Is Soft Power Earned or Engineered?
At this point, you might be wondering:
Is soft power just accidental popularity? Or can it be engineered with intention?
The answer is: both.
Some elements of soft power emerge organically—from a country’s values, stories, or people. No one “planned” for sushi, the Macarena, or hip-hop to become global icons. They gained influence because they resonated across borders.
But how are those stories supported, exported, and scaled?
That’s not accidental.
That’s strategy.
Soft power can be cultivated through creative ecosystems, cultural investment, education, international visibility, and even architecture and urban branding. Nations can—and do—design for admiration.
In this book, we’ll explore how some countries create the conditions for soft power to grow.
That’s where Culture Surplus comes in.
