Stereotype: A fixed, commonly held notion or image of a person or group, based on an oversimplification of some observed or imagined trait of behaviour

or appearance.

http://www.sporcle.com/games/cysion/countries_by_stereotype Stereotypes are as old as human culture itself. They reflect ideas that groups of people hold about others who are different from them. A stereotype can be embedded in single word or phrase (such as, "jock" or "nerd"), an image, or a combination of words and images. The image evoked is easily recognized and understood by others who share the same views. Stereotypes can be either positive ("black men are good at basketball") or negative ("women are bad drivers"). But most stereotypes tend to make us feel superior in some way to the person or group being stereotyped. Stereotypes ignore the uniqueness of individuals by painting all members of a group with the same brush. Stereotypes can appear in the media because of the biases of writers, directors, producers, reporters and editors. But stereotypes can also be useful to the media because they provide a quick identity for a person or group that is easily recognized by an audience. When deadlines loom, it's sometimes faster and easier to use a stereotype to characterize a person or situation, than it is to provide a more complex explanation.

Nation Branding
The images we have about a country impact a lot on how we view it as a tourism destination, a place to invest in, and a place from which to buy the brands we so love. In todays globalised marketplace the battle for tourism, exports, and inward investment is intensifying as brands have become more and more the vehicles for communicating national identities. Countries all over the world are shaping and re-shaping their national identities as they compete with neighbors, regional blocks for power, influence and prestige. Clarifying what a country brand is, this paper argues that for developing countries that want rapid and sustainable development, there is a compelling rationale for the adoption of country branding strategy to direct the full range of political, economic, cultural and social development.
http://nation-branding.info/2010/02/17/what-is-nation-branding-brand-ghana-ceo-writes/ http://nation-branding.info/2010/03/24/how-do-you-build-a-country-brand/

How do you think people see Brazil abroad?

Body-centric; party animals; impulsive; incestuous; megalomaniac; most women are super-models, most men are gay or machos; always late; carnivals addicts; soccer and coffee lovers; criminals and robbers; lazy/manana attitude; bean and meat eaters; beach and sun-worshipers; bikini (called: dental floss here) inventors; active; inventive and constructive people; always trying to outwit government and regulations; impossibly favor-oriented; familyand community-oriented http://www.nomad4ever.com/2007/11/26/55-nations-stereotypes-that-will-ruin-or-make-your-day/

Create a new brand for Brazil.

BRAZIL Beyond Soccer As a major emerging economy and the host of the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics, Brazil is keen to present the country as more than about soccer, samba, and carnivals. Pavilion Director Pedro Wendler discusses the countrys positioning and communication at Shanghai Expo.

http://nation-branding.info/2010/10/23/how-countries-introduce-themselves-atthe-shanghai-expo/