Branding places with social problems: A systematic review (2000–2013)

Abstract

A systematic review was performed to identify case studies published in peer-reviewed journals from January 2000 until May 2013 focusing on current and proposed place branding strategies for places with a negative brand image based on a prominent social problem. The main aim of this paper was to review the case studies in order to identify any underlying themes and the different approaches that have been taken or are recommended by place branding researchers. Twenty-five places with prominent social problems that had been studied with a focus on place branding strategies were identified. The analysis of the case studies focused on three main aspects: place branding strategies, types of social problems, and the role of policy development in addressing the problems. Relevant examples were discussed in each of the three categories. This review shows that place branding strategies can be successful for places with negative images, in particular social problems, however, it is an all-encompassing process that cannot focus on only one aspect (i.e. promotion or tourism).

Additional Education In The Context Of Modern Art Market Development And The Formation Of Strong Cultural Brands

“…As a result of branding, the interest in the object can be increased. The object itself can be unusual, such as: "slum branding" as the branding of the famous favella of Rio de Janeiro or the concept of love in the place brand (Jones & Kubacki, 2014;Swanson, 2015). At the same time, in their recent work, Giuseppe Pedeliento and Miguel Kavaratzis pointed out that successful brand development requires cultural sphere opportunities.…”

Social urbanism: public policy and place brand

“…Some place branding studies do make reference to public policy development to address social problems and the development of a place brand. For example, from a systematic review of case studies focusing on current and proposed place branding strategies for places with a negative brand image based on social problems, Jones and Krzysztok (2014) identified how policy development was considered the main strategy (Pant, 2005;Herstein and Jaffe, 2008;Osei and Gbadmosi, 2010), and how few studies refer to combining social problems and positive place branding. For example, studies in the Latin American cities of Rio de Janeiro (Torres, 2012) and Medellín (Hernandez-Garcia, 2013) looked at using informal settlements as part of the place branding campaign by giving a different meaning to the perceived social problem.…”

Place Images and Nation Branding in the African Context: Challenges, Opportunities, and Questions for Policy and Research

“…However, as illustrated earlier not all images are negative, and even when they are, a small body of research has begun to consider ways of addressing them. For example, Johnson (2014) suggested ways to "re-imagine" Jamaica's "damaged brand"; Sidibe (2013) tied the events of the Arab Spring to advancing the strategic positioning of agricultural products by Egypt; and most importantly, Jones and Kubacki (2014) examined the issue in depth and suggested ways of turning negatives to positives in such cases as "disaster" tourism, "battlefield" tourism, places that have a controversial heritage (e.g., Romania's "International Dracula Congress"), and places that have experienced violent conflict (e.g., Egypt's "Tahrir. The square that rocked the world" tourism campaign).…”