Poland is terrible at promoting itself – but has never had better press

Two recent events have exposed Poland's shortcomings in promoting itself on the global stage, while simultaneously highlighting an unprecedented surge in international media coverage of the country. Despite the state's attempts to boost Poland's image abroad, the efforts have frequently fallen short. Nonetheless, Poles remain highly attuned to how the world perceives their nation, with domestic media devoting considerable attention to foreign perspectives.

This hypersensitivity towards Poland's image is not surprising given the country's tumultuous history, having been subjugated by foreign powers for centuries before regaining independence in 1989.

Poland has become Europe's top economic growth story over the past three and a half decades. In a new series of articles and podcasts, Alicia Ptak examines the factors behind Poland's rapid economic development and potential future challenges. However, politicians are eager to capitalize on this positive sentiment by promoting Poland abroad. Yet, these promotional efforts are often poorly conceived and executed, as evidenced by two incidents this month.

The first incident involved a new advertising campaign launched by the sport and tourism ministry to attract visitors from Western Europe and the United States. The campaign featured high-profile figures like Polish football star Robert Lewandowski, supermodel Anja Rubik, and Hollywood filmmaker Jesse Eisenberg. However, the first video in the campaign, titled "Poland.

More than you expected," received widespread criticism in Poland. A survey by Res Futura, a social media sentiment monitoring organization, found that 85% of comments about the video were negative. The campaign's slogan, which claims Poland offers more than visitors expect, is seen as negative and lacking confidence. While it's true that visitors are often pleasantly surprised by Poland, launching a campaign based on the idea that potential tourists have low expectations is not an effective approach.

The video lacks a narrative and relies heavily on famous faces to convey Poland's appeal. Rubik does not speak any words, Eisenberg says only "Poland," and Lewandowski simply says "More than you expected." The absence of a storyline and the focus on Warsaw's Stalinist Palace of Science and Culture, which reinforces stereotypes of Poland as grey and dull, fails to showcase the country's vibrant culture and colorful locations.

Furthermore, the video fails to tell a compelling story about the lives of the stars, particularly Eisenberg, who has recently embraced his Polish heritage, produced a critically acclaimed film set in Poland, and recently obtained citizenship.

A few days after the Lewandowski video, another controversy erupted involving Barbara Mróz-Gorgoń, a recently appointed state official tasked with leading Poland's promotional efforts. It was later revealed that the report she authored on creating a national brand contained significant errors, questionable methodology, and an unusually high number of AI-generated sections.

While Mróz-Gorgoń insists the report is genuine, the content raises serious concerns about the quality of the work produced under her leadership. Instead of focusing on how other countries view Poland, the report primarily examines how Poles perceive their own nation. The title, "A Self-Portrait of the Poles," reflects this self-centered approach, as the report includes no research on external viewpoints.