The city as a brand. (4/6)

A series of six contributions.

It must be the dream of every ambitious brand maker: to turn a city into a strong city brand. It is certainly a highly fascinating task. But is it realistic that cities can be turned into brands? Going even further: is it desirable for cities to be turned into brands?

These questions are addressed in six articles that are published on an ongoing basis in the business of brand management. The articles are each excerpts from Häusler and Häusler: Wie Städte zu Marken werden, Springer Gabler 2023 https://link.springer.com/book/­10.1007/­978-3-658-­41456-6 (English version 2024 https://link.springer.com/book/­10.1007/­978-3-658-­43776-3). The articles have been slightly shortened and edited.

The city brand as a project.

Photo: Wolfgang Fach

IIt is necessary to examine the relevant (general) elements of successful branding for the (specific) case of city brands. We follow the individual process and work steps as they typically present themselves for branding in general. The development of brands requires craftsmanship. The basic components of the craft are: the construction of a position, a structure, a shape, and the corresponding experiences. Beyond factual skills, the successful outcome of the development process of brands is largely determined by its specific characteristics.

The supporting pillars of effective practice of branding in more detail are:

• At the beginning of the work, (seemingly) simple questions about the approach are on the agenda: What problem needs to be solved? How should the problem solution be approached, in which steps, in which time frame, with which methodological approaches, with which personnel, in which institutional arrangements, etc.? Brand (further) development is (generally) best understood as a more or less integrated and coordinated sequence of project(s). Specifically, the attempt to develop a city brand encounters the adversities of the political process in cities (the Process: City Politics).

• As the substantial core of brands and as the basis of all brand work, the existence of a (usually explicitly formulated) idea (a story, an image) is to be assumed. How do you craft such an idea? How can you at least increase the chances of providing a robust content foundation for brand development in all implementation steps, which guides action, functions internally and externally for attractiveness. The particular challenge in developing a city brand is then to capture the large and irreducible complexity of urban reality in a meaningful and transparent way (the Idea: The idiosyncratic city)?

• Brands can—of course—not exist as purely intellectual constructs. Their attractiveness is based on the (perceived) performances they mark. Convincingly conveying the respective offer to the demanders is a challenging task, especially with more complex assortments. If it is well fulfilled, a comprehensible and attractive offer structure is created. Such a structure in turn provides the corresponding brand with a significant performance certificate: It then contributes to the fact that demanders understand what the brand offers and how the offer differs from the offers of competitors. Here too, the conditions in cities prove to be particularly difficult: (too) many providers and an unclear and uncoordinated offer complicate all attempts to easily structure the urban services (the Structure: The urban offer).

• Brands use the most diverse (design) means to create their winning shape in the perception of the demanders. The repertoire of such means is virtually inexhaustible. All senses can be addressed. Strategic and creative excellence must be integrated to transform the brand idea and structure into a design concept and corresponding design means. This process is also demanding and should by no means be misunderstood as a mechanical translation or even derivation exercise. The limited possibilities of targeted, brand-appropriate design of a city meet the immense range of historically grown, naturally given and partly (in the truest sense of the word) ‘carved in stone’ things that shape the image of the respective city anyway (the Shape: The cityscape).

• Up to this point, necessary prework has been described, to put it bluntly. Sufficient work is done by the brand craft when it can design those situations in a brand-appropriate way in which brands actually encounter the demanders. Or from their point of view: It becomes critical especially then and always then, when (where) the rubber hits the road, when demanders have experiences with brands—and these can range from the (superficial) reading of an advertisement to the (emotionally charged) complaint about inadequate service provision. In addition to the mentioned strategic and creative excellence, operational excellence is also required in the implementation phase. Creating experiences in the city that work as desired is just as challenging as preventing unwanted experiences (the Experience: Urban life).