The “who” and “how” of place marketing

The role of the private sector in Rutherford County, North Carolina

Bibliographic Data

ID12145033
AuthorsAshley Ownbey (Rutherfordton, NC, USA, corresponding author)
Year2017
Volume34
Issue3
Pages352-372
Publication date2017-01-18
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Cultural Geography (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0887-3631 • E-ISSN: 1940-6320
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/08873631.2016.1270705
OpenAlexW2572819868
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited14

Private sector actors are often viewed as a part of the outcome for an economic development project. The assumption, however, ignores the early role of the private sector in marketing places for firm recruitment. Through a study of two recruitment projects in Rutherford County, North Carolina, I examine the points of entry of private sector actors in the place marketing process. Data gathered from interviews and primary sources reveal that the private sector is actively leading the recruitment of firms and the marketing of places. This paper shows how private sector actors produce knowledge about places, market a place within their own interests, and shape a government’s agenda through their involvement in place marketing. Examining economic development actors as active place-makers reveals how, through place marketing processes, these actors incorporate their own interests in the construction of place

Business · Business-to-government · Economic growth · Economics · Government (linguistics · Marketing mix · Political science · Private sector · Public relations · Public Sector Marketing · Return on marketing investment · Customer Service Quality and Loyalty · Diverse Aspects of Tourism Research · Migration, Ethnicity, and Economy · Marketing