Diplomacy and nation branding of the Czech Republic in Italy: Czech food products

This thesis examines the application of Czech nation branding in Italy, with food products used as a tool of nation branding. It analyses the institutional learning and strategies of Czech national institutions, both domestic and abroad, from 2019 to 2024 that influence the application of Czech nation branding in Italy through food products. The thesis is a qualitative analysis of Czech nation branding in Italy in the context of food products presentation. Primary and secondary literature are used for the theoretical and empirical parts of the analysis. For practical part, interviews were conducted with important representatives of Czech national institutions both in Italy and in Prague. This thesis concludes that there are significant barriers limiting the application of Czech nation branding in Italy, such as underfinancing and low capacities of Czech institutions in Italy, including a lack of unified coordination among them. Additional barriers arise in the area of food products, since Italy's strong culinary identity reduces the potential of foreign food products, including Czech food products to contribute meaningfully to Czech nation branding. Based on these findings, the hypothesis is rejected. This thesis addresses the research question "Why is the state of Czech Nation branding of food...