Rebranding Place

Question 1

What is REBRANDING?

Answer 1

Developments aimed at changing negative perceptions of a place, making it more attractive to investment.

Question 2

What is REGENERATION?

Answer 2

Investment of capital + ideas into an area to revitalise + renue its socioeconomic and environmental conditions.

Question 3

What is REIMAGING?

Answer 3

Developments associated with rebranding, usually involving cultural, artistic, or sporting elements.

Question 4

WHY would a place REBRAND?

Answer 4

If a place aquired a negative brand/ current brand is failing to attract sufficient investment, then rebranding can be attempted through process of reimaging + regeneration.

Question 5

What is a BRAND ARTEFACT?

Answer 5

Physical environment e.g. houses, infrastructure
* create new environment
* reuse existing environment
* remove old environment

Question 6

What is a BRAND ESSENCE

Answer 6

People’s experience of a brand
* living in city
* working in city
* visiting city
* talking about city

Question 7

What is a BRANDSCAPE

Answer 7

comparison with competitor cities
* local
* regional
* national
* international

Question 8

What are STRATEGIES FOR REBRANDING A PLACE?

Answer 8

• MARKET LED: private investors to make profit e.g. property development or business owners (restaurants) GENTRIFICATION (influx of rich residents who change place- has impacts)
• TOP-DOWN: large scale organisations e.g. slum resettlement schemes in Dharavi, Mumbai- high rise buildings; self help schemes would have been preferred by locals
• FLAGSHIP DEVELOPMENTS: large scale, one off property developments with distinctive architecture which act as catalyst for investment and regeneration
• LEGACY: International sporting events which bring investment and regeneration to a place e.g. Olympics in London (2012)
• EVENTS OR THEMES: major festivals are also a catalyist- also beneficial socioeconomic development

Question 9

what different elements are involved in the rebranding process (no matter what strategy used)?

Answer 9

• ARCHITECTURE: reinforce heritage look/ promote modern place identity e.g. Covent Garden area in central London (reuse if existing building)
  Can change how people USE place, therefore changing place image
• HERTIAGE USE: can revitalise a place; historic buildings or landmarks to promote community identity/ increase tourism. E.g. Wessex Tourist Board based regeneration on rich heritage of places like STONGE HENGE
• RETAIL: Growth in importance of consumer spending + ‘shopping experience’ - retail developments aid regeneration e.g Birmingham- flagship Selfridges store (2003)
• ART: events/ galleries e.g. Guggenheim Museam in Bilbao, Tate gallery in St. Ives Cornwall
  Glastonbury/ other festivals contributes economically and culturally to image of place
• SPORT: Olympic games, World Cup, F1 Grand Prix- catalyst for rebranding e.g. Bahrain- keen to establish itself in F1 list of races as part of rebranding as major hub at global scale
• FOOD: some places develop reputation for high quality food to aid rebranding e.g. Ludlow, Shropshire- ‘the food town’, servral restaurants with international reps for fine dining and food festivals