 | 30 - 44 | 45 + | Average | |
| Governance (Average) | 60 (13) | 61 (13) | 65.2 (11) | 62.4 (12) |
| Competent and honest | 4.6 (14) | 4.7 (14) | 4.9 (10) | 4.7 (12) |
| Fair and respectful of citizens' rights | 4.8 (14) | 4.9 (13) | 5.2 (10) | 4.9 (12) |
| International peace and security | 4.6 (12) | 4.7 (11) | 5 (9) | 4.8 (10) |
| Environmental protection | 4.6 (12) | 4.7 (11) | 4.9 (10) | 4.7 (10) |
| Efforts to reduce global poverty | 4.3 (17) | 4.3 (15) | 4.5 (13) | 4.4 (14) |
| Average | 4.6 | 4.7 | 4.9 | 4.7 |
5.22 Those whose occupation was business/executive ranked Governance lower than those in other occupations. However, participants in the business/executive group gave higher scores for all Governance attributes than those in other occupations (See Table 5.6).
5.23 People who had visited Scotland scored Scotland higher on all attributes of Governance, and gave Scotland a better rank for International Peace and Security than those that had not visited Scotland. The same pattern holds for those who had visited a Scottish website, who gave higher scores for all attributes of Governance and scored Scotland higher for Governance overall than those who had not visited a Scottish website. Those who had visited a Scottish website also ranked Scotland higher than those who had not.
Table 5.6: NBI SM How Scottish governance is viewed: occupation and tourism 2016
| Occupation | Business/Executives | Other |
|---|---|---|
| Competent and honest | 4.9 (13) | 4.7 (12) |
| Fair and respectful of citizens' rights | 5.1 (14) | 4.9 (12) |
| International peace and security | 4.9 (12) | 4.8 (8) |
| Environmental protection | 4.9 (11) | 4.7 (10) |
| Efforts to reduce global poverty | 4.5 (15) | 4.3 (14) |
| Average | 64.4 (13) | 61.6 (11) |
| Visited Scotland | Yes | No |
| Competent and honest | 5.2 (11) | 4.7 (11) |
| Fair and respectful of citizens' rights | 5.4 (11) | 4.9 (11) |
| International peace and security | 5.3 (6) | 4.7 (10) |
| Environmental protection | 5.1 (9) | 4.7 (10) |
| Efforts to reduce global poverty | 4.7 (12) | 4.3 (12) |
| Average | 69.5 (11) | 61.2 (11) |
| Visited a Scottish website | Yes | No |
| Competent and honest | 5.1 (11) | 4.6 (12) |
| Fair and respectful of citizens' rights | 5.3 (11) | 4.9 (11) |
| International peace and security | 5.2 (10) | 4.8 (10) |
| Environmental protection | 5.1 (11) | 4.6 (10) |
| Efforts to reduce global poverty | 4.8 (12) | 4.3 (14) |
| Average | 68.4 (10) | 61 (12) |
5.24 Participants were asked to select one word, from a choice of eight, that they felt best described the Government of Scotland. The most popular words were:
- Reliable (21 per cent)
- Trustworthy (21 per cent)
- Reassuring (12 per cent).
The least popular words were Unstable, Dangerous, and Corrupt (3 per cent each).
Culture
5.25 The Culture dimension measures three elements of a country's cultural reputation: cultural history and heritage, contemporary culture and sporting excellence.
5.26 Table 5.7 shows that Scotland's rank for Culture was higher in 2016 (16 th) than in 2014 (19 th), along with an increase in score of one point. While the score has only slightly improved between 2014 and 2016, Scotland's ranking for excellence in sports is much higher in 2016 than it was in 2014. The United Kingdom ranked Scotland higher (12 th) than Scotland ranked itself (15 th) for sporting excellence.
5.27 Scotland's rank for contemporary culture was also higher in 2016 than in 2014, increasing by three places, along with a slight increase in score. While Scotland ranked itself 8 th for culture, the United Kingdom ranked Scotland 6 th. Australia, Italy, Germany, South Africa, Canada, France, Poland, Sweden and the United States all ranked Scotland in the Top 15 nations.
Table 5.7: NBI SM Scotland's reputation for culture 2014 and 2016
| 2014 | 2016 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Score | Rank | Score | |
| Culture (Average) | 19 | 59.1 | 16 | 60.1 |
| Excellence at sports | 28 | 4.1 | 23 | 4.2 |
| Cultural heritage | 11 | 5.0 | 12 | 5.0 |
| Contemporary culture | 16 | 4.5 | 13 | 4.6 |
5.28 Table 5.8 shows that those in older age groups consistently scored Scotland higher along every attribute of culture than younger age groups. Those aged 45 years and older placed Scotland within the Top 15 nations for contemporary culture, and in the Top 10 for cultural heritage.
Table 5.8: NBI SM Scotland's reputation for culture by age 2016
| Age | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 - 29 | 30 - 44 | 45 + | Average | |
| Culture (Average) | 58.6 (20) | 59.8 (17) | 61.4 (14) | 60 (16) |
| Excellence at sports | 4.1 (27) | 4.2 (24) | 4.2 (21) | 4.2 (23) |
| Cultural heritage | 4.8 (13) | 5 (12) | 5.2 (10) | 5 (12) |
| Contemporary culture | 4.5 (20) | 4.5 (17) | 4.6 (11) | 4.5 (13) |
| Average | 4.5 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 4.6 |
5.29 Those whose occupation was business/executive ranked Culture in Scotland higher than those in other occupations. Business/executives consistently gave higher scores for all attributes of culture, though this group tended to give higher scores to all nations. Those who had visited Scotland gave Scotland a higher score for all attributes of Culture than those who had not.
5.30 The same pattern for those who had visited Scotland holds for those who had visited a Scottish website, who gave higher scores for all attributes of Culture and scored Scotland higher for culture overall than those who had not visited a Scottish website. Even though the overall score for culture by those who had visited a Scottish website was higher (over 8 per cent), the rank was lower (18 th compared to 16 th for those who have not visited a Scottish website).
Table 5.9: NBI SM How Scottish culture is viewed: occupation and tourism 2016
| Occupation | Business/Executives | Other |
|---|---|---|
| Excellence at sports | 4.3 (24) | 4.1 (23) |
| Cultural heritage | 5.1 (12) | 5 (11) |
| Contemporary culture | 4.7 (14) | 4.5 (12) |
| Average | 61.9 (16) | 59.3 (16) |
| Visited Scotland | Yes | No |
| Excellence at sports | 4.5 (30) | 4.1 (23) |
| Cultural heritage | 5.5 (10) | 5 (11) |
| Contemporary culture | 5 (14) | 4.5 (12) |
| Average | 66.5 (16) | 59 (16) |
| Visited a Scottish website | Yes | No |
| Excellence at sports | 4.5 (27) | 4.1 (23) |
| Cultural heritage | 5.4 (13) | 5 (11) |
| Contemporary culture | 5 (13) | 4.4 (12) |
| Average | 66.9 (18) | 58.6 (16) |
5.31 Asked which words respondents most associated with Scotland in relation to cultural activities or products (from a choice of ten) the most popular were:
- Museums (27 per cent)
- Music (20 per cent)
- Sports (17 per cent).
Circus (7 per cent) was the least popular term.
People
5.32 The People dimension explores participants' perceptions of how welcoming, friendly, and employable people from Scotland are.
5.33 Scotland continues to be highly regarded for its people, featuring overall in the Top 15 countries, and with each attribute featuring in the Top 20 countries. This dimension saw a rank increase from 2014, although there was also a slight decrease in score. The overall picture remains stable, with this dimension continuing to be Scotland's third strongest reputational feature. See Table 5.10.
Table 5.10: NBI SM Scotland's reputation for its people 2014-2016
| 2014 | 2016 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Score | Rank | Score | |
| People (Average) | 15 | 65.1 | 14 | 65 |
| Make you feel welcome | 9 | 4.9 | 9 | 4.8 |
| Friendly | 13 | 4.9 | 13 | 4.9 |
| Valuable employees | 18 | 4.9 | 17 | 4.9 |
5.34 Scotland's people are perceived similarly to other small, high income, Western European democracies on the index. The countries which ranked the Scottish people the highest were the United Kingdom and Scotland (4 th), Australia (5 th), the United States (6 th), and Sweden (7 th). The countries which ranked Scotland the lowest on this dimension include Egypt (31 st), Argentina (25 th), Japan and Turkey (22 nd).
5.35 Considering score, the United Kingdom (5.3) and Germany (5.3) rated the welcoming trait of Scotland's people higher than Scotland rated itself (5.2). The United Kingdom also viewed the Scottish people as more employable than the Scottish viewed themselves, ranking Scotland 2 nd in the world, only behind itself.
5.36 As with perceptions of Exports, Governance and Culture, participants in older age groups tended to score Scotland higher in relation to all three attributes of its People than did those in younger age groups (Table 5.11).
Table 5.11: NBI SM Scotland's reputation for people by age 2016
| Age | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 - 29 | 30 - 44 | 45 + | Average | |
| People (Average) | 63.4 (16) | 63.9 (15) | 67.5 (10) | 65 (14) |
| Make you feel welcome | 4.7 (16) | 4.7 (12) | 5 (7) | 4.8 (9) |
| Friendly | 4.8 (15) | 4.8 (13) | 5 (7) | 4.9 (13) |
| Valuable employees | 4.8 (21) | 4.9 (17) | 5.1 (12) | 4.9 (16) |
| Average | 4.8 | 4.8 | 5 | 4.9 |
5.37 As for dimensions reported previously, those participants whose occupation was business/executive tended to rank the Scottish People higher than did those in other occupations. Business/executives consistently gave higher scores for all attributes of People, though this group tended to give higher scores to all countries.
5.38 Those participants who had visited Scotland ranked the Scottish people 6 th in the world overall. However, there was a difference between those who had visited Scotland and those who had not. The former group gave Scotland's People a score of 73 and a rank of 6 th, while those who had not visited, gave Scotland a score of 64 and a rank of 15 th. The same pattern held for those who had, and had not, visited a Scottish website (see Table 5.12).
Table 5.12: NBI SM How Scottish people are viewed: occupation and tourism 2016
| Occupation | Business/Executives | Other |
|---|---|---|
| Make you feel welcome | 4.9 (10) | 4.8 (9) |
| Friendly | 5 (12) | 4.8 (13) |
| Valuable employee | 5.1 (15) | 4.9 (15) |
| Average | 67.1 (15) | 64.4 (14) |
| Visited Scotland | Yes | No |
| Make you feel welcome | 5.4 (6) | 4.8 (10) |
| Friendly | 5.3 (10) | 4.8 (13) |
| Valuable employee | 5.4 (8) | 4.9 (15) |
| Average | 73 (6) | 64 (15) |
| Visited a Scottish website | Yes | No |
| Make you feel welcome | 5.2 (10) | 4.8 (9) |
| Friendly | 5.4 (7) | 4.8 (13) |
| Valuable employee | 5.4 (11) | 4.8 (17) |
| Average | 72.5 (9) | 63.5 (14) |
5.39 Asked to select one or more words from a choice of ten that respondents felt best described the Scottish People, the most popular words were:
- Hard-working (28 per cent)
- Honest (23 per cent)
- Skilful (21 per cent)
- Fun (17 per cent)
- Tolerant (15 per cent).
The least popular words were Ignorant, Lazy, and Aggressive (4 per cent each).
Tourism
5.40 The Tourism dimension focuses on participants' perception of a country's attractiveness as a tourist destination. It explores people's willingness to visit Scotland should money be no object, their opinion about Scotland's natural beauty as well as its historic buildings and monuments, and whether they perceive Scotland's cities to be vibrant.
5.41 Tourism remains one of Scotland's key perceived strengths, ranking 12 th alongside Governance in 2016. Scotland's score for Tourism increased slightly in 2016. Natural beauty continues to be perceived as Scotland's strongest characteristic, followed by Scotland's historic heritage.
Table 5.13: NBI SM Scotland's reputation for tourism 2014-2016
| 2014 | 2016 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Score | Rank | Score | |
| Tourism (Average) | 12 | 68.6 | 12 | 68.7 |
| Would visit if money were no object | 13 | 5.3 | 13 | 5.2 |
| Natural beauty | 7 | 5.4 | 6 | 5.3 |
| Historic buildings and monuments | 12 | 5.0 | 12 | 5 |
| Vibrant cities and urban attractions | 22 | 4.8 | 20 | 4.8 |
5.42 On a country level, the United Kingdom ranked Scotland 2 nd for Tourism only after itself. Scotland ranked itself 3 rd, after the United Kingdom (1 st) and Italy (2 nd). Other countries which ranked Scotland in the Top 10 for Tourism include Sweden (6 th), Australia (8 th), France, Germany and Italy (9 th), and Canada (10 th).
5.43 People who have visited Scotland ranked Scotland slightly lower (7 th) in terms of natural beauty compared to those who have not visited Scotland (6 th).
5.44 As in relation to other dimensions, there was a notable difference between age groups regarding their perception of Scotland. Those aged 45 years and older ranked and scored Scotland higher overall than younger age groups, and this was consistent for all attributes of Tourism (Table 5.14).
Table 5.14: NBI SM Scotland's reputation for tourism by age 2016
| Age | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 - 29 | 30 - 44 | 45 + | Average | |
| Tourism (Average) | 66 (17) | 67.9 (14) | 71.3 (9) | 68.7 (12) |
| Would visit if money was no object | 5.1 (15) | 5.2 (14) | 5.4 (10) | 5.2 (13) |
| Natural beauty | 5.1 (9) | 5.3 (9) | 5.6 (6) | 5.3 (6) |
| Historic buildings and monuments | 4.8 (13) | 5 (12) | 5.2 (12) | 5 (12) |
| Vibrant cities and urban attractions | 4.7 (26) | 4.8 (23) | 4.9 (16) | 4.8 (21) |
5.45 Those whose occupation was business/executive tended to score the attractiveness of Scotland as a tourist destination higher than those in other occupations. Business/executives consistently gave higher scores for all attributes of Tourism, though this group tended to give higher scores to all countries.
5.46 Those who had visited Scotland also gave Scotland a higher score for all attributes of Tourism than those who had not. The same pattern holds for those who had visited a Scottish website, who gave higher scores for all attributes of Tourism and scored Scotland far higher overall than those who had not (Table 5.15).
Table 5.15: NBI SM How the world views Scottish tourism by occupation & tourism 2016
| Occupation | Business/Executives | Other |
|---|---|---|
| Would visit if money were no object | 5.5 (13) | 5.2 (13) |
| Natural beauty | 5.4 (7) | 5.3 (6) |
| Historic buildings and monuments | 5.2 (12) | 5 (12) |
| Vibrant cities and urban attractions | 4.9 (21) | 4.7 (19) |
| Average | 70.9 (12) | 67.8 (12) |
| Visited Scotland | Yes | No |
| Would visit if money were no object | 5.7 (8) | 5.2 (12) |
| Natural beauty | 5.7 (7) | 5.3 (6) |
| Historic buildings and monuments | 5.5 (10) | 5 (12) |
| Vibrant cities and urban attractions | 5.2 (18) | 4.7 (22) |
| Average | 75.6 (11) | 67.6 (12) |
| Visited a Scottish website | Yes | No |
| Would visit if money were no object | 5.8 (11) | 5.1 (13) |
| Natural beauty | 5.7 (9) | 5.3 (6) |
| Historic buildings and monuments | 5.5 (13) | 4.9 (12) |
| Vibrant cities and urban attractions | 5.2 (25) | 4.7 (20) |
| Average | 76 (11) | 67 (12) |
5.47 Respondents were asked to select one or more words from a choice of ten that respondents felt best described the experience of visiting Scotland. The most commonly selected words were:
- Fascinating (29 per cent)
- Exciting (24 per cent)
- Educational (22 per cent)
- Relaxing (21 per cent).
The least popular word was Depressing (3 per cent).
Immigration and investment
5.48 The immigration and investment dimension explores whether participants perceive a country to be a good place to live, work, study, and invest in.
5.49 Scotland's score for immigration and investment has not experienced a meaningful change since 2014, changing by 0.3 percentage points. Scotland's rank remained stable at 17 th. Across the five attributes, there was no noticeable score increase between 2014 and 2016.
Table 5.16: NBI SM Scotland's reputation for immigration and investment 2014-2016
| 2014 | 2016 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Score | Rank | Score | |
| Immigration and investment (Average) | 17 | 59.9 | 17 | 60.2 |
| Willingness to live and work | 13 | 4.5 | 14 | 4.4 |
| Quality of life | 17 | 4.9 | 16 | 4.9 |
| Educational qualifications | 15 | 4.6 | 15 | 4.6 |
| Business to invest in | 19 | 4.2 | 18 | 4.2 |
| Equal opportunity | 15 | 4.7 | 13 | 4.7 |
5.50 Scotland's reputation for immigration and investment is perceived similarly to other small, high income, liberal Western European democracies on the index. The countries which gave Scotland the highest rankings were Scotland itself (3 rd) and the United Kingdom (which ranked Scotland 4 th).
5.51 Table 5.17 shows that the age pattern for Immigration and Investment shows the same pattern as other dimensions, with those in older age categories scoring Scotland higher than those in lower age categories. However, the relationship between score and age was weaker for Immigration and Investment in comparison to other dimensions.
Table 5.17: NBI SM Scotland's reputation for immigration and investment by age 2016
| Age | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 - 29 | 30 - 44 | 45 + | Average | |
| Immigration and investment (Average) | 59.6 (18) | 59.7 (17) | 60.8 (13) | 60.2 (17) |
| Willingness to live and work | 4.4 (15) | 4.4 (15) | 4.4 (11) | 4.4 (14) |
| Quality of life | 4.8 (17) | 4.9 (16) | 5 (16) | 4.9 (16) |
| Educational qualifications | 4.6 (18) | 4.7 (17) | 4.7 (14) | 4.6 (14) |
| Business to invest in | 4.3 (21) | 4.2 (19) | 4.1 (15) | 4.2 (18) |
| Equal opportunity | 4.6 (16) | 4.6 (13) | 4.9 (11) | 4.7 (13) |
5.52 As with dimensions reported above, those participants whose occupation was business/executive tended to rank Immigration and Investment in Scotland higher than those in other occupations. Business/executives consistently gave higher scores for all attributes of Immigration and Investment, though this group tended to give higher scores to all countries. Those who had visited Scotland gave Scotland a higher score for all attributes of Immigration and Investment. Those who had visited a Scottish website also gave higher scores for all attributes of Immigration and Investment than those who had not. See Table 5.18.
Table 5.18: NBI SM How the world views immigration and investment in Scotland by occupation & tourism 2016
| Occupation | Business/Executives | Other |
|---|---|---|
| Willingness to live and work | 4.6 (14) | 4.3 (14) |
| Quality of life | 5.1 (16) | 4.9 (16) |
| Educational qualifications | 4.8 (14) | 4.6 (14) |
| Business to invest in | 4.4 (18) | 4.1 (18) |
| Equal opportunity | 4.9 (12) | 4.6 (13) |
| Average | 62.9 (16) | 59 (16) |
| Visited Scotland | Yes | No |
| Willingness to live and work | 5.1 (10) | 4.3 (14) |
| Quality of life | 5.3 (15) | 4.9 (16) |
| Educational qualifications | 5.2 (9) | 4.6 (16) |
| Business to invest in | 4.6 (29) | 4.1 (18) |
| Equal opportunity | 5.2 (10) | 4.6 (12) |
| Average | 68.4 (10) | 58.7 (16) |
| Visited a Scottish website | Yes | No |
| Willingness to live and work | 5.2 (13) | 4.3 (14) |
| Quality of life | 5.4 (15) | 4.8 (16) |
| Educational qualifications | 5.2 (18) | 4.5 (14) |
| Business to invest in | 4.9 (19) | 4 (18) |
| Equal opportunity | 5.2 (11) | 4.6 (13) |
| Average | 69.5 (16) | 58 (16) |
5.53 For the immigration and investment dimension, respondents were asked to choose one word that they felt best describes Scotland's current economic and business conditions from a choice of eight words. The most popular were:
- Modern (20 per cent)
- Forward thinking (14 per cent)
- Developing (13 per cent)
- Ambitious (11 per cent).
The least popular word was Backward (2 per cent).
Contact
Email: Angela Hallam
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