Local government has been ‘place branding’ for years, especially in the obvious tourism field. However, as businesses come under pressure, the support provided to a municipality’s business base becomes more important. Equally important is attracting investors and new residents to the region to open new revenue streams, stimulate the economy and promote job creation.
Apart from promoting a region as visitor destination, strategic objectives can include:
- Attract new businesses and inward investment.
- Attract new people and families to live in the area.
- Promote civic pride among residents.
- Encourage residents to spend more time and money in the region.
- Attract fresh talent, addressing the shortage of skills.
Municipalities should have an overall brand strategy, and a marketing strategy for each objective. “You must imagine the brand as a washing line, with pegged underlying ‘products,’ each with its own marketing strategy.”
Place branding stretches beyond communication, and municipalities must develop product development and business development capacity.
“Brand and marketing are often underestimated and under-resourced in municipalities. Yet, they are essential to build trust, support value propositions, and differentiate from other municipalities with the same strategic development objectives.”
