As PhD Student at Middlesex University London specializing in Place Branding, a lecturer, and a former Commonwealth Games Coordinator, Jibril Salifu brings a distinctive mix of academic insight, communications expertise, and hands-on experience in citizen engagement and sports diplomacy. With a career bridging institutions in both Ghana and the UK, his work explores how places can harness the power of new media and culture to shape stronger, more inclusive identities.
In this interview, Jibril shares his perspectives on the evolving role of digital storytelling, the importance of local voices in place branding, and why sport continues to play a vital role.
Jibril, you’ve worked across academia, communications, and sport. How do you see the intersection of these fields influencing place branding today?
To start with, academia gives us the theories and frameworks to understand how nations, cities and places can build authentic and credible identities. For example, tools like the Anholt Nation Brands Index help guide strategy and make sure efforts are backed by solid research.
Communications is how that identity gets shared with the world. Whether it’s through traditional media like TV, radio, newspapers, and billboards, or digital platforms like Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok, it’s all about getting the message out.
Then there’s sport, which is a really powerful way to showcase a place. It brings pride, emotion and huge global visibility. Mega events like the Olympics, the FIFA World Cup, or Formula 1 races shine a spotlight on host cities and countries. So when you put it all together: academia helps us understand the why and how, communications brings in the what and where, and sport adds the emotion, reach, and global attention that can really make a place stand out.
How can new media and digital platforms be better leveraged to strengthen a place’s image and reputation — especially in emerging destinations?
I think new media and digital platforms are real game changers especially for emerging destinations trying to build visibility on the global stage. They’re cost-effective, scalable, and allow destinations to connect directly with audiences in ways that feel authentic and immediate.
First, they should encourage user-generated content (UGC) by getting locals and visitors to share their experiences online. It adds authenticity and often carries more weight than polished promotional material.
Second, partnering with micro-influencers who genuinely reflect the destination’s values and aesthetic can go a long way. These content creators often have tighter-knit, more engaged communities.
And lastly, it’s important to treat digital platforms as extensions of the place itself, not just marketing channels. That could mean offering virtual tours, AR/VR experiences, or immersive storytelling that lets people “visit” the destination from afar.
From your experience with the Commonwealth Games Federation, what role do sporting events play in shaping national or city identity?
From my time with the Commonwealth Games Federation, I’ve seen first-hand how powerful sporting events can be in shaping the identity of a nation or city. Events like the Commonwealth Games serve as storytelling platforms that combine visibility, culture, emotion and symbolism in really unique ways.
For example, at the Commonwealth Games, we have seen smaller nations like Grenada or Saint Lucia make headlines and gain global recognition just by stepping onto the podium. That moment on the podium becomes a stage for national pride and global recognition, which would otherwise be out of reach through conventional branding efforts.
If we also take Glasgow 2014 for instance, the city used the Commonwealth Games to highlight Scottish heritage through bagpipes, ceilidh dancing, and the Clyde mascot. All these were wrapped in a narrative that celebrated both its industrial past and creative present.
And then there’s the media value. Sporting events generate massive, earned media, something that’s incredibly valuable for emerging destinations working with smaller budgets.
What do you consider key to building meaningful engagement between citizens and place branding initiatives?
The first step has to be listening. Not telling people what their place should stand for but asking them what it does mean to them. That kind of engagement can take many shapes, such as town hall meetings, participatory mapping, community workshops, digital storytelling, or even ethnographic approaches.
It’s also important to empower citizens to tell their own stories, in their own words. Instead of handing residents a slogan and asking them to echo it, successful initiatives let people interpret and express the identity of their place on their own terms.
Also, co-creation has to be inclusive and intentional. You will need to make sure a wide range of voices are heard, across age, ethnicity, gender, economic status, and ability. Marginalized groups such as immigrants, youth, Indigenous communities, people with disabilities must not be left out. They have to be part of shaping the narrative from the beginning.
How can communities themselves become co-creators of a place’s story through digital tools and platforms?
Historically, place branding was a top-down process managed by government bodies, destination marketers, and communications professionals. However, the rise of digital tools and platforms has shifted the paradigm, allowing communities to become active co-creators of a place’s identity rather than passive recipients of pre-designed narratives.
The first step toward this participatory model involves creating inclusive digital environments where citizens feel safe and valued in sharing their stories. Story-mapping tools, such as Maptionnaire or Localwiki, enable residents to geotag locations tied to personal or cultural memories, thereby adding a rich spatial dimension to local identity.
Hashtag campaigns of nations, cities and places like #ThisIsAccra or #MadeInGlasgow are another great example. They allow hyperlocal stories to bubble up into a collective, crowd-sourced narrative of place. These further serve as grassroots storytelling ecosystems.
How does cultural context shape effective communication strategies, particularly in your work between Ghana and the UK?
In Ghana, a largely collectivist society, communication tends to emphasize community, tradition, and social harmony. Messages that resonate often draw on values, national pride, interdependence, respect for elders and are conveyed through oral storytelling, proverbs, and culturally rooted metaphors.
In contrast, the UK’s more individualistic and multicultural context places a higher value on personal expression, innovation, and regional distinctiveness. Working between these two countries demands cultural fluency with the ability to navigate and adapt communication styles to different cultural expectations. A campaign that is effective in Ghana, grounded in collective achievement and ancestral pride, may require reframing to succeed in the UK, where audiences may respond better to personal stories, innovation, or cosmopolitanism.
Looking ahead: What trends in media or engagement should place branding professionals pay close attention to over the next few years?
First, storydoing over storytelling as the future of place branding lies in participation, not presentation. Audiences increasingly expect to experience and shape narratives themselves.
Second is sustainability as a core narrative and fundamental expectation. Place brands must move past greenwashing to embed sustainability in their identity, from renewable energy to inclusive urban planning.
Thirdly, immersive technologies; AR, VR, and the metaverse are revolutionizing how places are experienced. They allow potential visitors and investors to interact with a place’s culture, history, and environment remotely. Finally, there will be AI-driven personalisation and predictive engagement. This enables place branding professionals to reach highly specific audiences with tailored content and adjust strategies dynamically.
Thank you, Jibril.
Connect with Jibril Salifu on LinkedIn to learn more about his work at the intersection of academia, strategic communication, and sport.
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