SUMMARY
The Citizen Engagement Toolkit 2026 is published by City Nation Place, the leading international platform for professionals in branding and place marketing. This second edition (following the 2024 edition) brings together 24 international case studies ( including 9 new ones and several updated ones) documenting how cities, regions, and nations engage their residents in their place branding strategies.
The publication identifies five cross-cutting success factors: securing political support while expanding partnerships, ensuring the initiative is sustainable over the long term, trusting residents (including their critics), guaranteeing the inclusivity of engagement, and prioritizing simple and engaging formats.
Keywords: territorial ambassadors, territorial branding, active citizenship, co-creation, civic engagement, international case studies, civic pride, territorial identity, brand storytelling, resident participation, residential perception, placemaking, destination positioning, perception survey, tourism development strategy.
Illustration: ©City Nation Place
To learn more about the Citizen Engagement Toolkit — 2026 Edition:
Published by City Nation Place, a leading international platform for regional marketing professionals, this is the second edition of this resource, which was initially launched in 2024 with 15 case studies and has now been expanded to 24 cases, following a five-month curation process in 2024 and four months of additional work in 2026. The document is supported by the “City Nation Place Champions” (financial partners) and guided by an advisory committee (City Nation Place Advisory Group).
The toolkit addresses a recurring challenge among practitioners: the difficulty of defining an effective method for citizen engagement (surveys vs. on-the-ground activation, what questions to ask, how to turn residents into ambassadors). It structures its response around five cross-cutting success factors, identified through the analysis of the 24 case studies:
- Securing political and institutional buy-in, while ensuring the initiative is not perceived as purely political—several cases demonstrate the value of relying on the private sector to establish credibility (Bahamas, Burnley, Vilnius).
- Take a long-term approach: citizen engagement is not a one-time effort but an ongoing investment of time and resources (Rochester, Brand Lithuania).
- Trust residents and welcome criticism: transparency about the area’s challenges strengthens the initiative’s credibility (Destin Fort-Walton Beach, Faroe Islands, Destination Cleveland).
- Strive for inclusivity, particularly among young people and underrepresented groups, while avoiding the biases of traditional focus groups (Rochester, Brand South Africa, We Are Staffordshire).
- Simplify and make the experience engaging by reaching residents where they already are rather than imposing a traditional consultation format on them (Tartu, Destination Cleveland, Williamsburg).
List of the 24 initiatives
| Region | Lead Organization | Key Initiative |
|---|---|---|
| Bahamas | Ministry of Tourism, Investments, and Aviation | "People-to-People" Ambassador Program (relaunched; originally established in 1975): training of volunteer residents to assist with tourism |
| Burnley (UK) | Burnley Borough Council | Youth strategy led by the “Bondholders” (public-private partnership): sister brand Burnley.social, career forum, “Future Leaders” program |
| Canberra (Australia) | Brand Canberra | “The Canberra Story”: narrative co-created through 65 qualitative interviews and a quantitative survey (649 respondents) |
| Chile | Fundación Imagen de Chile | Annual study on national pride (“Chilean National Pride Study,” since 2019, panel of over 120,000 registered participants) |
| Cleveland (USA) | Destination Cleveland | Three-pronged strategy (Meetings Impact, Travel + Tourism Collaborative, Local Advocates) + “Brag Movement” campaign and “Brag Coach” tool |
| Costa Rica | essential COSTA RICA | A four-campaign ecosystem (“Pura Vida” identity, “Si se bota, se nota” behavior, “Hidden Giants” heritage, “Costa Rica Blue” education) |
| Dest-Fort Walton Beach (USA) | Welcome & Adventure Center | Network of local “Scouts” (mothers) recommending family activities; associated youth program |
| Eindhoven (Netherlands) | Eindhoven365 | Open-source city brand co-created starting in 2010 (survey on Identity/Image/Ambition among 6,000 residents) |
| Faroe Islands | Visit Faroe Islands | “Heim” 2030 tourism strategy developed through an open consultation (500+ responses); “Faroencers” program and “Closed for Maintenance” project |
| Friendship Heights (USA) | Friendship Heights Alliance | Neighborhood revitalization based on an in-depth survey (50 interviews, 4 focus groups, 1,154 responses) and an inter-jurisdictional advisory board |
| Lithuania | Brand Lithuania | “Lithuania’s DNA” project: national survey (6,000 respondents) on the country’s international positioning |
| North Dakota (USA) | North Dakota Department of Commerce | Resident “champions” program to attract talent, featuring the “Path to Yes” track |
| Philadelphia (USA) | Visit Philadelphia | Segmentation of civic pride by neighborhood using a stress index (Open Data Stress Index) cross-referenced with focus groups |
| Pittsburgh (USA) | Visit Pittsburgh | Pre-COVID resident sentiment survey and overhaul of the tourism strategy |
| Rochester, Minnesota (USA) | DMC Economic Development Agency | Co-design approach with compensation (time, transportation, childcare) for affected communities |
| South Africa | Brand South Africa | “Play Your Part” Program: Youth Entrepreneurship Component |
| Staffordshire (UK) | We Are Staffordshire | School Ceramics Design Contest + Lesson Plan on Local Pottery Heritage |
| Tampere (Finland) | City of Tampere | “Home of Hockey” Strategy |
| Tartu (Estonia) | City of Tartu | Street-based urban consultation with a theater troupe (following the failure of a traditional consultation) |
| Tasmania (Australia) | Brand Tasmania | "Little Tasmanian" children's book series (brand values + fight against illiteracy) |
| Vilnius (Lithuania) | Go Vilnius | “Pink Soup Fest” festival with participation from local businesses |
| Venlo (Netherlands) | Venlo Partners | (not detailed in the excerpt) |
| Waikirikiri Selwyn (New Zealand) | Selwyn District Council | Tool allowing residents and businesses to customize the regional brand logo |
| Williamsburg (USA) | City of Williamsburg | “Future Festivals”: family-friendly events that strongly engage the internal team |
