A nation brand is a nation’s identity that has been proactively distilled, interpreted, internalized and projected for international recognition and to construct a favourable national image. A country brand strategy therefore is a plan for defining the most realistic, most competitive and most compelling strategic vision for the country.

The public policy advocate's occupation, as it currently stands, does not meet all the requirements of a profession. According to the Oxford English Dictionary a profession is: the occupation which one professes to be skilled in and to follow (a) a vocation in which a professed knowledge of some department of learning or science is used in its application to the affairs of others, or in the practice of an art found upon it. (b) in a wider sense: any calling or occupation by which a person habitually earns.

There are characteristics that are common to all professions:

The training and experience needed to succeed in the field of public policy advocacy or government relations has changed considerably. A thorough knowledge of government and the political process has always been necessary, but executives also must understand business operations. They must know how their activities in communications, corporate citizenship and government affairs relate to each other. And they must have a comprehensive understanding of the rules and regulations of government business and lobbying practices around the globe.

There are a number of alternative fee structures that can be agreed between a public policy advocacy consultancy and a client.

1. Retainer : An agreed monthly or quarterly fee payable in advance for an agreed programme of public policy advocacy activities. A retainer fee is not usually based on a contract of less than six months.