Rebranding a Country

What does it take to rebrand an entire nation? Not just a logo or slogan—but the name itself. Gökhan Yücel helped lead the campaign to officially shift the international name from Turkey to Türkiye.  It’s a move that goes far beyond semantics—touching diplomacy, identity, and global perception. Gökhan pulls back the curtain on how such a monumental change has been communicated to the world and why it matters more than most of us think. But this conversation goes even deeper. From repositioning Türkiye as the “nexus of the world” instead of merely a bridge between East and West, to attracting the next generation of global investors, to reshaping the way governments confront disinformation and how strategic storytelling can reshape the image of an entire country. Listen For3:06 Renaming a country… where do you even start?6:53 How “country as brand” became a global strategy9:42 “Hype is the new narrative” 13:57 Branding Türkiye for audiences in the West16:33 From SEO to AEO — marketing in the AI era18:15 Answer to Last Episode’s Question from Guest Bill Welser IVGuest: Gökhan Yücel, Campaign Designer Hello Türkiye Country Rebranding CampaignEmail | X | LinkedIn Hello Türkiye Campaign (YouTube)Türkiye Century Campaign (Official Site) Stories and Strategies WebsiteCurzon Public Relations WebsiteApply to be a guest on the podcastConnect with usLinkedIn | X | Instagram | You Tube | Facebook | Threads | Bluesky | PinterestRequest a transcript of this episodeSend us a note about this episode. We'll reply and thank you on a future episodeSupport the show