the key role of culture in place brand strategy for destinations, cities and nations

The Role of Culture in City Branding

Lessons for Country & City Brand Strategy

Content of presentation

• My take on place & destination branding

• The important role of culture in city &

nation branding

• What can we learn from city branding?

• Communication lessons for country

branding

What is place branding about?

Some places think that place branding is about a

new logo and catchy tag line

What is place branding about?

Historically place branding has been concerned with

selling places to tourists

What is place branding about?

And it’s also typically been concerned with selling

places to inward investors

What is place branding about?

And in the past many place brand

strategies have ignored internal domestic

audiences

What is place branding about?

Brand strategies are increasingly about the

retention and attraction of talent

What is place branding about?

Brand strategies are increasingly about the

retention and attraction of business

What is place branding about?

Its about planning, improving and

developing the offer and experience

What is place branding about?

It’s about communicating

the Offer and Experience

What is place branding about?

It’s about communicating to target market

audiences (internal & external)

What is place branding about?

It’s about telling the story of your place

What is place and destination branding?

It’s about where you have come from

What is place and destination branding?

It’s about where you are now

What is place and destination branding?

It’s about where you are going to

It’s about where you are going to

What’s the role of culture in place branding?

What’s the role of culture in place branding?

Culture is a powerful attractor

What’s the role of culture in place branding?

Culture is a powerful differentiator of place

What’s the role of culture in place branding?

Culture is a powerful definer of place

What’s the role of culture in place branding?

What do we mean by culture?

What’s the role of culture in place branding?

Is it limited to the arts?

Or is it more than that?

What’s the role of culture in place branding?

Images of people in place

transmit culture

What’s the role of culture in place branding?

Food transmits culture

What’s the role of culture in place branding?

Architecture transmits culture

What’s the role of culture in place branding?

Textiles transmit culture

What’s the role of culture in place branding?

Events transmit culture

What’s the role of culture in place branding?

City and national governance transmit

culture

What’s the role of culture in place branding?

How we educate our people and care for their welfare transmits our culture

What’s the role of culture in place branding?

How we house our people

transmits our culture

What can we learn from city branding?

What can we learn from city branding?

We need to build partnerships

We need to be inclusive

What can we learn from city branding?

We need to build associations

between people in place

What can we learn from city branding?

We need to foster & encourage

involvement

What can we learn from city branding?

We need participative leadership

What can we learn from city branding?

We need to harness

the private sector

What can we learn from city branding?

We need to harness

the power of community

What can we learn from Cork’s

approach to place brand strategy?

Where is Cork?

Cork Region brand strategy

Objectives

• Elevate Cork/increase awareness

• Attract & retain talented people

• Attract inward investment

• Support sustainable business growth

• Increase employment opportunities

• Attract visitors and their spend

• Generate wealth for Cork & Ireland

Cork - overall brand proposition

A powerful mix for your success

(In the best small country in the world to do business)

Cork brand strategy

Essentially an economic development brand

proposition

Cork Brand Attributes

The cultural offer attracts tourists, learners, workers,

investors and also retains people

Cork case study

Traditional culture supports the economic

brand proposition

Cork brand strategy

Culturally rich heritage and offer

Cork Opera House

Cork – Everyman Theatre

Cork – pub culture

Cork – live music in pubs

Cork – live street music

Cork – Gaelic sports culture

Cork – cosmopolitan food culture

Cork – a culture of conservation

Cork – a culture of innovation

Cork – a culture of independent thinking

Cork – a live Gaelic culture

Cork Cultural Assets - Festivals

Cork – key cultural brand messages

Core Brand Proposition

Cork is “Big on Life”

Cork – key cultural brand messages

Cork is a great place to move to for work and

to live, with the bonus of a vibrant and

varied cultural offer

Cork – key brand messages

Cork offers you insights into traditional

Irish culture

Cork – Quality of life brand messages

You can meet on a mountain

top after work, sail around a

harbour, along the Atlantic

coast or visit an island by boat

Cork – Quality of life brand messages

We conserve and protect our natural assets for the

benefit of future generations

Cork – Quality of life brand messages

Cork is a place that puts you at ease

Cork – Quality of life brand messages

Cork is a place that captures

your heart and soul through

its spirit

Communicating culture in place brands

Culture differentiates your place

Communicating culture in place brands

Events locate your place in the mind

Communicating culture in place brands

Live culture characterises your place

Communicating culture in place brands

Your people transmit your culture

Be clear and consistent on your messaging

One story does not tell all

One image and one identity rarely do a

place justice

Be focussed on your messaging

Don’t assume your audiences are all alike

Avoid the temptation to tell everybody everywhere everything about your offer all of the time

Don’t create a dissonant Tower of Babel

A important thought to take away

Regarding nation branding and culture…..

“What countries need is for people around the world to

have a richer, deeper, more complex, more nuanced, more

democratic, more chaotic, more human view of their land,

their population and their civilisation—not a fabricated

stereotype to replace the inherited stereotype.”

Simon Anholt

Thank You

Malcolm AllanManaging Director

Placematters Ltd

P: +44 1342 829 012

M: +44 7803 356 310

E: malcolm.allan@placematters.co

W: www.placematters.co

Twitter: @MalkyAllan

Blog:

www.malcolmallan-placebrander.blogspot.co.uk

Member UK Academy of Urbanism

Member US Placemaking Leadership Council