My city – my brand

The different roles of residents in place branding

Bibliographic Data

ID19612366
AuthorsErik Braun (0000-0001-7359-6018, Erasmus University Rotterdam), Mihalis Kavaratzis (0000-0001-5933-0651, University of Leicester), Sebastian Zenker (0000-0003-0623-6391, Erasmus University Rotterdam)
EditorsAres Kalandides
Year2013
Volume6
Issue1
Pages18-28
Publication date2013-02-27
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Place Management and Development (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1753-8335 • E-ISSN: 1753-8343
PublisherEmerald Publishing Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1108/17538331311306087
OpenAlexW2000093815
LanguageEN
Citations received128
References cited38

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 for the political legitimization of place branding. These three roles make the residents a very significant target group of place branding. Originality/value Residents are largely neglected by place branding practice and their priorities are often misunderstood, even though they are not passive beneficiaries but are active partners and co‐producers of public goods, services and policies. This paper highlights that only meaningful participation and consultation can produce a more effective and sustainable place branding strengthening the brand communication and avoiding the pitfall of developing “artificial” place brands

Brand management · Business · Citizen journalism · Corporate branding · Corporate governance · Credibility · Originality · Place Branding · Political science · Politics · Public relations · Qualitative research · Sociology · Tourism · Consumer Behavior in Brand Consumption and Identification · Customer Service Quality and Loyalty · Diverse Aspects of Tourism Research · Marketing

Tools

Open DOISci-HubOpen Access