Evan Cleave

Competitiveness through cooperation: Analysis of spatial patterns and inter-jurisdictional collaboration in the place branding of Ontario communities, Canada

Place branding is an important tool of economic development, underpinned by neoliberal policy and the processes of global competitiveness as communities at all geographic scales are becoming the primary nexus for economic development, and are forced to compete with one another for finite resources, direct investment, talent and immigrants, and tourism. Within the framework of global competition, it is often argued that communities can undertake inter-jurisdictional cooperation to enhance their competitiveness. To this end, this paper attempts to fill a gap in place branding literature by examining whether there are clusters of communities that currently have the potential to cooperate in their branding efforts. This research uses spatial autocorrelation of place brands amongst the communities of Ontario, Canada, to identify potential global patterns in branding and groups of neighbouring communities with similar brand messages. The results of this analysis show that Ontario has the potential for as many as 20 clusters in a variety of economic sectors. The existence of these clusters, therefore, provides a template for future place branding policy development within the province, allowing the participating communities an opportunity to remain relevant against global competitors.

Is it sound policy or fast policy? Practitioners’ perspectives on the role of place branding in local economic development

ABSTRACT In response to neoliberal policies and globalization pressures over the past three decades, urban governments in advanced economies have, with near-unanimity, adopted place branding as an approach to foster local economic growth. Framed as an outcome of multilevel neoliberal policymaking and local entrepreneurial governance, place branding has been adopted by urban places at all scales and geographic contexts with little regard for its efficacy. It is unclear, however, whether place branding represents a substantive approach, or is merely an emerging example of a neoliberal scripting. In many regards, the debate surrounding place branding is similar to the discourse on the Creative Class a decade ago. Consequently, uncertainty exists regarding whether place branding reflects practical and responsible urban governance or a superficial, fast policy with limited potential to foster local development. To date, little is known about how practitioners perceive place branding as a policy tool in the context of economic development. This study examines the perceptions of economic development practitioners regarding how place branding is being developed and implemented as a policy tool. The analysis is based on in-depth interviews with economic development practitioners (n = 25) from a wide range of municipalities in Ontario. Findings of this study indicate that while opportunity exists for place branding to represent in-depth and extensive local development policy, it is more generally an urban development script for creating a sense of place and fostering local economic development. Additionally, the majority of place branding policy represents superficial policy, emphasizing hegemonic approaches. Place branding can therefore be explained as an example of fast policy.

The role of place branding in local and regional economic development: bridging the gap between policy and practicality

Place branding has become an increasingly integral part of local and regional economic development strategies in the global competition for business investment. Professional and academic understanding remains limited, however, regarding whether place branding can be classified as a ‘high-road’ policy with substantive and effective merits or a ‘low-road’ policy that is generally inefficient and ineffective at fostering sustainable economic growth. Through the context of business attraction, this study examines whether place branding represents ‘high-road’ policy by comparing what economic development practitioners are doing to create and support their brands against the needs and desires of businesses considering relocation. The research goal is achieved through a series of in-depth interviews with economic development practitioners (n = 25) and private-sector site selectors (n = 10) in the province of Ontario, Canada. Gaps between policy and practicality are identified by comparing the responses of the two groups. Results demonstrate that place branding has the potential to be ‘high-road’ policy given its utility in business attraction. In its current implementation, however, place branding remains better described as a ‘low-road’ policy, as it is not being used efficiently. Several gaps in place-branding policy are identified, including an overreliance on visual identities and narratives, poor communication of the brand information, and overemphasis on presenting quality of life and affordability. These gaps present possible areas of ineffectiveness that can limit the ability of a place brand to attract investment, but provide areas of future policy improvements, thus enabling place branding to shift from ‘low road’ to ‘high road’.

The experiences of front-line service providers of Housing First programme delivery in three communities in Ontario, Canada

In many OECD countries, the Housing First (HF) approach has emerged as a leading social policy for addressing the needs of populations experiencing chronic homelessness combined with a dual diagnosis of substance abuse issues and mental health illnesses. The HF model is an evidence-based practice for housing the long-term homeless population; as such, much of the current scholarship has focused on evaluating the outcomes for participants. This paper adds to the empirical understanding of the HF model from the perspective of service providers. The paper is based on an analysis of interviews with service providers from HF programmes in three communities in Ontario, Canada. The service providers considered the HF model to be the most effective approach to housing chronically homeless people. However, the analysis underscored challenges with implementation: lack of housing stock, lack of housing options, unwillingness of landlords to participate in the programmes, and the need for rent supplement. The analysis addresses the need to capture the perspectives of practitioners tasked with implementing the HF model. Empirical findings and recommendations may provide useful lessons for local communities and housing organisations in countries implementing the model, as well as those considering implementation.

A comparative analysis of place branding in Michigan and Ontario

Place branding has increasingly been adopted as a municipal initiative to change the trajectory of local economic development. Specifically, local municipalities and communities have used place branding not only as a response to the influence of globalization and neo-liberalism, but also economic challenges and restructuring. Like any other initiative, the ultimate goal is to enhance the economic and social well-being of local jurisdictions. Although a popular strategy, it is not clear if and how locally specific factors mediate the process. By comparing two cross-border geographical areas, this study attempts to identify how regional variability in the manifestation of political-economic forces, as well as geographical influences, affects the use of place branding at local scales. Every municipality in Michigan (n = 1774) and Ontario (n = 414) was systematically examined for the presence and message of local place brands as presented through logos and slogans. The comparative analysis demonstrated that Ontario’s municipalities utilized place branding to a greater extent, and that the dominant messages differ by region. Further, this analysis shows that – beyond political differences – geographical context appears to have an effect on both local place branding usage and message.

Putting a number on place: a systematic review of place branding influence

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to systematically review and evaluate critically what is known about the attempts made to quantify the influence of place branding from a geographic perspective. In particular, this study reviews how scholars have conceptualized and measured place branding influence and provides directions for future research. Design/methodology/approach Through a systematic review of seven databases using an a priori defined search string, 39 articles attempting to quantify place branding influence were identified. These studies were reviewed and the paper information was used to explore how place branding research has thus far quantified branding’s influence. Findings There is a clear compatibility between place branding and human geography research domains, with a potential for place branding influence to be conceptualized through the sense-of-place, which has implications for place equity and consumer decision-making. Much of the existing studies have conceptualized influence through place equity, revealing potential performance indicators for its quantification. Research limitations/implications This study is based on research papers that attempt to quantify the effectiveness of place branding of urban areas. Limitations include the exclusion of qualitative studies which may provide alternative approaches to determine place branding outcomes. Originality value As a systematic review, the main contribution of this paper is a contemporary overview of how place branding influence has been quantified. It also provides valuable insights into the policy formulation and its implementation.

Reaching a ‘Critical Mass’: Analysis of Interregional Place Branding Amongst Communities in Ontario, Canada

Place branding is now a major policy tool of communities attempting to enhance the economic and fiscal health of their communities. It is considered vital within the current global economic climate characterized by an intense inter-territorial competition for mobile talent, business, and investment. In recent years, however, cooperative approach to local and regional development has been suggested as a prudent way to ensure competitiveness and attain relevancy. Cooperative approach allows individual communities reach a critical mass of population, resources, and political infrastructure. The analysis in this chapter attempts to fill a gap in place branding literature by examining whether there are clusters of communities that currently have the potential to cooperate in their branding efforts. This research uses spatial autocorrelation of place brands amongst the communities of Ontario, Canada, to identify potential groups of neighbouring communities with similar brand agenda and compares them to existing collaborative efforts. The results of this analysis show that Ontario has the potential for at least eleven clusters in a variety of economic sectors, different from the existing cooperative efforts that exist. The identification of these clusters, therefore, provides a template for future place branding policy development within the province, allowing the participating communities an opportunity to remain relevant against increasing global competition.