Place Branding
Encyclopedia
Place branding is a new umbrella term
encompassing nation branding, region branding and city branding. Place branding is the process of image communication to a target market. It is invariably related to the notion that places compete with other places for people, resources, and business; the global competition of cities is estimated to host 2.7 million small cities/town
s, 3,000 large cities, and 455 metropolises
, Philip Kotler
, Gold and Ward , Avraham and Ketter Seppo Rainisto , and others.
In fact, this view is also supported and defended by Joao R. Freire . He 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. Therefore, contrary to the popular perception that destination-brand building is solely an exercise in communication, destination branding is, in reality, an exercise of identification, organisation and coordination of all the variables that have an impact on the destination image.
's "Iamsterdam", Las Vegas
's "Sin City", and Abu Ghosh
's "world capital of hummus". Examples of organic place brands are ancient and include Jerusalem's "holy city", Paris
' "Illuminated City", and Silicon Valley
's "tech capital."
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.
and branding
, the industry of place branding is not as developed. The few service providers and consultancies offer a variety of branding solutions, though there is not a comparable overlap as in standard marketing or branding.
In understanding the industry, we see consultancies focused on three key areas: research
, strategy
, or implementation
. Each area can be divided into groups of lightweight service providers and holistic service providers. Lightweights in the industry are concentrated in implementation, where the create logo
s, motto
s, and other brand
basics for the client place, city, or nation. Academics question whether such simplistic services constitute city or nation branding, even though such lightweights compete with the other industry players.
Like all industries, key players dominate the market. They tend to provide services across key areas, and oftentimes incorporate external disciplines. Simon Anholt is an independent consultant, with focus in research and strategy. Ed Glaeser is a Harvard University
economist, with focus in research, who has indirectly contributed a great deal to the field with his seminal piece, Triumph of the City. His work has been called a 'masterpiece' by renowned economist Steven Levitt. Shir & Spitzer, exclusively in Israel
, focus on strategy
and implementation
, and incorporate urban planning
. Metti & Bronner, U.S. and Europe
, focus on research
, strategy
, and implementation
, and use their partnership
s as a specialization. Granta Place&Country Branding Spain
, focuses on Spain
and Latin American countries, designing and implementing their projects based on Strategic Communication
and Public Diplomacy
, Total Destination Marketing, U.S. and Australia
, focuses on implementation
as a lightweight provider, and incorporates tourism
planning into their services. Other peripheral players exist in the industry, the bulk of which are standard marketing
agencies and therefore exclusively provide lightweight implementation services. The complex nature of place, city, and nation branding acts as a serious entry barrier and few firms can currently afford to attract sufficient talent to offer multiple specializations.
has a clear city brand as a holy city. The holy city includes numerous significant holy sites such as the Western Wall, Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Garden Tomb
, and Al-Aqsa Mosque
. A study commissioned by the Swedish Research Council suggests that Jerusalem may be one of the oldest city brands, having undergone organic branding campaigns for centuries. Pilgrimage
, the religious equivalent of tourism, has been part of Jerusalem's history for millennia.
Las Vegas or simply Vegas is used by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority
as a brand to market the bulk of the Las Vegas Valley, including the Las Vegas Strip
, Las Vegas, Nevada
, Henderson, Nevada
, North Las Vegas, Nevada
and parts of Clark County, Nevada
.
Umbrella term
An umbrella term is a word that provides a superset or grouping of concepts that all fall under a single common category. Umbrella term is also called a hypernym. For example, cryptology is an umbrella term that encompasses cryptography and cryptanalysis, among other fields...
encompassing nation branding, region branding and city branding. Place branding is the process of image communication to a target market. It is invariably related to the notion that places compete with other places for people, resources, and business; the global competition of cities is estimated to host 2.7 million small cities/town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
s, 3,000 large cities, and 455 metropolises
Origins
The concept has been introduced several times by different thinkers such as Simon AnholtSimon Anholt
Simon Anholt is an independent policy advisor who helps national, regional and city governments develop and implement strategies for enhanced economic, political and cultural engagement with other countries...
, Philip Kotler
Philip Kotler
Philip Kotler is the S.C. Johnson & Son Distinguished Professor of International Marketing at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.-Early life:He received his master's degree at the University of Chicago...
, Gold and Ward , Avraham and Ketter Seppo Rainisto , and others.
Competition of a globalizing world
The struggle for attention and preference is not limited to the contest between countries and cities; even within cities there is a fierce competition between city centers vs. neighborhoods, big box retailers vs. main streets, shopping malls vs. traditional down towns. This heightened competitive environment makes it important for places, no matter their size or composition, to clearly differentiate themselves and to convey why they are relevant and valued options. In 2005, the International Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus published a book on the subject called "Destination BrandScience," co-written by a destination marketing veteran, Gary C. Sherwin, emphasizing that brand development was not a logo or tag line, but instead a commitment to a community-wide strategy on what distinguished the community from others, as well as a community-wide effort to effectively communicate and create that unique destination experience to the customer. Rather than being advertising-based, this brand effort focused on delivering an exceptional experience that was memorable and emotional .In fact, this view is also supported and defended by Joao R. Freire . He 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. Therefore, contrary to the popular perception that destination-brand building is solely an exercise in communication, destination branding is, in reality, an exercise of identification, organisation and coordination of all the variables that have an impact on the destination image.
Strategic vs. Organic Place Branding
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. Examples of strategic place brands are diverse and include AmsterdamAmsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
's "Iamsterdam", Las Vegas
Las Vegas
Las Vegas may refer to:* Las Vegas Valley, consisting of Las Vegas and surrounding areas** Las Vegas, Nevada, the city** Las Vegas Strip, the resort destination and location of many of the largest hotel and casino resorts in the world...
's "Sin City", and Abu Ghosh
Abu Ghosh
Abu Ghosh is an Israeli Arab town in Israel, located west of Jerusalem on the Tel Aviv-Jerusalem highway. It is situated 610–720 meters above sea level. In 2010, it set the Guinness World Record for largest dish of hummus...
's "world capital of hummus". Examples of organic place brands are ancient and include Jerusalem's "holy city", Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
' "Illuminated City", and Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is a term which refers to the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California in the United States. The region is home to many of the world's largest technology corporations...
's "tech capital."
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.
Place branding industry
The growing demand of place branding for institutions, cities, regions, and nations has legitimized the nascent industry of place, city, and nation branding. Unlike the parent field of marketingMarketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
and branding
Branding
Branding may refer to:* Livestock branding, the marking of animals to indicate ownership* Human branding, as body modification or punishment* Branding , bonding of the partners and marking of a submissive...
, the industry of place branding is not as developed. The few service providers and consultancies offer a variety of branding solutions, though there is not a comparable overlap as in standard marketing or branding.
In understanding the industry, we see consultancies focused on three key areas: research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
, strategy
Strategy
Strategy, a word of military origin, refers to a plan of action designed to achieve a particular goal. In military usage strategy is distinct from tactics, which are concerned with the conduct of an engagement, while strategy is concerned with how different engagements are linked...
, or implementation
Implementation
Implementation is the realization of an application, or execution of a plan, idea, model, design, specification, standard, algorithm, or policy.-Computer Science:...
. Each area can be divided into groups of lightweight service providers and holistic service providers. Lightweights in the industry are concentrated in implementation, where the create logo
Logo
A logo is a graphic mark or emblem commonly used by commercial enterprises, organizations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition...
s, motto
Motto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
s, and other brand
Brand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
basics for the client place, city, or nation. Academics question whether such simplistic services constitute city or nation branding, even though such lightweights compete with the other industry players.
Like all industries, key players dominate the market. They tend to provide services across key areas, and oftentimes incorporate external disciplines. Simon Anholt is an independent consultant, with focus in research and strategy. Ed Glaeser is a Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
economist, with focus in research, who has indirectly contributed a great deal to the field with his seminal piece, Triumph of the City. His work has been called a 'masterpiece' by renowned economist Steven Levitt. Shir & Spitzer, exclusively in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, focus on strategy
Strategy
Strategy, a word of military origin, refers to a plan of action designed to achieve a particular goal. In military usage strategy is distinct from tactics, which are concerned with the conduct of an engagement, while strategy is concerned with how different engagements are linked...
and implementation
Implementation
Implementation is the realization of an application, or execution of a plan, idea, model, design, specification, standard, algorithm, or policy.-Computer Science:...
, and incorporate urban planning
Urban planning
Urban planning incorporates areas such as economics, design, ecology, sociology, geography, law, political science, and statistics to guide and ensure the orderly development of settlements and communities....
. Metti & Bronner, U.S. and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, focus on research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
, strategy
Strategy
Strategy, a word of military origin, refers to a plan of action designed to achieve a particular goal. In military usage strategy is distinct from tactics, which are concerned with the conduct of an engagement, while strategy is concerned with how different engagements are linked...
, and implementation
Implementation
Implementation is the realization of an application, or execution of a plan, idea, model, design, specification, standard, algorithm, or policy.-Computer Science:...
, and use their partnership
Partnership
A partnership is an arrangement where parties agree to cooperate to advance their mutual interests.Since humans are social beings, partnerships between individuals, businesses, interest-based organizations, schools, governments, and varied combinations thereof, have always been and remain commonplace...
s as a specialization. Granta Place&Country Branding Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, focuses on Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and Latin American countries, designing and implementing their projects based on Strategic Communication
Strategic Communication
Strategic Communication can mean either communicating a concept, a process, or data that satisfies a long term strategic goal of an organization by allowing facilitation of advanced planning, or communicating over long distances usually using international telecommunications or dedicated global...
and Public Diplomacy
Public diplomacy
In international relations, public diplomacy or people's diplomacy, broadly speaking, is the communication with foreign publics to establish a dialogue designed to inform and influence. There is no one definition of Public Diplomacy, and may be easier described than easily defined as definitions...
, Total Destination Marketing, U.S. and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, focuses on implementation
Implementation
Implementation is the realization of an application, or execution of a plan, idea, model, design, specification, standard, algorithm, or policy.-Computer Science:...
as a lightweight provider, and incorporates tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
planning into their services. Other peripheral players exist in the industry, the bulk of which are standard marketing
Marketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
agencies and therefore exclusively provide lightweight implementation services. The complex nature of place, city, and nation branding acts as a serious entry barrier and few firms can currently afford to attract sufficient talent to offer multiple specializations.
Examples
JerusalemJerusalem (disambiguation)
Jerusalem is a city in the Middle East.Jerusalem may also refer to:- Places :East coast of the Mediterranean* Jerusalem District in the State of Israel.* Jerusalem Governorate in modern day West BankUnited States...
has a clear city brand as a holy city. The holy city includes numerous significant holy sites such as the Western Wall, Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Garden Tomb
Garden Tomb
The Garden Tomb , located in Jerusalem, outside the city walls and close to the Damascus Gate, is a rock-cut tomb considered by some to be the site of the burial and resurrection of Jesus, and to be adjacent to Golgotha, in contradistinction to the traditional site for these—the Church of the Holy...
, and Al-Aqsa Mosque
Al-Aqsa Mosque
Al-Aqsa Mosque also known as al-Aqsa, is the third holiest site in Sunni Islam and is located in the Old City of Jerusalem...
. A study commissioned by the Swedish Research Council suggests that Jerusalem may be one of the oldest city brands, having undergone organic branding campaigns for centuries. Pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
, the religious equivalent of tourism, has been part of Jerusalem's history for millennia.
Las Vegas or simply Vegas is used by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority
Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority is a public/private partnership that owns and operates the Las Vegas Convention Center, Cashman Center, and Cashman Field and is responsible for the advertising campaigns for the Clark County, Nevada area....
as a brand to market the bulk of the Las Vegas Valley, including the Las Vegas Strip
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
, Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, Henderson, Nevada
Henderson, Nevada
-Demographics:According to the 2000 census, there were 175,381 people, 66,331 households, and 47,095 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,200.8 people per square mile . There were 71,149 housing units at an average density of 892.8 per square mile...
, North Las Vegas, Nevada
North Las Vegas, Nevada
North Las Vegas is a city in Clark County, Nevada, United States, located in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. The city was incorporated on May 16, 1946.-Geography:...
and parts of Clark County, Nevada
Clark County, Nevada
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,375,765 people, 512,253 households, and 339,693 families residing within the MSA. The racial makeup of the MSA was 71.6% White , 9.1% Black, 5.7% Asian, 0.8% American Indian and 12.8% of other or mixed race. 22.0% were Hispanic of any race...
.