Abstract
This paper examines city branding through the lens of new media, focusing on Zibo as a case study. It highlights how the rise of social media and the wanghong economy have reshaped city branding models. The discussion emphasizes the critical role social media plays in this process, illustrated through six components: value perception, value recognition, value description, value communication, value co-creation, and value addition. A conceptual framework is developed to elucidate the interconnections between social media, city branding, and value co-creation, while also contrasting traditional and contemporary branding approaches. The branding process is delineated in four stages: crafting value narratives centered on Zibos barbecue, enhancing value through city branding effects, fostering value co-creation for a new city brand, and establishing a tourism brand centered on barbecue. Additionally, the passage addresses the challenges faced by aging industrial cities, including imbalanced industrial structures and insufficient institutional policies. It proposes that these cities can capitalize on current trends by harnessing social media to construct their city brands, thereby enabling successful transformation and revitalization.
Published Version
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