Israel makes big leap in quality products, services
Survey places the Start-Up Nation at 22
Israel’s quality-products ranking rose 13 points this year, which is the largest gain next to Slovakia’s, according to the 2019 FutureBrand Country Index.
In the study, respondents aged 21 to 65 answered questions relating to the production of various countries’ products and services, which took into account factors including environmental friendliness, quality of life and political tolerance. Some 2,500 people from 75 countries were sampled; each person evaluated seven countries.
FutureBrand defines quality products or brands as services that present social advancement within a country. The study used technology, infrastructure, health, education and living standards as benchmarks, with the assumption that “high-quality products come from countries that ensure a high quality of life.”
While tourism numbers are cited as a “vital component” in Israel’s economy, the survey credits the reputation and appeal of Israel’s start-up companies as the primary driver in product quality growth. “Tech companies like Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Google, Facebook, Alibaba, Intel, Oracle, Samsung and Baidu are all conducting critical development work in Israel,” FutureBrand reported.
Google’s decision to choose Tel Aviv as an accelerator for machine learning, artificial intelligence and data science start-ups was also discussed in the report, mentioning that the choice of the city as a development hub is “telling” of technology and innovation in Israel.
The index also indicated that when people are more likely to buy products or services from a specific country, they are also more likely to recommend tourism to that country, consider it for business ventures, or choose to live or study there. Overall, Israel was ranked 22 for quality products, beating neighbors such as Qatar and Iran, who fell in the rankings from the previous report in 2014. Other top climbers on the list included Pakistan, Hungary and Vietnam. Israel’s individual infrastructure and technology rankings rose 10 points and 11 points from previous reports, respectively.
FutureBrand’s 2014-2015 report focused on country branding, an index that measured strengths and weaknesses of a nation relative to consumer interest in visiting, investing, or living there. Israel was cited as a country whose respondents thought it to be the most likely to “move forward” in innovation, business potential, technology, and energy, ranking 26th overall in the index.
The 2012-2013 report ranked Israel at 13 in the advanced technology category. Israel also was placed into the top 10 rankings for art and culture, authenticity and history. Its overall ranking was 27.
FutureBrand, whose mission according to their website is to create “brand experiences for a more connected future,” said the 2019 report provides brand managers with country of origin association insights, a factor said to heavily influence consumer purchasing decisions and brand perceptions.