city branding

City BrandingCity Branding

Søren Smidt-JensenSøren Smidt-Jensen

Urban & Landscape StudiesUrban & Landscape Studies

Forest & Landscape DenmarkForest & Landscape Denmark

Branding...

City BrandingCity Branding- a tool for change?- a tool for change?




• What is branding?What is branding?

• What is place-branding?What is place-branding?

• What is city-branding?What is city-branding?

• Is city-branding relevant for SMC?Is city-branding relevant for SMC?

• Is it particulary relevant for cities in Is it particulary relevant for cities in transition (cities searching for or transition (cities searching for or achieving a new ”role”)achieving a new ”role”)

• What kind of branding, place-What kind of branding, place-marketing, image-building, identity-marketing, image-building, identity-building is taking place in the MECIBS building is taking place in the MECIBS cities?cities?

• What experiences have been made?What experiences have been made?

What is brandning?What is brandning?

• A proces that makes it possible to sell a product to new A proces that makes it possible to sell a product to new customers, and also still can be sold to old customerscustomers, and also still can be sold to old customers

• This takes place by having a clear and consciuos profile, This takes place by having a clear and consciuos profile, that creates an emotional image, and by using marketing that creates an emotional image, and by using marketing and advertising finds new and old loyal customersand advertising finds new and old loyal customers

• The brand is the whole entity of the product, and the STORY The brand is the whole entity of the product, and the STORY about the productabout the product

What is brandning?What is brandning?

• Something more than just marketingSomething more than just marketing

• Adding stories, values, emotions, pictures to a product (or Adding stories, values, emotions, pictures to a product (or building it into it)building it into it)

Place brandningPlace brandning

• Country brandingCountry branding

• City brandingCity branding

• City-area brandingCity-area branding

• (Tourist) Destination branding(Tourist) Destination branding

City brandningCity brandning

• A proces that makes it possible to sell a city (or city A proces that makes it possible to sell a city (or city products) to new customers, and also still can be sold to old products) to new customers, and also still can be sold to old customers (e.g. old inhabitants, investors, city-product customers (e.g. old inhabitants, investors, city-product buyers)buyers)

• Something more than just city-marketingSomething more than just city-marketing

• Adding stories, values, emotions, pictures to a city Adding stories, values, emotions, pictures to a city

– dig up old stories about the city dig up old stories about the city – create new stories, ”fairytales” create new stories, ”fairytales” – building it into the city, fx also in the urban spacebuilding it into the city, fx also in the urban space

Branding MECIBS citiesBranding MECIBS cities

• Randers and NyköpingRanders and Nyköping

• Pskov, Nakskov, Jüterbog, Herning-Ikast-Brande, Pskov, Nakskov, Jüterbog, Herning-Ikast-Brande, Lappenranta Lappenranta

Branding Randers Branding Randers

• ””City of violence”City of violence”

• ””City of scandals”City of scandals”

• ””A city that has lost its identity”A city that has lost its identity”

Branding RandersBranding Randers

• Persuading people to stay in Randers (not so much about Persuading people to stay in Randers (not so much about selling Randers to outsiders, mainly people in Århus)selling Randers to outsiders, mainly people in Århus)

• Needs to get beyond the (post-)industrialisation imageNeeds to get beyond the (post-)industrialisation image

• Citizens should be proud of the city again - they have lost Citizens should be proud of the city again - they have lost their faith in constructive dialogue because of scandals at their faith in constructive dialogue because of scandals at LaksetorvetLaksetorvet

• ““Is it necessary to brand Randers when we could use the Is it necessary to brand Randers when we could use the money for a lot of other things, especially now when we need money for a lot of other things, especially now when we need to cut spendings in the municipality budget? To my mind it is to cut spendings in the municipality budget? To my mind it is of great importance not to stop development in a period when of great importance not to stop development in a period when you need to save money. When the bonds are tightening, when you need to save money. When the bonds are tightening, when we feel economic pressure more than usual, creativity and new we feel economic pressure more than usual, creativity and new ways of thinking is perhaps more important than ever, and a ways of thinking is perhaps more important than ever, and a need to profile Randers internally and externally.” need to profile Randers internally and externally.” (Mayor of (Mayor of Randers, Michael Aastrup Jensen).Randers, Michael Aastrup Jensen).

– Speech at the citizen meeting in Randers 09-12-03 where the Speech at the citizen meeting in Randers 09-12-03 where the branding-campaign was presented.branding-campaign was presented.

• ““[Involvement of the residents] …that is the most important, that this [Involvement of the residents] …that is the most important, that this will be a project where all inhabitants are involved 100%. I hope that will be a project where all inhabitants are involved 100%. I hope that this will result in that all citizens are good ambassadors of the city.” this will result in that all citizens are good ambassadors of the city.” (Mayor of Randers, Michael Aastrup Jensen).(Mayor of Randers, Michael Aastrup Jensen).

– Speech at the conference Branding, Urban Identity and Housing Politics, Speech at the conference Branding, Urban Identity and Housing Politics, Randers, 27-11-03.Randers, 27-11-03.

Branding NyköpingBranding Nyköping

• ””In-house model” - the municipality has a marketing In-house model” - the municipality has a marketing departmentdepartment

• Branding campaign to attract new inhabitants from StockholmBranding campaign to attract new inhabitants from Stockholm

• Co-branding with RyanairCo-branding with Ryanair


Co-branding: Ryanair & NyköpingCo-branding: Ryanair & Nyköping

55-mio SEK aggreement (10 years)55-mio SEK aggreement (10 years)


• ““The co-operation with Ryanair has opened the door to an The co-operation with Ryanair has opened the door to an enormous European market….The deal is an investment in enormous European market….The deal is an investment in Nyköpings future. 200 jobs today, 1000 jobs tomorrow is just Nyköpings future. 200 jobs today, 1000 jobs tomorrow is just the beginning of a fantastic development.” the beginning of a fantastic development.”

(Göran Forsberg, Mayor, Nyköping).(Göran Forsberg, Mayor, Nyköping).

• ““Today, the Ryanair-brand is worth several millions that Today, the Ryanair-brand is worth several millions that Nyköping now has the chance to hook up on”. Nyköping now has the chance to hook up on”.

(Ulf Dahlqvist, Director of Information & Marketing, Nyköping Municipality).(Ulf Dahlqvist, Director of Information & Marketing, Nyköping Municipality).


””Nyköping - the attractive alternative” (to Stockholm)Nyköping - the attractive alternative” (to Stockholm)

• Newspaper adds in STK papersNewspaper adds in STK papers

• Adds at housing/real estate websitesAdds at housing/real estate websites

• A special website presenting Nyköping as a place to live (with A special website presenting Nyköping as a place to live (with added life-value)added life-value)

• Open city activitiesOpen city activities

Branding oppositionBranding opposition

• ““Branding! Just the word shines of advertising, and more or Branding! Just the word shines of advertising, and more or less conscious attempts to blow up things to look better than less conscious attempts to blow up things to look better than they are…. [In the branding-report on Randers made by they are…. [In the branding-report on Randers made by ElevenDanes] Randers is compared with a 50 year old man, ElevenDanes] Randers is compared with a 50 year old man, who drinks cheap red-wine. I would prefer not to have that who drinks cheap red-wine. I would prefer not to have that predicate pulled down over a city that I very much like to live predicate pulled down over a city that I very much like to live in. What is the point of all this besides entertainment?”in. What is the point of all this besides entertainment?”

(Uffe Thorsen, member of Randers City Council for Beboerlisten).(Uffe Thorsen, member of Randers City Council for Beboerlisten).

Useful city-branding?Useful city-branding?

• City-branding seems to be increasingly necessary, also for SMC’sCity-branding seems to be increasingly necessary, also for SMC’s

• Potentially, it can expand the ”reach” of the city, and city-prodcuct, Potentially, it can expand the ”reach” of the city, and city-prodcuct, outwardsoutwards

• Searching for ”city stories”, ”city values”, ”city pictures (images)” and Searching for ”city stories”, ”city values”, ”city pictures (images)” and ”city visions”, can be especially relevant for cities that have lost their ”city visions”, can be especially relevant for cities that have lost their identity during a phase of transition identity during a phase of transition (”Inward-branding”)(”Inward-branding”)

• It can create joining visions (and missions), and bring citizens and local It can create joining visions (and missions), and bring citizens and local actors together - but it can also create split-visionsactors together - but it can also create split-visions

• How much resources (money!) should be used, and is it necessary for all How much resources (money!) should be used, and is it necessary for all SMC?SMC?

City BrandingCity Branding




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