Description
A place without a clear and appealing identity is like a person with a dull or bland personality. They blend into the crowd, are uninteresting, and don’t get the attention and respect that they need or deserve. Instead, a city can have a magnetic, distinct, and colorful personality, strong values, and the bonus of a special sense of place. Defining, nurturing, and consistently conveying these characteristics are at the heart of successful place branding.
In Place Branding for Small Cities, Regions & Downtowns, author Bill Baker presents proven techniques and real-world examples to bring successful place branding to every community.
He explores the scope and dynamics of place branding, and provides a step-by-step process to research, define, and deploy a winning brand strategy. He explains how to create a unifying overarching place brand to embrace tourism, economic development and community pride. And he demonstrates how to bring your brand to life through compelling designs, storytelling, experiences, placemaking, and wayfinding.
The book provides techniques that are specific to the challenges encountered by smaller places such as downtowns, Main Streets, and business districts.
Table of Contents
- The world of brands and branding
- The rise of small cities
- The nature of place brands
- Why bother branding?
- The challenges
- Place branding: New frontiers
- Economic development and the community brand
- Branding downtowns and districts
- What is being branded and why?
- Prepare to start
- Selecting place branding expertise
- Steps to a sustainable place brand
Step 1: Assessment and audit - The power of positioning
- Rebranding, stereotypes, and cliches
Step 2: Analysis and advantage - Will one brand fit us all?
Step 3: Architecture and alignment - The perilous path of taglines
- The keys to successful logo design
Step 4: Articulate
Step 5: Activation - Integrated marketing communications
- Delivering brand experience
- The keys to a beloved sense of place
Step 6: Adoption
Step 7: Action and afterward - Place branding glossary
About the Author
Bill Baker is one of the world’s foremost authorities on place branding. He’s recognized internationally for his groundbreaking work in branding places of all sizes, from nations to small cities, and downtowns.
Bill has a unique perspective that he brings to his writing. He blends vast practical experience with conceptual and theoretical influences to create work that is acclaimed by practitioners, academics, students, and government leaders alike.