A place brand strategy is about the promotion of what the area wants to be well known for in terms of its offer, experience and reputation. Each city or place needs to plan for its growth so a consistent, coherent message will help encourage people to live, work and visit to secure its future prosperity.
A place brand strategy helps shape a location’s future positive image increasing visibility and recognition. The strategy is not just about the logo and a catchy strapline, it’s about what the brand is focused on achieving; clear goals to attract visitors, residents, companies whatever the object may be.
place brand strategy
Place brand strategy top ten tips
1. Positioning – the place needs to be promoted with distinct messages and images to segmented targeted audiences, you’ll require an adapted message to domestic and international audiences, media and investors.
2. Differentiation – means the place needs to have distinct characteristics that set it apart from competitor locations or places, it needs to have genuinely interesting things to see and do.
3. Building relationships – with designated stakeholders such as local governments, business support agencies, property investors and developers will help strengthen the place proposition.
4. Place personality – captures what are the strong emotional connections of the place; so is enterprise limping or thriving, is lifestyle calm or chaotic, is heritage ancient or contemporary, is infrastructure outdated or innovative?
5. Support business growth – a successful place brand will aim to help grow existing businesses in the area and retain and attract new businesses and jobs developing long term engagement through a connected business community.
6. Attract talent – a targeted place brand strategy will appeal and attract talented, skilled people especially from the Millennials age group; they in turn will want to live, work and contribute to economic prosperity.
7. Storytelling – social media can facilitate a real-time engagement sharing local stories about the place in a natural emotive way, this can be the best form of positive word of mouth referrals and testimonials.
8. Support stakeholders – a grounded identity will resonate with the stakeholders so encourage them to support and adopt the identity and engender collaborative thinking and become place brand advocates.
9. Digital marketing – an important channel of the brand strategy delivery will be its web and social media presence, however this must be carefully controlled and
nurtured.
10. Connected research – ensure the place brand is has well researched evidence about the physical infrastructure, quality of life, economic regeneration and its visitor attractions and links to the surrounding areas, this will help shape the overall story.
A place can have complex attributes. Adopting an experience led place band strategy will help define your offer and deliver an integrated brand and marketing strategy.
alexandrapatrick provides original, cost-effective strategic marketing services in Kent, UK. alexandrapatrick has particular experience and expertise in digital marketing, copywriting, public relations, location/destination marketing, healthcare marketing and marketing consultancy.
If you’d like to find out more about how we could support creating a place brand strategy for your business, email info@alexandrapatrick.co.uk or contact via Twitter.
