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1 – 3 of 3Giannina Warren and Keith Dinnie
The purpose of this paper is to explore the place branding dimensions of a city undergoing a concerted effort to build a distinctive brand for itself.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the place branding dimensions of a city undergoing a concerted effort to build a distinctive brand for itself.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative, exploratory approach is adopted, applying the ICON model of place branding to the multistakeholder city branding strategy of Toronto. A combination of interviews, participant observation, content analysis and professional reflection inform the study.
Findings
Toronto’s emergence as a creative city with global standing has been achieved, in part, through a holistic and collaborative approach that is integrated, contextualized, organic and new.
Practical implications
Place and destination promoters are offered a practical application of the ICON model of place branding, informing future initiatives and offering insight into good practice.
Originality/value
Viewed through the lens of the ICON model, the paper provides insights into the collaborative and innovate practices that characterize effective city branding.
Details
Keywords
Giannina Warren and Simona Grigaliūnaitė
This paper aims to delve into the interdependent connection between place branding and social capital, specifically focusing on how it contributes to uniting a city’s recovery…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to delve into the interdependent connection between place branding and social capital, specifically focusing on how it contributes to uniting a city’s recovery efforts during times of crisis. By using the theoretical frameworks of social capital and cultural intermediation, the case study of Vilnius, Lithuania, exemplifies how cities can navigate through turbulent periods by prioritising the work of place marketers and their relationships in their strategic approach.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative, mixed method case study approach used four different methods of investigation, drawing on multiple sources of evidence, including a mix of interviews with key actors, content analysis, netnography and participant observation.
Findings
Go Vilnius, in collaboration with the City of Vilnius Municipality, leveraged existing stakeholder relationships and a strong common identification among political actors, promotional intermediaries, residents and city institutions to not only adapt to the unfolding crisis but to evolve its marketing, place-making, tourism and community engagement strategies to emerge as a more resilient, dynamic and animated city after the pandemic.
Practical implications
This case study demonstrates that a “network constellation” approach centralised around key stakeholder relationships held by marketing, tourism and promotional professionals is a crucial component in urban post-pandemic and emergency planning.
Social implications
By placing marketing professionals at the heart of crisis planning, cities can capitalise on the inherent social capital that is their key occupational resource and leverage their relationships with residents, the business community, international collaborators and the media for swift and maximum impact.
Originality/value
By identifying the “network constellations” that facilitated the institutionalisation of place branding activities in the face of both a local and global shutdown, this paper positions place marketers, acting as cultural intermediaries, at the centre of crisis planning and prevention strategies for anti-fragile cities of the post-pandemic future.
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Gary Warnaby, Dominic Medway and John Byrom
The purpose of this introductory paper is to outline the theme of – and introduces the papers comprising – this special issue on post-Covid place marketing.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this introductory paper is to outline the theme of – and introduces the papers comprising – this special issue on post-Covid place marketing.
Design/methodology/approach
A brief literature review outlines some of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on places and also for place-bound and spatially oriented industry sectors (particularly retailing and tourism and hospitality, which are often the focus of place marketing initiatives) before describing the papers constituting the special issue.
Findings
The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on places are identified, relating to both economic and more phenomenologically oriented impacts, and the implications for place resilience are considered. The papers comprising the special issue are grouped into two main themes relating to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on retailing and the impact of the pandemic on place marketing processes.
Originality/value
Notwithstanding the burgeoning literature on the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts, the papers comprising this special issue focus on specific place-oriented marketing (and retailing) implications, providing potential avenues for future research.
Details