What do you think is the brand of the community that you live in? From what you know, does it have difficulty attracting investment? Do your city officials keep changing slogans in a desperate attempt to see what will stick, thinking fancy advertising is the ticket to prosperity? Because of poor brands many communities are suffering. Place branding could help them update their strong points to attract investment and talent. Like corporate branding, place branding draws out a positioning strategy that differentiates. Recently, I was interviewed by Ed Burghard from the Burghard Group. They just recently re-branded the State of Ohio, and launched their Brand America initiative.
The goal of any place branding effort is to attract investment to a community on a global scale. The competitive environment is enormous and efforts to attract and win site selection opportunities makes place branding a critical strategy. Place branding also carries with it great responsibilities because the brand has to walk the walk. It’s not enough to profess greatness; you must BE great. Place brands like their corporate and personal cousins have to mirror their reputations. Businesses looking to relocate are seeking genuine experiences. They crave creative environments that allow them to prosper, and place branding when handled properly puts infrastructure in alignment with communication to deliver the goods.
The smart money is on place branding when it comes to answering the question, “Your place, or Mine?” The winner will always be the most compelling brand which is one that allows investment to flourish in a community rich in positive experiences.
