The term "branding" which at one time evoked images of hot irons and bawling cattle has come to mean the perceived set of qualities that renders something unique...that distinguishes an entity from other, similar entities. For obvious reasons, "branding" has long been of concern to the private sector where companies work hard to differentiate their products from those of their competitors. More recently, however, the term has found its way into our policy discourse. We thus find public officials talking about how to "brand" Canada in today's global world: how to create and sustain an image of the country that is both appealing and true, an image that attracts outsiders, creates interest and produces a willingness to do business and to partner with Canada in shared ventures, be they political or economic. Contributors: Dyane Adam, Jean Augustine, John Biles, Meyer Burstein, Richard Bourhis, Paul W. R. Bowlby, Denis Coderre, François Crépeau, Howard Duncan, Rosaline Frith, Shiva S. Halli, Daniel Hiebert, Abdolmohammad Kazemipur, Jean Lock Kunz, Peter S. Li, Annie Montreuil, Elizabeth Ruddick, Anver Saloojee, Myer Siemiatycki, Daniel Stoffman, Arthur Sweetman