Place branding has matured into a discipline that sits at the intersection of strategy, policy, and everyday life in cities, regions, and nations around the world. It felt important to capture this evolution in one place, which is why the latest edition of the Place Brand Leaders Yearbook focuses on the people, places, and ideas shaping the field in 2025.
The Place Brand Leaders Yearbook 2025, published by The Place Brand Observer, brings together destinations that treat reputation as a long-term asset rather than a campaign outcome.
What emerges in this edition is a wider view of leadership: places aligning brand and economic strategy, teams working across institutions and sectors, and practitioners using evidence and expert insight to navigate an increasingly complex global context.
This edition opens with four forewords that frame the conversation. Madeleine Sjöstedt, Director General of the Swedish Institute, reflects on Sweden’s long-term reputation strategy and the values that underpin it.
Sithembile Ntombela, Head of Marketing at Brand South Africa, explores how confidence and consistency can shift perceptions.
David Downs, CEO of New Zealand Story, highlights the role of storytelling, trust, and partnership.
And David Haigh, Chairman of Brand Finance, provides a global perspective on place brand performance and measurement. Together, they set the tone for a publication that is both analytical and optimistic.
At the heart of the Yearbook sits our cover story on Sweden, looking at how a comparatively small, outward-facing nation has built a reputation grounded in trust, openness, and international engagement. The feature explores how strategy, public diplomacy, and cultural initiatives work together over time to strengthen Sweden’s position in the world.
Around this core, the 2025 edition includes a series of premium showcases. Chile, Tasmania, Limerick, Tilburg, Cape Town and other destinations illustrate different pathways to impact: from talent and investment attraction to liveability, cultural vitality, and sustainability.
Several of these stories continue online. Tasmania is accompanied by an extended digital spotlight, Limerick and Tilburg are presented through in-depth city showcases, and
South Africa features in a dedicated online piece examining its approach to nation branding in more detail.
The Yearbook also connects with the Place Brand Impact Awards, which recognise destinations turning strategy into measurable progress. The winning stories — Royal Djurgården, Stockholm and Little Tasmanian, Australia — illustrate how deliberate, long-term work on identity, sustainability, and visitor experience can reshape how places are perceived.
Taken together, the contributions in this edition sketch a broader picture of where place branding is heading: more collaborative, more evidence-based, and more closely tied to quality of life and resilience on the ground. The printed volume sits alongside a growing body of online material on placebrandobserver.com, inviting readers to follow these stories as they evolve.
With the 2025 Yearbook now published, I invite you to explore it through this link.
Over the coming months, we will share selected stories, excerpts, and additional material through our LinkedIn page, offering more ways to follow the conversations behind this edition. These pieces will shine a light on the teams and partners behind each initiative, the choices guiding their work, and the opportunities emerging from the places featured.
You can reach me at florian@placebrandobserver.com. I welcome your thoughts.
