Top Seven Place Branding Posts of 2012

During 2012, I covered a lot of territory within the practice of place and destination branding, many included places around the world.  Blogs covering many locations in the USA, as well as  Morocco, India, East Africa, and Canada, and even Homer Simpson generated considerable interest. 

But it was the more hands-on information involving “how to’s” that recorded the most attention.  Interestingly, many of the most popular related to section in my book, “Destination Branding for Small Cities”.

1. February: Collaboration is Essential to Boost Competitiveness of Some Cities outlined why small cities must decide whether to go it alone, or collaborate with regional partners to present a more relevant value proposition.
2. March: What’s The Difference Between Brand Image and Brand Identity? tackled the confusion between “image” and “identity” and why the difference is important.
3. July: Does Every City Need a Brand? suggested that every city needs a plan to manage its identity and that it takes much more than a catchy nickname or tagline.
4. August: Destination Branding is Difficult and Calls for a Different Approach (Two Parts) made the point that of all the various entities that can be branded, place or destination branding is the most challenging.
5. September: What’s the Difference Between an Advertising Agency and a Brand Consultancy? provided nine excellent points outlining the difference between an ad agency and a brand consultancy. Clarifying the important differences assist brand owners to make informed decisions about who should define their brand.
6. November: What’s Brand Equity and Its Relevance to Destinations? addressed the importance of places adding to their value by generating positive awareness, respect and loyalty through the ways they present themselves.
7. December: “Are Emotional Benefits Always in Your Destination and Place Branding?” highlighted how emotional benefits are the most overlooked, yet most powerful, part of the place branding toolkit.

I hope that you enjoyed my posts during 2012. Are there subjects related to place branding that you would like me to tackle in upcoming blogs?

Have a Happy New Year and a very successful 2013.