The Eight Principles of Place Branding

The Eight Principles of Place Branding

Placebrands have developed a set of Place Branding Principles which we believe should guide any place
branding programme.

1. Purpose and potential
Place branding creates value for a city, region or state in three main ways:

(a) Aligning the messages which the place already sends out, in accordance with a powerful and
distinctive strategic vision;
(b) Unlocking the talent of the people who live there to reinforce and fulfil this vision;
(c) Creating new, powerful and cost-effective ways to give the place a more effective and memorable
voice and enhance its international reputation.

2. Truth
Places often suffer from an image which is out of date, unfair, unbalanced, or cliché-ridden. It is one of
the tasks of place branding to ensure that the true, full, contemporary picture is communicated in a
focused and effective way; never to compromise the truth or glamourise it irresponsibly.


3. Aspirations and betterment
The place brand needs to present a credible, compelling and sustainable vision for its future, firmly in the
context of our shared future. This will support the overall aim of a real increase in the economic, political,
cultural, and social well being of the people who live there, whilst contributing in a more than token way to
the well being of other people in other places.


4. Inclusiveness and common good
Place branding can and should be used for achieving societal, political and economic objectives. Inevitably,
a workable strategy will favour certain groups or individuals over others, and this creates an inalienable
responsibility to ensure that they are supported in other ways.


5. Creativity and innovation
Place branding should find, release, and help direct the talents and skills of the population, and promote
the creative use of these in order to achieve innovation in education, business, government, environment
and the arts. Furthermore, only creativity of the highest order can ‘square the circle’ of translating the
complexity of a place into purposeful, distinctive and effective brand strategy – see Principle 6.


6. Complexity and simplicity
The reality of places is intricate and often contradictory, yet the essence of effective branding is simplicity
and directness. It is one of the harder tasks of place branding to do justice to the richness and diversity of
places and their peoples, yet to communicate this to the world in ways which are simple, truthful,
motivating, appealing and memorable.


7. Connectivity
Place branding connects people and institutions at home and abroad. The clear and shared sense of
purpose which good brand strategy engenders can help unite government, the private sector and
non-governmental organisations; it stimulates involvement and participation among the population;
externally, it helps build strong and positive links to other places and other people.


8. Things take time
Place branding is a long-term endeavour. It need not and should not cost more than any place can
comfortably afford, but is neither a quick fix nor a short-term campaign. Devising an appropriate place
brand strategy and implementing it thoroughly takes time and effort, wisdom and patience; if properly
done, the long term advantages, both tangible and intangible, will outweigh the costs by far.

© Placebrands Ltd. 2003
http://www.placebrands.net/DreamHC/Pagina2.html