Robert Govers

Cover Blurb

How will places continue to compete for the attention of potential investors, migrant workers, traders, students or tourists in an overcrowded globalised and increasingly online market? Whilst place branding has been around, this book provides a new perspective on this subject. In particular, it capitalizes on gaps across the virtual and physical global economy and builds a comprehensive and structured overview of the relevant principles, philosophies, fundamentals and models. Beyond logos and slogans, spin and gloss, it links concepts of place identity, projected image, product offering, consumption experience and perceived image in their full coverage and in an orderly theoretically modeled manner, dividing the book in relevant parts and chapters. Each part consists of a theoretical chapter and relevant research based case studies. A unique, recurring and scrupulously analyzed best practice signature case study is Dubai, but also Flanders (Belgium), Florida, Morocco, Singapore. The Canary Islands, The Netherlands (and its province of Zeeland), and Wales are referred to. The concluding part of the book then provides a practical, but comprehensive model that guides practitioners, students and researchers in the application of place branding.

Preface

The topic of place branding is moving from its infant stage into adolescence. In application it is receiving widespread attention: many regions, cities and nations have established their place brand, are working on it, or have at least already given it some thought. However, there is a dearth of publications that deal with the topic in a comprehensive manner. That is to say, most titles emphasize one aspect, such as principles, case studies or specific areas of research, as opposed to treating the subject in its full breadth. While these, and practical guides on place branding, can offer highly valuable contributions, what seems to be missing is a textbook that brings the fundamentals, design and methods together in a systematic format that is academically grounded, but at the same time useful for practice. This is the void that the present volume is trying to fill.

Simon Anholt, in his 2007 book Competitive Identity, puts it well: ‘although the usual context of brand theory may be buying and selling and promoting consumer goods, this is a thin layer that covers some of the hardest philosophical questions one can tackle: the nature of perception and reality, the relationship between objects and their representation, the phenomena of mass psychology, the mysteries of national identity, leadership, culture and social cohesion, and much more besides’. Many of these questions will be addressed in this book. It departs from the assumption that a principles-based approach to place branding should help readers to achieve a balance between the conceptual and the practical, private and public interest, the potential conflict between continuity as captured in the heritage of place and change in the culture of any society. Therefore the present text on place branding, while dealing among other things with topics such as the importance of creating a logo and slogan, it does not offer quick solutions. Instead, it follows principles that we believe can, if applied diligently, help the reader to develop an understanding that place branding encompasses a process unfolding in phases, each with its own challenges and opportunities. Accordingly, the present text embraces the following principles. It is:

Systematic. One can read in the existing literature on the topic that it is linked to concepts such as place identity, image and consumption experience of place. Authors have acknowledged the relevance of processes of globalization versus localization, and the tension or parallels between virtual and physical worlds, but what do all these concepts really mean? What are their impacts on place brands? How can they be studied? On all of these topics there is a significant body of knowledge, once in a while referred to or expanded upon by place branding experts, but most often, unfortunately (but understandably so) outside of their span of control. The present volume attempts to place the many sources of knowledge within the place branding literature in a systematic framework so that readers can understand the antecedents of the subject, the state-of-the-art of place branding, and where the study of place branding appears to be heading.

Applied scientifically. This book is useful for researchers and students who want to acquire a broader and in-depth understanding of the domain; but at the same time, it is also a book for those practitioners who are looking for a little more profundity and support to underpin their existing knowledge and skills. The main body of the book builds on an accessible 3-gap model that brings all aspects of place branding together. Theoretical chapters provide insight into the relevant concepts, and case studies provide examples of application and, particularly, relevant areas of research that are of interest to academics as well as practitioners as they provide input into the place branding process. A second model, presented in the concluding section, provides an overview of this branding process and the important elements it encompasses; again, a useful frame of reference for practitioners.

Practical. One of the aims of this book is to explore the subject with the hope that the resulting dialogue will help to develop strategies and policies that can aid both the regeneration of local economies and the preservation and enrichment of local cultures and natural environments. With the term ‘culture’, we include all those elements, material and immaterial, that comprise people’s distinct character, expressed through a blend of monuments, relics, contemporary society and business. Every part of the book features a chapter of what we refer to as the volume’s signature case, Dubai. This rapidly developing city state in the Middle East has done a tremendous job, many would argue, in creating for itself an impressive global brand presence through the bold actions of building attractive product offerings – mega-projects, investment opportunities and tourism experience icons – while, riding the waves of attention that these projects receive, building themselves a strong projected image. This success, its historical background, the results, the actors, the future perspective, the success factors and implications for the Dubai brand are all described in detail in one of the early chapters. The first author’s residency in Dubai between 1999 and 2003, his frequent visits afterwards and the research he conducted there, provide a unique insight. It is the research that also questions the sustainability of the Dubai brand as risks of an identity crisis, inconsistent projected images and erratic perceived images in Western markets in particular seem to be a threat, as will be illustrated in later chapters on research into case Dubai. Besides Dubai, other cases such as Flanders (Belgium), the Netherlands and its province Zeeland, but also perceived image research on Morocco, Florida, Singapore, Wales and the Canary Islands will be presented. These are not descriptive case studies of what happened when and where, but are analytical, providing an insight into research methods that are useful for place branding; hence, again, useful for both academics and practitioners.

In summary, in writing this book, the authors have tried to present place branding in a systematic, applied scientific and practical way from a design and methods perspective. Readers will find this book helpful because of the following features:

First, it explains in detail what place branding is, why it has become increasingly important in our globalized world, and how it is rooted in long-established world views.
Second, it provides a thorough overview of concepts and issues that are central or closely related to place branding, and how they can be exploited to build strong place brands.
Third, it provides an insight into relevant bodies of knowledge for transfer to practical application.

Whether the authors have succeeded or not depends on you, the readers, and how you interpret and are able to make use of its concepts and techniques. The authors look forward to your feedback.

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‘The Truth about Amsterdam’ wins Dutch City Marketing Award

Robert Govers - 17 January 2010 - 95x read

By: Robert Govers (jury member)
On January 14th, the Dutch Network of City Marketing professionals handed out the first City Marketing Innovation award to the Amsterdam Tourism and Convention Bureau (ATCB) for their innovative www.TruthaboutAmsterdam.com viral campaign. One of www.Placebrandz.com‘s co-founders was part of the jury.
ATCB reacted to a very negative discussion about Amsterdam and... Read more (177 words)

The image of brand Dubai is dented, Nation Branding Masterclass well timed - Get "speaker's friend" rate at Nation Branding Masterclass Dubai - Place Branding Cases on www.placebrandz.com - Our Place Branding Principles on www.placebrandz.com - www.placebrandz.com Active

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