At The Place Brand Observer, we’ve recently had the privilege to support Lausanne in exploring its brand potential at a time when it is actively embarking on its brand development process. This custom report, designed to serve as a strategic compass, aims to anchor Lausanne’s early-stage brand refinement efforts in data, insights, and international perspectives.
Here, we’d like to share what we did, how we did it, and why this approach is crucial for cities at a similar point in their brand journey.
A Comprehensive Approach: Our Three-Part Methodology
Our report for Lausanne was structured around three key components: rankings analysis, benchmarking, and expert feedback.
- Rankings Analysis: We examined Lausanne’s position across numerous rankings and indices—covering tourism, talent attraction, economic competitiveness, and sustainability. This gave us a clear view of the city’s strengths and its areas for growth. For instance, Lausanne scored highly in cultural appeal and academic excellence but faces challenges with affordability, due to high living costs.
- Benchmarking Against Leading Cities: To contextualize Lausanne’s standing, we compared it to ten cities, including Basel, Munich, Aarhus, and Utrecht. Lausanne’s high quality of life and hub for innovation allowed it to stand out, especially in sectors like sports, health, and sustainability. This benchmarking provided strategic insights into where Lausanne shines and where it could adopt best practices from other cities.
- Expert Feedback: The heart of our methodology was the inclusion of perspectives from a panel of 27 international experts, which brought invaluable insights. These professionals in city branding, tourism, and economic development provided nuanced feedback on Lausanne’s brand strengths, such as its quality of life, cultural appeal, and Olympic heritage. This section helped identify branding areas needing attention, like the development of a cohesive, distinctive narrative.
Navigating Unique Challenges and Opportunities
Every city has its own set of branding challenges and opportunities, and Lausanne is no exception. Our findings underscored Lausanne’s need for affordable housing solutions to enhance its attractiveness to talent and residents alike. Additionally, experts recommended greater stakeholder collaboration to build a brand rooted in Lausanne’s strengths in academia, culture, and sports.
While we respect the confidentiality of the report, it is perhaps safe to share some of the quotes from the expert panel, as they reflect these observations powerfully. Mary Harris noted, “Lausanne’s scenic beauty and academic reputation are great assets but need to be complemented by a distinctive brand message that resonates globally.” Natasha Grand emphasized the need for authenticity, saying, “Incorporating Lausanne’s local cultural richness and natural surroundings into its brand will set it apart from other Swiss cities.”
Looking Forward: The Value of a Brand Report at the Early Stage
This early-stage brand report serves as a roadmap, providing Lausanne with a grounded sense of its strengths, opportunities, and strategic pathways. For any city at the start of its brand journey, a report like this is invaluable. It not only sets a strategic direction but also aligns stakeholders around a shared vision.
Creating this report for Lausanne highlighted the benefits of early-stage analysis: it provides a benchmark, informs decision-making, and builds momentum for future branding initiatives. I hope this project inspires other cities to consider a brand report as a critical tool in their growth journey.
We were also happy to be able to recommend our partner agencies for additional reports into target audience perceptions. The next step will be to make sense of it all and to develop a city brand strategy, which can then serve as a blueprint for marketing plans and public policy decision-making.
If you feel that a report like this could add value to your city, region, or country, please let us know. As a boutique place insights and publishing enterprise, we focus on only a few such reports each year—first come, first serve!
