“…The application of branding principles and practices to geographic destinations is relatively new (Almeyda-Ibáñez and George, 2017; Baldacchino and Khamis, 2018;Blain et al, 2005, Johnson, 2012. Place branding helps a location -be it a municipality, province/state, region, or nation -advance its objectives by creating a brand identity that positions the place in the minds of its key audiences, and the study of place branding constitutes a distinct yet interdisciplinary Journal of Marine and Island Cultures, v10n1 -Graham & Campbell academic eld that marries marketing (speci cally, branding) with a locale's geographic, political, social, and economic identity (Briciu and Briciu, 2016;Campelo et al, 2014;Dziuba, 2015;Kahn, 2006;Kilduff and Nunez-Tabales, 2017). Place branding is a complex process with competing agendas, various stakeholders, and diverse place attributes all vying for inclusion within the brand identity itself and, while often used for tourism purposes, it also plays a role in establishing a place identity within the contexts of investors, immigrants, exports, skilled labour, and natural resources (Blair et al, 2015;Briciu, 2013;Grydehøj, 2008;Konecnik et al, 2012;Yusof et al, 2014).…”