Place branding and marketing research being such a diverse field, it is good to hear from experts on what they perceive to be the priorities for 2015. The recently published Place Branding and Marketing Manifesto by the European Place Marketing Institute in Poznan, Poland, suggests the following research priorities.
Defining and measuring place marketing effectiveness and efficiency
According to the Institute’s 2015 report, “there is a need to examine direct effects (sales/economic impact) and indirect effects (image/reputation/media impact) and to clarify which part of the place marketing programme causes these effects (i.e. marketing versus branding effects).”
There is a need to define relevant indicators to monitor marketing impact on a place.
Relations to other domains
What are relations with areas such as place management, employer branding, social media?
Multiple stakeholder management
How can place marketing strategies and programmes cater simultaneously for the needs and interests of tourism versus economic development versus residents?
Cluster marketing and competition
How can place marketing programmes lead to effective branding and positioning of a cluster? What is the intensity of interplace competition and what are the opportunities for inter-place cooperation? Does place co-branding work?
Multiple case studies
There is a need for research that extends beyond a single case analysis and provides wider, general lessons for place marketing.
Place brand identity
How can authenticity and uniqueness of a place be maintained in a globalized world where all places strive to be creative, smart, sustainable, innovative, and so on?
The effects of the virtual world
How can place images and reputations benefit from virtual presences that influence perceptions and place-related decisions?
More about the European Place Marketing Institute at bestplaceinstytut.org
