Public branding is a new governance strategy in the public sector. Local governments, for instance, use brands to attract target groups to the city, such companies, tourists, or citizens. But how do target groups actually value this governance strategy? This article zooms in on the purpose of branding, as perceived by companies as a target group in a branding campaign. Q methodology is used to study the subjective viewpoints of 33 company owners in a neighborhood in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, that was branded as the Rotterdam Makers District. The analysis reveals that company owners prefer a transparent branding process in which they are recognized as coproducers of the brand and can add their story to the brand message that is conveyed to target audiences. These findings add to the resonating call in the literature to make more use of governance theories in the field of branding. Evidence for Practice• Companies prefer branding as a public governance strategy as long as the brand manager is transparent about the aims and setup of the branding campaign. • Given the preferences of companies in this study, the legitimacy of a local government's branding campaign very likely increases if companies are recognized as brand coproducers. • Public branding can be used as a vehicle to mobilize a community of companies as brand ambassadors.• Companies will contribute to a branding campaign if doing so provides them with an added value (i.e., brand equity), instead of being only a public stakeholder.

Collaborative innovation networks are increasingly used as vehicles for fostering innovative policy solutions. However, scholars have noted that the extent to which collaborative networks can actually contribute to the development of innovative policy solutions depends on how they are managed. Empirical research on the management of collaborative policy innovation processes is, however, scarce. Therefore, we review in this article a case to add new insights to the causal link between collaboration, management, and innovation. Specifically, we examine the management strategies which helped a Flemish administrative network to develop a radical new Spatial Planning Policy Plan. This study shows that the best way to manage collaborative innovation networks is not to press directly for results, but take the time to invest in relationship-building and together agree on a planning and clear process steps. Such a management approach allows actors to get to know each other and from thereon expand, with more background and appreciation for the others" goals, behaviors, and intentions, their group activities concerning the formulation of a radical and innovative policy plan.

By introducing the statistical network method of Exponential Random Graph Modelling (ERGM) we adhere to the call of Lucarelli and Brorström (2013) in The Marketing Review to think of new ways to analyse and make inferences about participatory processes of place branding. The ERGM is more suited for studying the interactive dynamics in participatory processes of place branding than traditional methods like case study research or regression analysis. ERGM is a relatively new methodology. Only a few scholars in the neurosciences, international relations, and political sciences have worked with the inferential social network method. We show that the new ERGM methodology helps to gain more insights into the social processes and tie-formation mechanisms which generate emergent interaction patterns in participatory processes of place branding. Hence, this article brings a novel methodology to the area of place branding.

The starting point of this article is the weak usage of rail freight in Belgium and Europe, both as a sustainable mode of land transportation in itself as well as a part of the intermodal chain. The results are obtained by transversal research on rail freight transport in Belgium, taking into account the European context. This interdisciplinary research develops a road map for the creation of three integrated scenarios: a best case, medium case and worst case scenario for rail freight development, based on a detailed SWOT (strength, weakness, opportunities, threats) analysis. It includes the most probable future developments for rail freight transport and hinterland connections. These developments are obtained from literature review and discussions with a heterogeneous panel of experts in the fields of (i) optimal corridor and hub development, (ii) macroeconomic impact, (iii) sustainability, (iv) effective market regulation and (v) governance and organization for a well-functioning intermodality. The Delphi approach is used in combination with a survey analysis. Frequency tables and the H-index allow defining a ranking and selection of SWOT elements. The obtained scenarios allow future research to quantify and measure the impact of future developments and decisions towards the Belgian rail freight market.

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