The latest issue of the Journal of Place Branding and Public Diplomacy (Vol. 21, Issue 2, 2025) brings together fresh perspectives on how places are navigating complex identity challenges—from rebranding stigmatized neighborhoods to leveraging food, architecture, and even Twitter diplomacy as soft power tools.
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Key Takeaways for Professionals
- Branding is context-sensitive: Place identity must reflect specific socio-political, cultural, and economic realities.
- Stakeholder networks matter: Effective place branding depends on collaboration between public, private, and civil society actors.
- Culture is currency: Multiculturalism, gastronomy, and festivals can strengthen identity and international engagement—when grounded in authenticity.
- Public diplomacy is evolving: Narratives highlighting creativity and shared values increasingly complement or replace conflict-based messaging.
- Digital strategies are essential: From networked diplomacy to online engagement, social platforms are now central to shaping perceptions.
Stakeholder Strategies and Regional Branding
Laura Ripoll González, Erik Hans Klijn, and Pascal Scherrer apply network management theory to regional branding, comparing top-down and bottom-up approaches. Their findings emphasise the value of flexible, context-sensitive stakeholder engagement strategies.
Citizenship, Governance, and National Reputation
Fainos Chokera, Edward Mudzimba, and Mugove Mashingaidze explore the impact of citizens’ deprecating behaviour on Zimbabwe’s nation brand. Their work identifies social injustice and governance challenges as key drivers, calling for inclusive approaches to restore trust and identity.
Urban Identity and Multicultural Coexistence
Artemis Tsolaki and Theodore Metaxas examine Komotini, Greece, as a case of multicultural urban development. They argue for strategic branding that authentically represents the daily reality of cultural diversity and fosters social cohesion.
Neighbourhood Branding and Regeneration
Magdalena Sjöberg presents a case study of a stigmatized neighbourhood in Sweden, highlighting the power of collaborative storytelling, local pride, and emotion-based strategies in repositioning urban areas.
Cultural Diplomacy and Nation Image
Maor Shani uses a quasi-experimental design to measure the effect of a youth-focused public diplomacy event—Israel Project Day—on German perceptions of Israel. The findings suggest that cultural initiatives can positively shift attitudes beyond conflict narratives.
Strategic Mobility in Foreign Policy
John C. Koehler analyses the travel patterns of U.S. Secretaries of State from 1953 to 2020, proposing a regional model of diplomatic engagement. His study highlights how mobility decisions reflect geopolitical priorities and influence national image.
Gastronomy and Soft Power
Óscar Cabral, Luís Lavrador, and Raquel Moreira explore the strategic use of gastronomy in diplomacy. Their review of gastrodiplomacy highlights its historical role and ongoing relevance in shaping national image and promoting cross-cultural dialogue.
Festival Diplomacy in Prague
Yadira Ixchel Martínez Pantoja, Rafael San José Iglesias, and Kateřina Chvátalová investigate the Festival of Embassies in Prague. Their findings underscore the importance of food and cultural displays as tools of engagement in public diplomacy.
Tech Hubs and Innovation Branding
Itzhak Mashiah questions the value of replicating Silicon Valley models. His research argues that place-based tech branding should reflect local context and strengths to foster authenticity and credibility.
Networked Diplomacy on Twitter
Sajjad Shahin and Yijia Huang analyse Twitter as a platform for public diplomacy. Their study demonstrates how networked communication strategies are increasingly essential to statecraft and national image management.
City Branding Through Architecture and Culture
Sedat Gönüllüoğlu and Semra Arslan Selçuk offer a bibliometric analysis of how architecture, tourism, and cultural identity intersect in the academic literature on city branding. They highlight gaps and call for more interdisciplinary research.
Neighbourhood Identity and Urban Archetypes
Rawan Majzoub, Maram Tawil, and Lama Abuhassan explore brand architecture and archetypes in Amman’s Jabal Al-Weibdeh neighbourhood. The authors advocate for branding strategies that embrace neighbourhood diversity while contributing to broader city identity.
Further Reading
About the Journal
Place Branding and Public Diplomacy is the leading academic journal exploring how cities, regions, and countries build and manage reputation. Published by Palgrave Macmillan/Springer, it bridges marketing, diplomacy, communications, and international relations.
Editors: Magdalena Florek and Ilan Manor
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