Companies have known the power of branding for some time now. With the rise of Social Media Influencers, personal branding has now taken a new role on the internet. Cities and Towns are now looking at Place Branding as a new category in how to market their area.
Place Branding has Become a Crucial Differentiator
Branding helps establish an identity and tells a memorable story. Companies use it to tell consumers who they are and influencers use it to better position themselves... How do places use it? Places use branding to attract tourists, businesses, and people to live in their community.
Social Media has helped boost travel as many people share photos and videos of places they have explored. Millennials and Gen Z prize experiences over things, and few experiences can compare with travel.
Businesses are now experiencing a culture shift. People use to relocate for jobs and now people look at the place around the job. People now want more than just a job but a place to live that has more opportunities for things to do, eat and play. Jobs are now going to where the talent lives.
People are looking for places that match their personality and desires on where to live. Retirees have different requirements than single families as to where they want to live. Municipalities play a major role in where people decide to move.
How Does Place Branding Work?
Years ago, regional cities and towns were competing against each other for tourist money. Today, they have the power to market themselves globally using the internet.
There is a problem... Traditional "Visitor Centers" aren't the answer. Guidebooks and online resources are outdated and tend to be superficial. In order to draw tourists in significant numbers, municipalities need to take a strategic and creative approach to develop a brand narrative. This can be done by partnering with a place branding agency.
Let's look at an example - Austin, TX is a great example of a well-executed place branding strategy. Austin was a sleepy college town with no national profile and well below people's radar compared to Houston and Dallas.
Austin had something that the larger Texas cities lacked. An incredibly diverse music and arts scene. City officials leaned into this, promoting Austin as a world capital of live music and reinforcing the city’s status as a creative hub for talented misfits. “Keep Austin Weird” became a civic mantra and rallying cry.
Today, Austin is one of the fastest-growing cities in the US. It hosts the massive South By Southwest festival and draws more than 50 million visitors annually.
In a travel-crazed world, this is a brand story that people want to hear.
Effective place branding isn’t easy — it helps to have the services of a Place Branding firm. The right agency can help your municipality develop a marketing plan that goes beyond routine local attractions and delivers the unique experiences that travelers are seeking, businesses are looking to establish themselves, and people looking to move too.