Branding cities, regions and countries: the roadmap of place brand equity

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is two-fold: to expand the understanding of brand equity for places (e.g. countries, regions or cities) and propose two frameworks to increase its value. Design/methodology/approach By interviewing international participants, this study was exploratory and interpretative; thematic analysis was performed for a broader understanding about place brand equity. Findings The Roadmap of Brand Equity is provided by proposing three “pathways” founded on core value drivers as “road signs” (potential influences or main variables of the value of a place brand), which are required to be strategically monitored and aligned to place branding activities to enhance the value of a city, region or country. Value drivers of place brand equity and the roadmap of place brand equity are proposed through the figures. Research limitations/implications A natural progression of this study is the investigation of place brand equity by applying statistical procedures for measuring places. Due to specific locations’ (often) unfavorable and threatening reputations worldwide, the key value-drivers (government initiatives, stakeholders' perceptions, residents’ engagement, news media, social media and real data indexes) are noted as influential partakers – either separated or combined – when analyzing their brand equity. Practical implications Both proposed archetypes suggest applications for several co-creators involved in public or private places, which can be beneficial for both emerging and non-emerging countries, regions or cities. Furthermore, both may be applied to the analysis of other places (e.g. universities, schools, museums, public squares, airports, hospitals, etc.). Social implications This study may inspire planning and actions for public policies, including private partnerships, government initiatives and practical endeavors. Originality/value This is one of the first studies to perform an analysis of brand equity of places under a qualitative approach and to propose strategical frameworks for both research and practice.

City brand evolution research and future agenda: bibliometric and science mapping analysis

“…Subsequently, a broader development of the city brand concept will be presented, having valuable contributions such as the “identity of the place” and its importance in the construction of the city brand [ 9 , 35 , 38 , 44 ], the positioning of the city brand in people [ 6 , 41 ], the application of psychological and sociological theories with the self-concept of city by inhabitants and tourists with its impact on the attitude of city brand [ 39 ], to the evolution towards the concept of place brand equity [ 8 ], which integrates attributes and benefits of value that people grant to cities [ 45 , 46 ].…”

Uses and Functions of the Territorial Brand over Time: Interdisciplinary Cultural-Historical Mapping

“…Place branding refers to creating value (symbolic and economic) in a space [8,[28][29][30][31][32]] by reinforcing and cohesively representing the assets of a place as a narrative image of the place itself [33,34]. These narratives of a place are also important when planning spatial strategies [34,35].…”

Brand Positioning Strategy in the Competitive Aspect

“…The public brands are analyzed in more rear cases. One example is the publication of Li et al (2021), where authors investigate China's nation branding and look for interaction between pro-government stakeholders and citizens; Mariutti and Giraldi (2021) research paper analyzed brand equity for places (e. g. countries, regions, or cities)). While, Hommerova et al (2020) analyzed the awareness and popularity of the library brand in the Czech Republic.…”