Brands are often a good investment.
Place branding is now a huge growth area. Competition for investment & people is intense, as migration of capital & labor became easier. Municipalities must develop, market & promote their region -- or tourism and investment will flounder, and their best & brightest local residents will go elsewhere.
Mobility is a crucial pathway to modern success. Living & working in trendy areas brings wide-ranging benefits, where we enjoy capital gains from rising property values, and fresh opportunities with leisure & lifestyle.
no people = no jobs = no tax base = no services
Don't wait for stronger signals. Your locality is now under threat, however successful it seems.
Wake Up & Brand It! Competition started awhile ago
!
Successful place branding challenges every person to secure supportive infrastructure & social services. This isn't a task for only municipal officials or the Chamber of Commerce. Build a local brand and rally round. Developing the local brand builds municipal vitality.
How best to brand & market places? Experts should assist (see
http://placeappeal.com), but four steps are essential:
1)
Recognize your locality's image & the branding process are urgent for survival
2) Build coalitions where all social groups consider ways to magnify local attractiveness. Include everyone. Bang the drum continuously, promoting your local community amongst yourselves and to others
3) Make your place more special
4) Get the word out systematically. Invest in marketing your place.
These days visiting New York City or Los Angeles, I feel at home; if not Lord of the Manor, at least a stakeholder. Why? As owner of
NewYorkCitybrand.com and
LosAngelesbrand.com I'm helping develop platforms for municipal success.
Many images & messages circulating in mainstream corporate media - such as "We are the 99%" - can be equated to a brand message. A place marketing brand message conveys the image "we are all here together" as well as local pride.
Share and Build
Great place brands can be developed without great cost.
The price of a single houselot can raise property values & the local tax base by millions (even billions) of dollars.
Choose an easy name, which locals hear once & remember.
Great place brands include:
Newportbrand.com
Connecticutbrand.com
Massachusettsbrand.com
Chesapeakebrand.com
Kentuckybrand.com
NewMexicobrand.com
BeverlyHillsbrand.com
