Place Branding Process Research Articles

There’s a time and place: Navigating omni-temporality in the place branding process

This paper investigates how multiple stakeholders understand and navigate the interrelationship between past, present and future time-frames through what is termed omni-temporality. Despite an interest in the phenomenon within the corporate brand heritage literature, a limited understanding persists concerning how omni-temporality shapes stakeholders’ interactions with brands and with each other. These omissions are particularly pertinent in place branding where stakeholders are well-recognised as integral to the branding process. Through case studies of two city brands, our findings reveal tensions that arise when brand stakeholders prioritise the past or strive for a more contemporaneous and future-orientated framing. We identify the ways brand stakeholders navigate these tensions by utilising six (re)framing strategies that range from the reconciliatory to the destabilising. We show how facilitating stakeholders’ expressions of diversity and dissent can produce meaningful brand exchanges, ease the challenges associated with balancing continuity alongside change, and support an iterative form of temporal agency.

Residents and the place branding process: socio-spatial construction of a locked-down city’s brand identity

PurposeBuilding on Kavaratzis and Hatch’s (2013) identity-based place branding model, this paper aims to explore the spatial and social dimensions of the place brand identity formation process and how residents used social media to participate in the process of shaping a city brand during a crisis.Design/methodology/approachAdopting an interpretive and social constructionist approach, this study analyses a sample of 187 short videos created and posted by Wuhan residents on the social media app Douyin during a COVID-19 lockdown. The authors read the videos as cultural texts and analysed underlying social processes in the construction of place brand identity by residents.FindingsThis study develops an adapted conceptual model of place identity formation unfolding in four sub-processes: expressing, impressing, mirroring and reflecting, and each sub-process subsumes two dimensions: the social and the spatial. In addition, this study empirically describes how residents participated in place branding processes in two ways, namely, their construction of city brand identity via communicative practice and their exertion of changes to a city brand during a crisis. The model reveals how place brands emerge and can be transformed.Originality/valueThis paper amplifies Kavaratzis and Hatch's (2013) identity-based place branding model by testing it in an empirical study and highlighting the social and spatial dimensions. This paper contributes to research about participatory place branding by exploring how residents participated in the place branding process. This study analysed short videos on social media, a new communication format, rather than textual narratives dominating past studies.

Rural place branding processes: actor engagement in service ecosystems

PurposeThe place branding process in cities and tourism destinations is usually steered by a central organization but in rural places, a focal actor often does not exist. The purpose of this paper is to identify which approaches to place branding processes are applied in different rural places. This is done by seeing the place branding process as a service ecosystem with focus on actor engagement.Design/methodology/approachA theoretical framework based on the concepts of service ecosystems and actor engagement is developed. This is then applied to analyse qualitative data collected through semi-structure interviews with participants from several Danish rural places.FindingsThe authors identify four different types of rural place branding processes along three dimensions: existence and type of a focal actor; type, extent and temporal properties of other actor groups’ engagement; and organization of the process, including its formalization, centralization and strategic focus. Type 1 is a highly formalized, centralized and strategically driven process under the leadership of a public authority. The other types are community-based approaches. Type 2 is formalized, centralized and strategically driven process. Type 3 is less formalized but also centralized and strategically focused. Type 4 is a non-formalized, decentralized process with ad hoc initiatives.Originality/valueThis paper applies a service marketing-based framework to analyse qualitative empirical data from different cases of rural places and identify different place branding processes.

Branding Kristianstad: a case of rebranding and stakeholder engagement

Kristianstad is today in the process of implementing its third place brand in less than 20 years. The purpose of this case study is to describe Kristianstad’s place branding journey with a special focus on the place stakeholders and their involvement and engagement—a case of both rebranding and participatory place branding. The case study describes Kristianstad’s three distinct branding initiatives, with focus on their initiators, engagement and implementation. It is based on a collaboration with Kristianstad municipality and a descriptive approach was employed. Empirical materials were collected through interviews and active participation in workshops and meetings. The case describes Kristianstad’s place branding journey and illustrates how place stakeholders’ previous involvement and experiences influence their behaviours and perceptions of the current place brand as well as the continuing place branding process. The three main takeaways are: past experiences matter; it matters where the place brand initiative comes from; and engagement matters more than profile. Kristianstad municipality’s place branding journey shows the difficulties with rebranding a place, more specifically highlighting place stakeholders’ engagement over time.

МОДЕЛИРОВАНИЕ МЕХАНИЗМА УПРАВЛЕНИЯ БРЕНДИНГОМ ТЕРРИТОРИЙ

The purpose of this paper is to elaborate the governance mechanism of place branding process that ensures the integration of branding into the territory development system. For this purpose, the three-level place branding process structural scheme was formulated and justified, and the existing place branding models have been studied. Then, the theoretical and empirical data on place branding process organization were incorporated into holistic model based on three-level structural scheme. As a result, the conceptual model of place branding governance mechanism has been elaborated. The model reflects three levels of place branding organization: the level of brand as a dynamic system of associations related to the territory, the level of branding as the process of territorial brand creation, and the level of branding as a tool of territory development. The model is described in two versions: the basic version, which reflects place branding as a process coordinated by regional administrations, and the extended version, which describes place branding as a co-creation process by independently acting stakeholders. The originality of the proposed model is that it describes in detail the governance of place branding process, which is currently an understudied aspect in the modern literature. The proposed model also consolidates into a holistic system three levels of place branding process, which are usually studied separately.The model could be used in practical cases of place branding implementation for designing a brand management system and serve as a basis for further elaboration of place branding theory.

Evolution of COVID-19 tweets about Southeast Asian Countries: topic modelling and sentiment analyses

Despite the global scale of this pandemic, comparison and contrast of topics, sentiment and emotions of tweets among countries are limited. Further, most previous studies covered a short timeframe due to the recency of the event and the large volume of tweets. The purposes of this research were to (1) identify the multiplicity of public discourse about countries during the COVID-19 pandemic and how they evolved, (2) compare and contrast sentiment levels and (3) compare emotions about countries over time. The research scope covered 115,553 tweets that mentioned ten countries in Southeast Asia (SEA) from 22 January 2020 to 31 July 2021. This research presents the infoveillance methods—using a topic modelling algorithm (LDA), VADER and NRC sentiment analyses—that elucidated the evolution and the emergence of public narratives and sentiment affecting country brands during the pandemic. Results also shed light on the role of word-of-mouth (WOM) communications in the place branding process.

Competing for legitimacy in the place branding process: (re)negotiating the stakes

Although stakeholder participation in place branding is actively encouraged, there has been a paucity of studies examining why uneven involvement persists in practice. This study builds on Bourdieu's theory of field and capital to explain how stakeholders from the local state, destinations, businesses and local communities negotiate influence and legitimacy in the place branding process. A multi-case study of two UK cities was employed involving semi-structured interviews with 60 stakeholders. We identify the specific characteristics of cultural capital in place branding: procedural know-how and place-sensitive knowledge. Our findings show that community representatives can acquire a seat at the place branding table by possessing distinct place-sensitive knowledge and drawing on procedural know-how accrued from professional settings. Nevertheless, traditionally dominant stakeholder groups, such as local state actors, destination management organisations and the business community, can build strategic collaborations that counter deficits in cultural capital and thus retain their status.

Istanbul as a "City of Design"

Istanbul as a "City of Design"

Decentralised place branding through multiple authors and narratives: the collective branding of a small town in Sweden

ABSTRACT Increasingly, place branding is regarded as stakeholder-centric, participatory and inclusive. However, a central assumption permeates the place-branding literature that there is a dominant organisation of some sort working strategically to organise the place-branding process. In this article we question this assumption and explore how multiple ‘authors’ create narratives and contribute to the branding of places. Using interviews, observations and printed and online material, we study a small town in southwest Sweden. Our illustrative case study reveals a decentralised collective production of narratives by multiple authors that together constitute the branding of a place.

Authenticity, local creatives and place branding: a case study from the Blue Mountains, Australia

PurposeThis paper discusses the notion of authenticity and the role of local creatives in the place branding process based on a case study of Mtns Made, a brand for the creative industries in the Blue Mountains of Sydney, Australia. This paper aims to examine the development, implementation and management of a place brand from the ground-up and explore the implications for a situated place branding practice.Design/methodology/approachThe concept of brand culture was used as a theoretical lens to view place branding. A qualitative case study approach was taken, incorporating the collection of primary and secondary documents, observation of online platforms and real-world events, field notes and personal reflection from an insider position.FindingsThe findings of this study suggest that local creatives can and have played a central role in place branding. The study also illustrates a model for place branding that centres on stakeholder participation in an ongoing process.Originality/valueLocal culture and creativity are largely viewed as assets for place branding; this paper draws attention to the agency of local creatives in the place branding process. This study offers three pillars of place brand authenticity and establishes a framework for place brand analysis based on a branding design strategy.

“My green heart”: an inclusive place branding process facilitated by Design Thinking

Today it is commonly known that the most effective place branding initiatives are those involving a wide range of place stakeholders. However, few empirical studies show how this can be carried out in practice and little is known about how residents experience participating in place branding initiatives. Design Thinking uses divergent and convergent thinking, creativity, visualization and prototyping to develop ideas and solutions. Inspired by participatory action research, the current study develops and evaluates a framework inspired by Design Thinking for how stakeholders can be involved in a place branding process and value the outcome of such an approach. Observations are complemented by qualitative questionnaires capturing the stakeholders’ perceptions and interviews with public officials. The study shows that Design Thinking facilitates an inclusive place branding process, as the framework developed, titled “The Inclusive Place Diamond”, encourages inclusion and strengthens the sense of meaning making at the same time as it reinforces a broad sense of ownership. Still, conflicting images complicate the process and some resistance towards losing power is observed. One of the key insights is that a process inspired by Design Thinking entails that the implementation of the place brand starts already when stakeholders are invited to the process and continues as a key feature of the evolving process.

Strategic Communication for Place Brand Management

To clarify how the communicational objectives such as message efficiency, creating learning networks and sharing knowledge represent guidelines for any strategy that looks at developing a current distribution of information. Place branding management is one of the segments in destination branding, is a complex process of branding an entire country or a part of it. The Strategic Place Brand-Management model (SPBM-model by Hanna and Rowley, 2011) comprises of nine (9) dimensions which are argued to be important parts in the place branding process and research. This chapter aim to understand how place brand copes with the components in the SPBM-model, and to perceive which components in the SPBM-model that can be seen as the most important components based on a case study the perceptions of the city residents Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia. By positioning the Kuala Terengganu place branding process with the SPBM-model, it can be understood that all components are strongly connected to each other. Of all nine (9) components, three (3) of them which are evaluation, infrastructure and stakeholders should be given special attention if they are serious in branding Kuala Terengganu as one of the most attractive tourist destinations in the world.

From poem and song to cultural diplomacy: challenges and opportunities for place branding and tourism promotion

The concept of place branding in this paper is examined in respect to place identity. More specifically, it is argued that poems and songs are cultural elements of place identity that can help in the place branding process. Poetry and especially that set to music offers a powerful cross-platform that enables communication among people, creating common understanding and bridging linguistic and cultural differences. Greece has reached a juncture where the sun and sea model, on which it had based its tourist campaign in the past, is not sufficient anymore. Thus, it must face the options of altering its current product. Towards this direction, the present paper focuses on poetry, lyrics, and song as viable alternatives that can help reformulate the country’s projected identity and image. Representative examples of Greek poetry in general and of Greek poetry set to music in particular are analyzed and examined in this vein.

The role of regional administrations in improving place branding effectiveness

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study ways, which regional administrations affect place branding effectiveness. Design/methodology/approach The study was conducted based on qualitative analysis. In total, 10 place branding cases of federal subjects of Russia were considered to estimate short-, mid- and long-term effects of place brands and quality of regional administrations’ place branding process management. The information on these cases was taken and systematized from three groups of sources, namely, official information from regional administrations (including regulatory acts); scientific publications focused on the brands of selected regions; data from federal and regional news agencies. Findings It is revealed that the quality of place branding processes is positively related to the presence and power of place branding effects, while the branding budget has no observable impact on place branding. The areas of attention for regional administrations intending to develop the place brand are defined. Research limitations/implications The limitation of this study is that the chosen approach is based on secondary data on brand-management practices that are publicly available. This information is mostly fragmentary and may not provide a complete view of place branding practices. Originality/value This paper provides a view on place branding success factors from the standpoint of the quality of branding process, rather than quality of the brand itself. The role of regional administrations in this process is studied, thus proposing a basis for integrating place branding in a public administration field.

Bridging the gap between culture, identity and image: a structurationist conceptualization of place brands and place branding

PurposeAlthough place branding is increasingly popular in research as well as in local, regional and national political agendas, the theoretical foundations of the place branding discipline are still underdeveloped. By embracing the stream of identity-based studies, this paper aims to attempt to demonstrate that place brands can be usefully approached through an emphasis of their cultural traits and the practical connection between culture, identity and image.Design/methodology/approachIn constructing its theoretical arguments, the paper challenges the place branding model propounded by Kavaratzis and Hatch (2013), and uses practices as units of analysis. The paper conducts a brief review of the principal tenets of practice theory(IES) and uses structuration theory as a theoretical device to demonstrate how this theory can provide a (still lacking) theoretical anchorage for the place branding process.FindingsThe usefulness of structuration theory for understanding the place branding process is analysed at both the strategic and tactical levels by means of two illustrative examples. Structuration theory proves to be a solid theory which links the constitutive elements of the place branding process, i.e. culture, identity and image, and to inspire further theoretical elaborations and empirical efforts grounded on this theory.Originality/valueThis is the first paper which uses practice theory(ies) in general and structuration theory in particular to explain the place branding process. The theoretical arguments advanced provide valuable guidance for further theoretical elaborations and empirical applications.

How community event narratives contribute to place branding

PurposeTo date, the importance of smaller, local community events in the place branding process has been overlooked in the place branding and event studies literature – yet they are recognised as a means of increasing the attractiveness of a place for residents, through building a sense of community and contributing to quality of life. The purpose of this paper is to make clear the contribution of community event narratives to place branding.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative approach was adopted. The public narratives of a portfolio of 14 community events (from event websites, press releases and media discourse, local government strategic policy documents) were examined. An inductive thematic analysis was conducted, and a visual framework for analysing and discussing the findings was created.FindingsCommunity event narratives provide a useful resource that could be drawn upon by place branding practitioners to reach potential new residents who share similar ideals as local residents. The findings from this study demonstrate that local community event narratives do indeed tell “stories about who we are”.Practical implicationsThis paper has implications for place branding initiatives seeking to attract new residents, particularly where there is a sense of fear and resistance from residents about “outsiders” moving in.Originality/valueThis paper presents an alternative model to the traditional city branding campaigns that seek to attract new residents, in the form of a values-based event-led branding strategy that may be more appropriate and compatible with local stakeholder goals.

The importance of territoriality in the Place Branding process

The years of economic crisis and administrative reform have caused sharp reduction of social care costs towards local authorities which has limited their developmental capabilities and, on the other hand, social benefits. The study focuses on Care provision for a population over 60 as an example, but the model is applied in all areas of Health Tourism development and provision from Municipalities which own such resources. The process of economic adjustment of 11 out of 18 countries of the Eurozone has limited the means of municipalities, increasing their income. The research question is how to produce a design model for Local Authorities with an inverse availability of resources and budget to the growing needs of elderly care in a context of population cohesiveness and aging - especially in remote, rural, coastal, mountain and border regions where accessibility is an issue for the population. Health Tourism resource-based development at the local level highlights the added value of territory through the territoriality process and makes the region's resources the center of the branding strategy of their site. A methodology will be presented that demonstrates that territoriality brings real income for the local areas with resource based development, branding and marketing of the site and investment planning. An innovative environment must come from a territorial entity (Aydalot, 1986). After that, the innovative organizational and territorial structure leads to a learning dynamic. In other words, it is the creation of an ecosystem in a territory where its stakeholders, in a coordinated way, will manage sustainable sector development of heatlh tourism, specially in areas where the primary resource is Thermalism springs, muds, waters etc to shape a very particular Product in that sense.

Brand Slogan of Region: Valuable Aspect of Place Marketing

The purpose of the present paper is to provide a linguistic analysis of current regional brand slogans. This paper argues that the place branding process should be examined not only in the context of destination marketing thought, but as a value-shaped approach. This study attempts to evaluate the slogans of tourism destination by means of communicative and pragmatic characteristics expressed by them: strong sides of the community, perceptiveness, self-confidence and confidence in future. The present research illustrates how linguo-cultural values are explicated in English, German and Russian branding slogans in accordance with the specific objectives motivated by regional features (natural resources, historical events, sights, products and services).

Re-branding the High Street: the place branding process and reflections from three UK towns

PurposeThe main aim of this paper is to develop a holistic understanding of place branding and reflect on its practical value and implications, by drawing evidence from the rebranding process of three UK towns (Alsager, Altrincham and Holmfirth) that participated in the HSUK2020 project.Design/methodology/approachA comprehensive place branding process that includes the interrelated stages of research, deliberation, consultation, action and communication is presented. The practical value of this theoretical proposition is linked to the experiences of three UK towns that participated in the HSUK2020 project.FindingsThe importance of research, the challenges of participation and the role of communications in place branding processes were identified as primary issues in all towns. The results of the project demonstrate the significance of the initial research stage of the place branding process and show that the process as a whole is valuable in helping places deal effectively with identity issues.Research limitations/implicationsParticipatory place branding processes can flourish when place stakeholders are engaged in the right context and are encouraged to work together. In addition, place brands are important cues and empower stakeholders’ participation in all stages of place brand processes.Practical implicationsKnowledge exchange projects that have the potential to engage a plethora of place stakeholders should be considered by practitioners for future place branding strategies.Originality/valueThe paper offers a refreshing practical grounding on participatory place branding concepts and theories. The value of knowledge exchange strategies for examining the field of place branding is also highlighted and can become a useful research approach for future research.

Destination Branding by Residents: The Role of Perceived Responsibility in Positive and Negative Word-of-Mouth

ABSTRACTThe importance of residents’ communication about their home region as tourist destination is increasingly acknowledged in the place branding process. However, the extent to which residents feel responsible for communicating Destination Images (DIs), and how these attributions affect word-of-mouth (WOM) behavior has remained unclear. This paper addresses this topic by reporting a quantitative study (N = 913) among residents of the Dutch province of Fryslân. The results show that responsibility attributions for communicating positive regional images predict, next to Place Attachment and DI, positive and negative WOM behavior (pWOM and nWOM). Particularly attributing responsibility to citizens themselves is a significant predictor of pWOM and nWOM. Further, findings point to the role of age in variation in responsibility attributions and to previous holiday experience as predictor of nWOM. The implications for citizen engagement in destination branding and regional tourism management are discussed.