New York City's famous "I Love New York" logoKilgore city's Wordmark showing big and small cities alike benefit from Branding
Place branding (includes place marketing and place promotion) is a term based on the idea that "cities and regions can be branded," whereby branding techniques and other marketing strategies are applied to "the economic, political and cultural development of cities, regions and countries."[1] As opposed to the branding of products and services, place branding is more multidimensional in nature, as a 'place' is inherently "anchored into a history, a culture, an ecosystem,"[2]:189 which is then incorporated into a network of associations, "linking products, spaces, organizations and people."[3]:6 As such, the concepts of nation branding, region branding, and city branding (also known as urban branding), fall under the umbrella term of place branding.[4]
The practice is understood to have gained significance with the emergence of the post-industrial society among developing nations, in which places contend in an interdependent, increasingly-globalized economy.[5] Thus, place branding invariably relates to the notion that places compete with other places for people, resources, and business, and, as a result, many public administrations pursue such strategies.[6][7][8] As of 2011, the global competition of cities is estimated to host at least 2.7 million small cities/towns, 3,000 large cities, and 455 metropolises,[9]
In essence, place branding is "a strategy for projecting images and managing perceptions about places".[10]:64 As such, it purposes to induce affective responses from consumers, thereby forming a meaningful relationship between person and place.
Origins
Most often associated with capitalistic function, branding has traditionally been understood as a strategy used when promoting goods and services to evoke an emotional response from consumers. Accordingly, place branding follows the notion that places (e.g. cities and urban spaces) can be "shaped and managed just like any other brand."[11]:301
The practice of place branding is understood to have emerged in the mid-19th century. The United States, in particular, began such strategies to attract rural populations to urban centers for labor. Later, the practice would be used for tourism purposes, especially in Europe, with famous posters of places. However, the practice would not become commonplace among cities and countries until recent years. This emphasis is considered to represent a broader phenomenon that emerged around the 1970s known as urban regeneration, whereby systems of production within developed countries became "vertically disintegrated," giving way to post-industrial societies,[12]:10 typified by "entrepreneurial" forms of governance. Such interest seems to have come out of recognition that "places of all kinds can benefit from implementing coherent strategies with regard to managing their resources, reputation and image."[13]:3
In Academia
Though scholarly interest in the domain of place branding is still in its nascent stages, published academic research has seen considerable increase in recent years. As the world economy becomes more and more integrated and interconnected, this interest will only continue to grow, especially as cities compete for "talent attraction, tourism promotion, the hosting of sporting and cultural events, investment attraction, and the many other goals that cities set out to achieve in their quest for urban development and regeneration."[13]:7
One of the tenets of place branding posits that the struggle for attention and preference is not limited to commercial goods and services; it applies equally to geopolitical entities. Countries and cities compete for tourist income, business, and often tax bases. Even within cities, there is a fierce competition between city centres, urban vs. suburban areas; big-box retailers vs. local businesses; shopping malls vs. traditional downtowns. Proponents of place branding argue that this heightened competitive environment makes it important for places, no matter their size or composition, to clearly differentiate themselves and convey why they are relevant and valued options.
This view is supported and defended by Joao Freire, among others,[14] who states that successful destination-brand management can be seen as an exercise of coordination where relevant variables—such as tourism infrastructures, quality of local services, and other destination-brand users need to be managed in order to achieve a coherent and desired destination-brand identity. Thus, contrary to popular conception that destination-brand building is solely an exercise in communication, destination branding is, in reality, an exercise of identification, organization and coordination of all the variables that affect the destination image.[15]
The strategic application of place branding is growing with nations, regions, cities, and institutions as they realize they compete with other places for people, resources, and business. The phenomenon of place branding, as an organic process of image communication without strategy, has been occurring throughout history.
Processes
Place branding is a process made up of several sub-processes. Unlike branding simpler entities like a product, service, company, person or classical subjects of branding, place branding, and in particular nation and city branding, is a complex process. The complexity comes from the great diversity of stakeholders in the process.
In general, a place brand is derived from existing assets of the place such as its value offering or public perception. Otherwise, the place brand is derived from created assets, such as events, policies, abstract concepts of tolerance, and so on.
The derived image of the place brand is then communicated through communication channels. These channels vary and range from television advertisements to Internet marketing efforts. These communications are aimed at a specific target market.
City branding (also known as urban branding) refers to all the activities that are undergone with the purpose of turning a city from a location into a destination. "Successful branding," says Robert Jones, consultant director at international brand consultancy Wolff Olins, "can turn a city into a place where people want to live, work and visit."[16] City branding is often confused with city marketing. The two differ in the fact that marketing uses consumer wishes and needs as its guiding principle for the operations of an organization, whereas in the case of branding a chosen vision, mission and identity play that role.[17]
City branding creates a single brand for the city and extends it to all its offerings and interactions. From a consumer's point of view, this creates a unique picture of the city at every level of interaction. This also helps in removing the need to present a case-by-case picture of the city for each of its offerings to the customers.
A city brand is its promise of value, a promise that needs to be kept. Good branding can assist in making cities desirable, just as bad branding can assist in making cities undesirable. Some examples of well-branded cities are New York City, San Francisco and Paris. It is seen that the successful city brands marketed their history, quality of place, lifestyle, culture, and diversity, and proactively formed cooperative partnerships between city municipalities and government in order to enhance their infrastructure.[18] Equally important is the role of positioning in the branding process, i.e. creating a distinct place in the market for the city to occupy.
1 2 Kapferer, Jean-Noël. 2013. "Paris as a Brand". Pp. 184–89 in City Branding: Theory and Cases, edited by K. Dinnie. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
↑ Bellini, Nicola, and Cecilia Pasquinelli. 2016. "Urban Brandscape as Value Ecosystem: The Cultural Destination Strategy of Fashion Brands". Place Branding and Public Diplomacy 12(1):5–16.
↑ Cleave, Evan, and Godwin Arku. 2015. "Community Branding and Brand Images in Ontario, Canada". Place Branding and Public Diplomacy 11(1):65–82.
↑ "Understanding Sustainable Cities: Competing Urban Futures", written by Simon Guy & Simon Marvin, University of Newcastle, European Urban and Regional Studies 6(3) 1999
↑ Competitive Advantage of Nations, written by Michael E. Porter, Harvard University Business School, Free Press 1998
↑ "Competitive Identity", written by Simon Anholt, Palgrave Macmillan 2006
↑ Braun, Erik, Eshuis, Jasper, & Klijn, Erik-Hans. (2014). The effectiveness of place brand communication. Cities, 41, 64-70.
↑ Bookman, Sonia, and Andrew Woolford. 2013. "Policing (by) the Urban Brand: Defining Order in Winnipeg's Exchange District.” Social and Cultural Geography 14(3):300–317.
↑ Hiller, Harry. 2014. "Canadian Urbanization in Historical and Global Perspective". Pp. 1–18 in Urban Canada, edited by H. Hiller. Don Mills, ON: Oxford University Press.
1 2 Dinnie, Keith. 2013. "Introduction to the Theory of City Branding". Pp. 3–7 in City Branding: Theory and Cases, edited by K. Dinnie. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
↑ Freire, Joao (2005). "Geo-branding, are we talking nonsense? A theoretical reflection on brands applied to places". Place Branding. 1 (4): 347–362. doi:10.1057/palgrave.pb.5990033. S2CID155005952.
↑ Caldwell, Niall; Freire, Joao R. (2004). "The differences between branding a country, a region and a city: Applying the Brand Box Model". Journal of Brand Management. 12: 50–61. doi:10.1057/palgrave.bm.2540201. S2CID167732267.
↑ Bendel, Peggy R. 2013. "Branding New York City – The Saga of 'I Love New York'.” Pp. 179–83 in City Branding: Theory and Cases, edited by K. Dinnie. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Related Research Articles
Marketing is the act of satisfying and retaining customers. It is one of the primary components of business management and commerce.
Guerrilla marketing is an advertisement strategy in which a company uses surprise and/or unconventional interactions in order to promote a product or service. It is a type of publicity. The term was popularized by Jay Conrad Levinson's 1984 book Guerrilla Marketing.
A corporate identity or corporate image is the manner in which a corporation, firm or business enterprise presents itself to the public. The corporate identity is typically visualized by branding and with the use of trademarks, but it can also include things like product design, advertising, public relations etc. Corporate identity is a primary goal of corporate communication, aiming to build and maintain company identity.
Positioning refers to the place that a brand occupies in the minds of the customers and how it is distinguished from the products of the competitors. It is different from the concept of brand awareness. In order to position products or brands, companies may emphasize the distinguishing features of their brand or they may try to create a suitable image through the marketing mix. Once a brand has achieved a strong position, it can become difficult to reposition it. To effectively position a brand and create a lasting brand memory, brands need to be able to connect to consumers in an authentic way, creating a brand persona usually helps build this sort of connection.
Brand equity, in marketing, is the worth of a brand in and of itself – i.e., the social value of a well-known brand name. The owner of a well-known brand name can generate more revenue simply from brand recognition, as consumers perceive the products of well-known brands as better than those of lesser-known brands.
The marketing mix is the set of controllable elements or variables that a company uses to influence and meet the needs of its target customers in the most effective and efficient way possible. These variables are often grouped into four key components, often referred to as the "Four Ps of Marketing."
In marketing, brand management is the control of how a brand is perceived in the market. Tangible elements of brand management include the look, price, and packaging of the product itself; intangible elements are the experiences that the target markets share with the brand, and the relationships they have with it. A brand manager would oversee all aspects of the consumer's brand association as well as relationships with members of the supply chain. Developing a good relationship with target markets is essential for brand management.
Consumer behaviour is the study of individuals, groups, or organisations and all activities associated with the purchase, use and disposal of goods and services. It encompasses how the consumer's emotions, attitudes, and preferences affect buying behaviour. Consumer behaviour emerged in the 1940–1950s as a distinct sub-discipline of marketing, but has become an interdisciplinary social science that blends elements from psychology, sociology, social anthropology, anthropology, ethnography, ethnology, marketing, and economics.
Marketing communications refers to the use of different marketing channels and tools in combination. Marketing communication channels focus on how businesses communicate a message to their desired market, or the market in general. It is also in charge of the internal communications of the organization. Marketing communication tools include advertising, personal selling, direct marketing, sponsorship, communication, public relations, social media, customer journey and promotion.
An advertising campaign or marketing campaign is a series of advertisement messages that share a single idea and theme which make up an integrated marketing communication (IMC). An IMC is a platform in which a group of people can group their ideas, beliefs, and concepts into one large media base. Advertising campaigns utilize diverse media channels over a particular time frame and target identified audiences.
Simon Anholt is an independent policy advisor who has worked to help develop and implement strategies for enhanced economic, political and cultural engagement with other countries.
Nation branding aims to measure, build and manage the reputation of countries. In the book Diplomacy in a Globalizing World: Theories and Practices, the authors define nation branding as "the application of corporate marketing concepts and techniques to countries, in the interests of enhancing their reputation in international relations." Many nations try to make brands in order to build relationships between different actors that are not restricted to nations. It extends to public and private sectors in a nation and helps with nationalism. States also want to participate in multilateral projects. Some approaches applied, such as an increasing importance on the symbolic value of products, have led countries to emphasize their distinctive characteristics. The branding and image of a nation-state "and the successful transference of this image to its exports - is just as important as what they actually produce and sell." This is also referred to as country-of-origin effect.
The target audience is the intended audience or readership of a publication, advertisement, or other message catered specifically to the previously intended audience. In marketing and advertising, the target audience is a particular group of consumer within the predetermined target market, identified as the targets or recipients for a particular advertisement or message.
Brand extension or brand stretching is a marketing strategy in which a firm marketing a product with a well-developed image uses the same brand name in a different product category. The new product is called a spin-off.
Sustainability advertising is communications geared towards promoting social, economic and environmental benefits (sustainability) of products, services or actions through paid advertising in media in order to encourage responsible behavior of consumers.
A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create and store value as brand equity for the object identified, to the benefit of the brand's customers, its owners and shareholders. Brand names are sometimes distinguished from generic or store brands.
City marketing or Place Marketing is the promotion of a city, or a district within it, with the aim of encouraging certain activities to take place there.
Street marketing is a form of guerrilla marketing that uses nontraditional or unconventional methods to promote a product or service. Many businesses use fliers, coupons, posters and art displays as a cost-effective alternative to the traditional marketing methods such as television, print and social media. Based on the shifting characteristics of modern-day consumers – such as increased product knowledge and expectations of transparency – the goal of street marketing is to use direct communication to enhance brand recognition.
Sensory branding is a type of marketing that appeals to all the senses in relation to the brand. It uses the senses to relate with customers on an emotional level. It is believed that the difference between an ordinary product and a captivating product is emotion. When emotion flows in the marketplace, your product shines. When there is no emotion from the product, customers lack the enthusiasm and passion that launches a product to success. Brands can forge emotional associations in the customers' minds by appealing to their senses. A multi-sensory brand experience generates certain beliefs, feelings, thoughts and opinions to create a brandgon image in the consumer's mind.
References
Brian Lonsway, "The Experience of a Lifestyle," pp.225–246 in The Themed Space: Locating Culture, Nation, and Self, ed. Scott A. Lukas (Lanham, MD, Lexington Books, 2007), ISBN0-7391-2142-1
How to Brand Nations, Cities and Destinations, Teemu Moilanen & Seppo Rainisto, Palgrave Macmillan (2008).
Nation Branding. Concepts, Issues, Practice. Keith Dinnie, Butterworth Heinemann (2009).
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
