ARTICLE | "All for One, One for All': communicative processes of cocreation of place brands through inclusive and horizontal stakeholder collaborative networks"

ABSTRACT

Authors: Ripoll González & Lester (2018) - Communication & Society

This article examines communication and stakeholder interaction in territorial branding processes in order to document alternative participatory models of territorial branding. The article draws on critical communication and branding theory to argue that territorial brand identities are the result of mediated messages in the public sphere. Consequently, territorial branding processes must be observed as communicative exchanges.

Through a case study of the state of Tasmania, Australia's only southern island state, this research uses participatory action research combined with the sociological intervention method to explore stakeholder interaction patterns and their engagement in branding processes.

Participants, representing formal and informal actors engaged in communicating a sense of belonging, were invited to take part in a series of interviews andfocus group discussions that enabled a unique self-reflexive process and an analysis of practices and power geometries. The proposed quasi-real scenario enabled us to understand communication barriers and define alternative modes of engagement for effective stakeholder communication to support the development of resilient territorial brand identities. The results of the exploration contribute to the theoretical development of the field by providing an analysis of the nature of stakeholder interactions, barriers and opportunities for better communication and joint collaboration. From a practical point of view, the study can also contribute to the elaboration of participatory models for the development of territorial brands. Finally, the method proposed here can serve as a practical tool for fostering stakeholder engagement in processes of co-creating place brand identities.

Illustration: "Tasmanian" - Brand Tasmania