Mihalis Kavaratzis

The dynamics of place brands: An identity-based approach to place branding theory

This article introduces a novel approach towards place branding theory, adopting a view based on the relationship between the place brand and place identity. The article first evaluates the dominant conceptualization of identity within place branding. It is argued that better understanding of the relationship between place identity and place brands might advance the theory of place branding. In its current state, place branding practice and, to a great extent, place branding literature adopt a rather static view on place identity as something that can easily be articulated and communicated for the purposes of branding the place. This approach is limited as it does not reveal the full complexity of place identity and limits the role and potential of place branding. The article, drawing on a combination of the literatures on place identity and organisational identity, proposes a more dynamic view of place identity that considers identity a constant dialogue between the internal and the external. The role of branding within the identity dialogue is then clarified leading to an appreciation of the full dynamics of place brands. The true nature of place branding is revealed as one of interaction and dialogue between stakeholders.

Place marketing. How did we get here and where are we going

Purpose – This paper serves two purposes. First, to identify the stages of the historical development of place marketing, because place marketing has developed over time through discrete phases, which differ in their sophistication as well as in their approaches and objectives. Secondly, to identify and articulate significant issues, which will determine the “way forward” for place marketing.Design/methodology/approach – Place marketing has been shaped by developments within marketing science and cognate disciplines but also by the external historical contexts at various spatial scales that determined its assumptions, goals and priorities. A concordance of a number of approaches to the evolution of place marketing is attempted and from this, conclusions are drawn about the current assumptions upon which place marketing is based.Findings – Seven issues are identified that appear to hinder marketing implementation from delivering its full contribution and are suggested here as significant for the future of ...

My city – my brand: the different roles of residents in place branding

Purpose – This paper deals with the importance of residents within place branding. The aim of this paper is to examine the different roles that residents play in the formation and communication of place brands and explores the implications for place brand management.Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on theoretical insights drawn from the combination of the distinct literatures on place branding, general marketing, tourism, human geography, and collaborative governance. To support its arguments, the paper discusses the participation of citizens in governance processes as highlighted in the urban governance literature as well as the debate among marketing scholars over participatory marketing and branding.Findings – The paper arrive at three different roles played by the residents: as an integral part of the place brand through their characteristics and behavior; as ambassadors for their place brand who grant credibility to any communicated message; and as citizens and voters who are vital fo...

From “necessary evil” to necessity: stakeholders' involvement in place branding

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to focus on the role of stakeholders in the creation, development and ultimately ownership of place brands. The paper contributes towards laying the foundations of a participatory view of place branding. It establishes an urgent need to rethink place branding towards a more participation‐oriented practice. This is based on the centrality of stakeholders in the creation, development and ownership of place brands. The role of stakeholders goes well beyond that of customers/consumers as they are citizens who legitimize place brands and heavily influence their meaning.Design/methodology/approach – The paper highlights a turn towards stakeholder‐oriented place branding in recent literature. This is contrasted to a critical evaluation of place branding practice where stakeholders are paid “lip service” regarding their participation, rather than being given opportunities to get more fully involved in the development of their place brand.Findings – An emerging discussion is ...

Towards Effective Place Brand Management

Many facets of place branding, such as identities, image, promotion or sense of place, have been around for a long time. However, the need to analyse their nature in the context of branding and to examine their relationships in detail has grown rapidly in the last decade or so, as places all over the world have put branding activities higher than ever in their agenda. This important new book examines and clarifies key aspects of the recently popularised concept of place branding, expounding many controversies, confusions and discords in the field.

Rethinking the place brand: the interactive formation of place brands and the role of participatory place branding

This article attempts to ‘rethink’ place brands after examining in detail how people form them in their minds. The article starts with a very brief account of the place branding literature to provide the necessary background and goes on to identify what we see as a shortcoming in current understanding of the place brand: the dominant idea that brands are formed as sums of mental associations. The article attempts to take current understanding of place brands further by going beyond associations and adding a missing element: the interactions between those associations. We propose a rethinking of place brands based on two pillars: first we incorporate more geographical understanding into place branding and, second, we outline a process that allows place elements and placebased associations to combine and form the place brand. The place brand formation process starts when people use place-making elements (materiality, practices, institutions and representations) to form mental associations with the place. These associations are not static but evolve and change over time as they interact with each other on several dimensions. These interactions constitute the way in which the place brand is formed. The argumentation leads to a novel conceptualization of the role of place branding in the above processes. The practical applicability and implications of the proposed rethinking of place brands suggested here are explored in detail through the examination of the branding process followed recently in Bogotá, Colombia, where our approach to place branding has found practical application.

The Need to Rethink Place Branding

This chapter argues for the need to rethink the theory and practice of place branding and in doing so, it outlines the rationale for this book. We propose four major questions that guide the rethinking undertaken here: (a) why is place branding important? (b) what builds place brands? (c) who builds place brands? and (d) what is place brand management? Possible answers to these questions are given throughout the book and, while not always explicitly, all chapters collectively attempt to provide a clearer appreciation of their interrelations. The chapter ends with a brief description of each chapter and its contribution.

What can We Learn from City Marketing Practice

What can We Learn from City Marketing Practice? It is evident in contemporary urban studies that the interest in city marketing both as a practice within urban centre management and as an academic sub-discipline has accelerated. There remain, however, several issues that need clarification before an agreement can be reached as to the exact effects and potential of city marketing as a tool of economic and socio-cultural development. A particular gap can be noticed between theoretical suggestions on the ways in which marketing should be understood and used within cities and the practical implementation as this can be observed in contemporary cities. A common view on this issue highlights the need for practitioners to follow theoretical ideas but the practice can also be a source of useful lessons that might enrich the theory. This paper investigates marketing and branding practices of two European cities in order to extract from the practice lessons that will support the theoretical development of city marketing and city branding and might contribute towards bridging this gap. The cities investigated are Amsterdam and Budapest, both of which provide valuable insights into the challenges of an effective city marketing implementation.

Rethinking destination image formation

Purpose – This paper aims to contribute to conceptualization of destination image (DI) and shed light on the overlooked socio-cultural aspects of tourism along with recent technological changes. It endeavours to develop a framework to conceptualize DI formation considering socio-cultural, political, historical and technological influences. Design/methodology/approach – Unlike the orthodoxy in tourism research, tourism phenomenon is approached from a wider social science perspective. To cast light on the progress in DI research, a critical literature review is followed by evaluation of the well-known DI formation frameworks in tourism literature. Seminal articles, cornerstones of DI studies, are critically discussed in this paper. While stressing the prominence of these studies, their shortcomings are also examined. Findings – The paper introduces a novel framework of DI formation that helps bring DI research further through a wider socio-cultural perspective. The framework incorporates holistic characteri...

Why Brand the Future with the Past? The Roles of Heritage in the Construction and Promotion of Place Brand Reputations

In the late 1980s, when academic attention regarding the application of marketing approaches to the selling of places was in its infancy, a number of exploratory studies of deliberately promoted place images was undertaken in The Netherlands. The starting point was Burgess’s (1982) seminal study on the content of local authority promoted images in the UK, where she identified the four main elements as being centrality, dynamism, identity and quality of life. An investigation of the content of the text and illustration of all 16 medium-sized cities in The Netherlands (Voogd and van de Wijk 1989) revealed the unanticipated conclusion that historical elements were being used widely in campaigns designed principally to attract exogenous investment. Official brochures and printed advertising material (in a pre-website era) stressed historical events and personalities associated with the place, and even lengthy descriptions of armorial bearings and local monumental buildings. It seemed strange that city councils and their consultants should so emphasize historical elements over contemporary attributes, which would seem of more immediate relevance to a commercial enterprise such as accessibility, shopping, retailing, recreation or other facilities.