ARTICLE | "My City - My Brand: The Role of Residents in Place Branding"

ABSTRACT

Authors: Erik BRAUN, Mihalis KAVARATZIS & Sebastian ZENKER (2011) - Journal of Place Management and Development

This article discusses the importance of residents in place branding. The aim is to examine the different roles that residents play in the formation and communication of place brands and to explore the implications for place brand management. Design/methodology/approach - The paper is based on theoretical ideas drawn from the combination of distinct literatures on place branding, general marketing, tourism, human geography and collaborative governance. To support its arguments, the article examines citizen participation in governance processes, as highlighted in the literature on urban governance, as well as the debate among marketers on participatory marketing and branding. Results - The article highlights three different roles played by residents: they are an integral part of place branding through their characteristics and behavior; they are ambassadors of their place brand and lend credibility to any message communicated; finally, they are citizens and voters essential to the political legitimization of place branding. These three roles make residents a very important target group for place branding. Originality/value - Residents are largely overlooked by the practice of place branding, and their priorities are often misunderstood, even though they are not passive beneficiaries but active partners and co-producers of public goods, services and policies. This paper emphasizes that only meaningful participation and consultation can produce a more effective and sustainable brand image, strengthening brand communication and avoiding the pitfall of developing an "artificial" brand image.

Keywords: Attractiveness, branding, citizens, governance, brand image, territorial brand, stakeholders, place branding, quality of life.

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