Place Branding Processes Research Articles

Unravelling the link between actors’ roles in place branding processes and brand citizenship behaviour

Unravelling the link between actors’ roles in place branding processes and brand citizenship behaviour

COVID-19 and the participatory place branding impasse: a study of actor agency

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on participatory place branding processes and, in particular, on multiple actors’ ability to build agency.Design/methodology/approachAn in-depth qualitative inquiry of place branding processes in Cardiff (UK) was undertaken during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Semi-structured (online) interviews with 28 city representatives from the public, private and voluntary sectors are analysed using three-stage conceptual coding.FindingsFive transitions in the meaning-making and engagement processes at the nexus of participatory place branding are identified: heightening value of the local environment; building and sharing local knowledge; embedding a sense of community into relational networks; innovating engagement channels; and blurring of roles and responsibilities. Combined, these demonstrate a cultivating place (brand) attachment and evolving logics around participation.Research limitations/implicationsTransitions in actor agency require monitoring over time, drawing on additional studies, wider samples and multidisciplinary frameworks.Practical implicationsLocal knowledge and multi-actor networks are increasingly viewed as valuable assets, providing legitimacy for those in possession of these resources and for the brand. Practitioners, policy makers and community representatives should support innovative ways to involve and learn from local actors, including those not currently active across the place brand web.Originality/valueAntecedents to actor agency are investigated, highlighting that during a period of disruption actors gained legitimacy for their participation by emphasising the value attached to localities, building place (brand) attachment and drawing on blurred place branding boundaries.

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.

The inevitability of essentializing culture in destination branding: the cases of fika and hygge

PurposeThis paper aims to focus on the re-presentation of the cultural phenomena hygge in Denmark and fika in Sweden in destination branding and address the inevitability of their essentialization through the branding process.Design/methodology/approachThree relevant semi-structured interviews with destination marketing organisation’s employees were conducted, as well as a content-based analysis of three social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram). A total of 465 posts in total were analysed (140 Facebook posts, 109 Twitter posts, 216 Instagram posts).FindingsThis study demonstrates how, when communicated through social media, intangible cultural assets are transformed into tangible elements. It explains why the re-presentation and place branding processes necessarily simplify and essentialize the destination.Originality/valueDestination branding scholars have traditionally criticised the flattening and essentialization of culture in destination branding and have called for a more nuanced approach to presenting a destination. This paper situates destination branding as a process that necessitates the manipulation of the presentation of the destination, which inevitably essentializes the place; this is intended. Critical destination branding researchers need to rethink their criticisms and acknowledge the inherent essentialization goal of destination branding.

Rural place branding processes: a meta-synthesis

Like cities and nations, rural places have adopted the practice of place branding to improve their reputation and increase their competitiveness to attract residents, tourists, and consumers. This review aims to synthesize case studies of rural place branding in order to identify different types of processes applied and relating them to the contextual factors underlying their application. A typology of five rural place branding processes (PBP) is proposed, based on the existence and dominance of a focal actor, and other actors involved in the process. Six contextual factors that affect the application of the various PBP are identified: (1) type of place distinguishing between places with or without administrative power, (2) initiative referring to the difference between political/administrative, community, mixed, (3) support base for the branding distinguishing between strong political/organizational, strong community, strong identity, (4) brand purpose, i.e., competitiveness, identity, conservation; (5) target group, and (6) type of place brand referring to the difference between sectoral and integrated place brands. Patterns of the contextual factors have been identified that seem to be typical for the application of the different PBP types. The findings provide guidance to rural place managers and communities to apply a PBP that matches their specific context.

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.

Combining participatory action research with sociological intervention to investigate participatory place branding

PurposePlace branding research has recently focused on developing more inclusive models to better capture the co-creation of place identities. This paper aims to investigate stakeholder communication interactions in place branding processes to inform alternative, participatory, network governance models of stakeholder engagement.Design/methodology/approachThe literature on stakeholder engagement in place branding processes is sparse. Through a regional case study of the Australian island state of Tasmania, the paper combines participatory action research (PAR) with the method of sociological intervention (SI) to investigate how participants individually and collectively reflect on their practices and patterns of engagement.FindingsBy combining PAR with SI, participants were enabled to gain a greater appreciation of how cooperation and collective self-reflection enhance effective place branding practices. Furthermore, by facilitating participants to compile a list of impediments to collaboration, the research informs efforts to develop more inclusive governance models for place branding. Finally, the PAR/SI method itself served as a practical tool to encourage enhanced stakeholder engagement in applied settings.Research limitations/implicationsThe approach is based on a single case study in a particular regional context and the findings require replication in other jurisdictions.Practical implicationsPAR/SI is a practical tool to achieve greater stakeholder engagement and enhance collaborative social action through a process of collective, critical reflection in applied settings.Originality/valueThe paper advances understanding of ways to operationalize participatory place branding through more inclusive, multistakeholder governance arrangements.

The critical role of stakeholder engagement in a place branding strategy: a case study of the Empordà brand

ABSTRACT This article investigates the role of local stakeholders in the development and implementation of the place branding strategy of the northern Catalan region Empordà. Stakeholder-oriented and participatory approaches towards both place branding and spatial planning provide the theoretical background. The research involved an initial SWOT Analysis, fifteen thematic focus groups and nineteen semi-structured interviews with local stakeholders, as well as a paper-based and on-line questionnaire that opened the process of the brand's conceptualization to all residents. The article discusses the development of the brand, the revision of the storytelling for the territory and the proposal for the logo and slogan ‘Empordà, tocat pels déus’ [Empordà, Touched by the Gods]. On the one hand, the case study demonstrates the value of participatory place branding processes showing that local communities become brand advocates when they are involved throughout the development of a place brand. On the other hand, it highlights the challenges to participatory planning and governance within place brand management, especially when strategic thinking turns into a short-term public-policy approach. The article argues for a more participatory governance of the place brand and reinforces that stakeholder engagement is essential in establishing stronger links between place branding and spatial planning.

Co-created visual narratives and inclusive place branding: a socially responsible approach to residents\u2019 participation and engagement

This paper discusses the importance of co-created visual narratives in developing participatory and inclusive place branding. We refer to the need for a socially responsible approach when considering place branding policies and practices. For this purpose, we develop and empirically apply a novel framework with four interconnected phases comprising place-based contextualization, re-appreciation, re-positioning, and consolidation of residents’ perceptions, experiences and aspirations to develop and initiate inclusive place branding processes. Using participatory research and collaborative visual methods, we worked with a group of residents in Carvalhal de Vermilhas, Portugal. This work stimulated the co-development of collective agency to consider narratives, values and identities to be articulated for creating and promoting more inclusive representation of place in a (hypothetical) branding exercise. The framework application as well as its challenges and limitations, particularly in co-creation processes, were critically deliberated at all phases. Collaborative visual techniques from our analysis emerge as valuable participatory tools for researchers towards improving residents’ participation in place branding, and therefore contributing towards a more inclusive form of this practice. However, we are also aware of the perils associated with communities’ opening up their pristine heritage to touristic ventures, and hence suggest considering the importance of sustainable place-shaping in all branding decisions.

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.

Universities as stakeholders that influence students’ intention to visit a place

Place branding is gaining significance as destinations compete for scarce resources and visitors. Universities have great potential to influence the attitudes and behavioral intentions of the next generation of visitors, yet little research exists that explores the role or impact universities have on place branding. Using the Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 1991), we therefore tested the influence that universities have on individuals’ attitudes toward and intention to visit Turkey. Data analyzed from 226 students suggest that universities influenced potential visitor attitudes, which led to the forming of behavioral intention to visit a particular country, and eventually resulted in actual behavior (visiting Turkey). To build value and attract visitors, universities should be involved in the place branding processes. This paper fills this gap and contributes to the literature by analyzing the impact of universities’ activities on the formation of visitor intentions to visit Turkey.

Creative food clusters and rural development through place branding: Culinary tourism initiatives in Stratford and Muskoka, Ontario, Canada

This paper analyzes the place branding processes of two not-for-profit organizations that are engaged in promoting rural development based on the formation of food clusters through creative economy perspectives. Particular attention is given to exploring the nature of stakeholder collaboration and communication in relation to the contrasting organizational approaches of the organizations, Savour Stratford and Savour Muskoka in Ontario, Canada. The comparative case study, which was based primarily on interviews with key informants as well as the organizations' publications and web presence, illustrates how the differing processes of two emergent food clusters contribute to the successes and challenges of creative rural development.

Exploring Synergies between Place Branding and Agricultural Landscape Management as a Rural Development Practice

AbstractThis article explores the synergies between place branding and agricultural landscape management as a rural development practice. We hypothesise that place branding strategy can be used as a process to combat the homogenisation of regions and help to build networks and institutions that strengthen rural development. In order to explore these synergies an extended case study was undertaken in four Belgian regions that display major differences in their place branding processes and agricultural characteristics. The research revealed that in all four cases vital coalitions are being formed between the organisations involved in place branding and local farmers, and that both parties have benefited as a result. Intensive and transparent communication within the place branding process has proven to be essential in strengthening these synergies.

Branding Knowledge-intensive Regions: A Comparative Study of Pisa and Oulu High-Tech Brands

Place marketing and branding have drawn much attention both in the literature and in practice especially in the 1990s and 2000s. However, the research literature of place branding related to the dynamic evolution of knowledge-intensive regions is limited. This article aims at providing an analysis of place branding processes in knowledge-intensive regions in relation to the evolution of their high-tech clusters, in an attempt to identify the relation between brand development and cluster performance from a longitudinal perspective. The article discusses the results of a multiple case study, including Pisa, Italy and Oulu, Finland. The findings suggest that, in these two cases, branding consisted more in labelling an existing economic phenomenon rather than in fostering or having a bet on it in a visionary way. This is related to the political nature of branding which may provoke a mismatch between the timing of the high-tech cluster dynamics and the timing of branding initiatives, a mismatch which is likely to affect branding effectiveness and which should be considered when evaluating branding impacts.

Branding From Above: Generic Cultural Branding in Shetland and other Islands

This paper considers the development of a generic cultural brand for islands. In 2002, Shetland’s local government and the Corporate Edge consultancy developed a modernized, internationally-oriented Shetland brand. This official brand conflicts with Shetlanders’ traditional, locally-oriented identity concept, which has impeded the brand’s success. With emphasis on printed tourism marketing materials, Shetland’s experience is compared with those of other European islands. This comparison highlights a predominance of cultural island brands emphasizing modernity and old-fashionedness. Finally, this paper looks at problems with top-down place branding and suggests that those involved in centralized place branding processes take local identity into account.

Creating meaning on main street: Towards a model of place branding

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to theoretical development in place branding in two ways. First, we seek to refine the terms place brand and place branding, and differentiate these from other commonly used marketing terms. Secondly, we seek to distinguish place branding processes from contemporary branding models in four key areas. These areas, identified through a literature review, include product development, brand identity, brand building activities, and brand management. Drawing on findings from an ethnographic study conducted in a central business district (CBD) in the Midwest United States, we tentatively suggest how socio-cultural features of places affect the development of place brands. A long-term field investigation of a Midwestern American Main Street is presented in an extended case study format. Participant observation, depth and field interviews, and secondary data collection are the primary methods employed. This study challenges the view that place brands are developed and managed by a subset of actors drawn from local industry and tourist offices, suggesting how the creation of a place brand may emerge in communities of place. In this study, marketplace actors co-produced marketplace meanings, but disagreed about the valence of these. There were tensions and inconsistencies in actors’ views about development of the CBD in economic, political, social, and cultural ways. Yet, there were socially acceptable variations in marketplace meanings because, as it has in other settings, the social structure has fostered tolerance or reconciliation of differences. Our data suggest that place brands are socially and culturally embedded, and co-created and reified by social actors. Unlike traditional brands, place brands may be sufficiently malleable to support varied brand interpretations. It is the multifaceted and social nature of place brand identities that may make conventional branding models insufficient for place branding efforts. This paper was designed to prompt interest in additional theoretical scholarship as it relates to place branding, and may be of interest to place marketers, rural economists, city planners, and economic development agencies for its focus on sociological aspects of small city commercial centres. Key findings in the place branding literature are reviewed and directions for further theoretical development of a model of place branding are suggested.

‘All for One, One for All’: communicative processes of co-creation of place brands through inclusive and horizontal stakeholder collaborative networks

This paper examines stakeholder communication and interaction dynamics in place branding processes in order to inform alternative participatory place branding models. The paper draws from critical communications and branding theory to argue that place brand identities are the result of mediated messages in the public sphere. Consequently, place branding processes need to be observed as communicative exchanges. Through a case study of Australia’s southern and only island state of Tasmania, the research employs participatory action research combined with the method of sociological intervention to explore stakeholders’ communicative interaction patterns and engagement in place branding processes. Participants representing formal and informal stakeholders engaged in communicating meaning about places were invited to participate in a series of interviews and focus group discussions that allowed a unique self-reflective process and analysis of practices and power-geometries. The proposed quasi-real scenario led to an understanding of the impediments for communication and to scoping alternative modes of engagement towards effective stakeholder communication to support the development of resilient place brand identities. The findings of the exploration contribute to theoretical development of the field by providing an analysis of the nature of stakeholder interactions and communication patterns, impediments and opportunities for greater communication and collaboration towards a common purpose. On a practical level, the study can also inform the development of participatory models of place brand development. Finally, the method proposed here can serve as a practical tool to foster stakeholder engagement in processes of cocreation of place brand identities.