Perceived images and vocations of local territorial systems: implications for place branding strategies

2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 287-302 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovanni Pino ◽  
Gianluigi Guido ◽  
Alessandro M. Peluso
Keyword(s):  
Geographical Area ◽  
Place Branding ◽  
Export Markets ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Place Image ◽  
Place Experience ◽  
Branding Strategies ◽  
Specific Geographical Area ◽  
Territorial Systems ◽  
Local Firms

Purpose – This paper aims to assess the extent to which the perceived images and personalities of places mirror their prevalent production orientations, or “vocations”. It also investigates the factors that shape the expectations and desires of residents, tourists, local firms and export markets, as well as these users’ overall place experience. Design/methodology/approach – In all, 600 questionnaires containing both closed-ended and open-ended questions were administered in four local territorial systems (LTSs) of a Southern Italian province. Data were analyzed by using both quantitative and qualitative techniques. Findings – Results showed that place image mirrors the respective productive orientation for only one of the examined LTSs. Meanwhile, for all four LTSs, place image was congruent with place personality. Research limitations/implications – The generalizability of the results is limited, as the research focused on LTSs located in a specific geographical area. Practical implications – The paper provides suggestions regarding the formulation of marketing policies aimed at improving the willingness of residents, tourists, local firms and export markets to use the products/services/resources of the studied LTSs. Communication and branding strategies that leverage the personality traits of the examined LTSs are also illustrated in the paper. Originality/value – By examining the coherence among place image, personality, and prevalent vocation, this research addresses a neglected area of investigation. This study is one of the few that provides empirical evidence of misperceptions of the actual production orientation of places.

Cooperative behaviour and place branding: a longitudinal case study in Italy

2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 156-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chiara Rinaldi ◽  
Alessio Cavicchi
Keyword(s):  
Geographical Area ◽  
Place Branding ◽  
Cooperative Behaviour ◽  
Longitudinal Case Study ◽  
Case Study Methodology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Methodology ◽  
As Relationship

Purpose This paper aims to understand the motivations driving cooperative behaviour between heterogeneous stakeholders in place-branding activities, focusing on contract-based and relation-based cooperation constructs. Design/methodology/approach The longitudinal case study method is used to help understanding how the investigated network has evolved over four years from an attempt to build a regional umbrella-brand to a network contract between 13 enterprises. Findings The findings suggest that the relationships of trust and shared values among stakeholders are essential to foster cooperation, but also that contract-based governance complements a relation-based governance, enhancing the performance of the alliance. Research limitations/implications The main limitation is related to the case study methodology, as results are strongly dependent on the specific characteristics of the stakeholders and the geographical area analysed. Social implications The role of stakeholders in building a place brand is increasingly important. When analysing cooperative behaviour drivers, more attention should be paid to such intangible assets as social, human, relational and organisational capital. Originality/value This longitudinal case study emphasises that for success in place-branding activities, contract-based cooperation can be particularly useful at the beginning of a network alliance, while relation-based cooperation ensures the strength and continuity of the partnership but it takes time to develop. Responsible leaders, working as relationship facilitators/enablers, are important to keep network members engaged, by creating trust and favouring mutual beneficial relationships between stakeholders.

A deliberately emergent strategy – a key to successful city branding

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 90-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janne Lindstedt
Keyword(s):  
Place Branding ◽  
Place Identity ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
City Branding ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Emergent Strategy ◽  
Branding Strategies ◽  
Local Stakeholders ◽  
Place Brand

Purpose – The paper aims to address a neglected issue in the literature on place brand co-creation, namely, the strategic planning of the branding process. Furthermore, the paper demonstrates the benefits of a deliberately emergent strategy. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative case study focusing on Turku, Finland, supports the development of the argument. In this study, branding of Turku is examined both during the European Capital of Culture 2011 (ECoC) project and after it. Findings – The contribution of the ECoC 2011 project – which was widely perceived as a success – to Turku’s brand was based on a deliberately emergent strategy. Afterwards, the local government has, however, chosen a different approach to branding. Research limitations/implications – Given the increasing popularity of brand thinking among practitioners all over the world, it would be meaningful for scholars to pay more attention to the application of brand co-creation in place branding strategies. Practical implications – The deliberately emergent branding strategy could be considered an approach to applying the idea of brand co-creation in practice. It enables local stakeholders to make their voices heard and results in increased credibility of a branding process. Originality/value – Place brand co-creation has not yet been examined from strategic planning’s point of view. The need for this kind of examination is apparent, because branding strategies have traditionally been based on the idea of static place identity. The Turku case helps to propose a solution in terms of the notion of deliberately emergent branding.

scholarly journals A framework of place branding, place image, and place reputation

2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 241-264 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pantea Foroudi ◽  
Suraksha Gupta ◽  
Philip Kitchen ◽  
Mohammad M. Foroudi ◽  
Bang Nguyen
Keyword(s):  
Place Branding ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Technological Advancement ◽  
Social Changes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Place Image ◽  
Emerging Country ◽  
Country Brand ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Key Indicators

Purpose This paper aims to develop a framework that links the concepts of place branding, place image and place reputation. Focusing on the antecedents and outcomes of place branding in the context of an emerging country, namely, Iran, the model further examines critical moderation variables. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative approach was undertaken, comprising face-to-face in-depth interviews with 15 respondents, involved in communicating about their country for various purposes such as encouraging tourism, promoting exports and attracting investments. Based on analysis of the qualitative data, a comprehensive framework for place branding was formulated. Findings Findings indicate that the key indicators of identifying a place brand come under two headings, namely, national culture (country’s name, country’s brand, country attributes, social changes, geography and environment, people, culture (history, language, etc.) and infrastructure (security, economic condition, technological advancement, tourism development goals, place marketing and promotional strategy), which influences on the favorability of place branding. In addition, five main moderators of the outcomes of place branding were identified, namely, political perception, social media and news, place awareness, place association and tourism experience. Practical implications Effective place branding could help a country attract tourists, visitors, traders and investors. Place branding should be considered a constructive tool that can be successfully applied to managing a country’s image. Originality/value Place branding has received little attention in the context of emerging markets. This is the first known study undertaken with a view to understand and develop a place branding model that links with place image and place reputation in an emerging country. The study identifies 12 antecedents of place branding and five important moderators. Findings will help policymakers, country brand managers and communication professionals more generally who deal with a country’s image and reputation and those involved in improving the tourism industry in Iran.

People Make Places, What Do Stories Do?

2021 ◽  
pp. 79-99
Author(s):  
Sara Clara ◽  
Belem Barbosa
Keyword(s):  
Digital Storytelling ◽  
Place Branding ◽  
Place Image ◽  
Medium Components ◽  
The World ◽  
Branding Strategies ◽  
Growing Body

The main objective of this chapter is to explore how cities and regions can use digital storytelling strategies to reach and engage with their target audiences. Despite the growing body of literature regarding digital storytelling, the contributions and examples about regions and cities are still scarce. This chapter analyses the storytelling strategies of promotional campaigns regarding three cities and two regions around the world. Using a theory-driven framework, each storytelling example is dissected and interpreted. This study demonstrates that digital storytelling is worth consideration, as it offers a relevant set of advantages for marketing and communication managers, and enables the development of the place image and a consistent communication of its identity that can be co-created with various stakeholders, including the target audiences. It also shows that there are a diversity of approaches that can be adapted by place branding strategies, namely in terms of narrative, perspectives, and medium components.

The motivation behind an international entrepreneurial career after first employment experience

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Demetris Vrontis ◽  
Hani El Chaarani ◽  
Sam El Nemar ◽  
Zouhour EL-Abiad ◽  
Rayan Ali ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation ◽  
Geographical Area ◽  
Entrepreneurial Intentions ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Risk Awareness ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Job Experience ◽  
Specific Geographical Area ◽  
Employment Experience ◽  
First Job

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to extend the current literature on international entrepreneurial careers by employing the structural equation modeling (SEM) technique. It mainly aims at identifying determinants of international entrepreneurial intentions among young people and after their first employment experience in Lebanon.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses SEM on a sample of 150 young Lebanese employees to analyze the relationships among the model constructs.FindingsThe SEM broadly holds and adequately fits the data. The entrepreneurship context and the motivation of young employees are the variables that positively affect entrepreneurial intentions. Entrepreneurship education and social norms have no statistically significant impact. Finally, risk awareness and professional experience are the variables that negatively affect entrepreneurial intentions. The level of international entrepreneurial intentions among young Lebanese employees is relatively low, which may be justified by the bad economic and political situation.Research limitations/implicationsData were drawn from organizations located in a specific geographical area, namely, Lebanon. Thus, this may constrain the generalizability as well as causality of the results.Originality/valueThis study provides an empirical explanation of having an international entrepreneurial career after the first employment experience, with a sample of 150 young employees in Lebanon. By applying the SEM, this study developed a multi-perspective framework covering various factors that may affect the choice of an international career in entrepreneurship, especially after the first job experience. Even though this study's results reflect a particular case, its recommendations could facilitate the achievement of better learning outcomes.

What determines residents’ commitment to a post-communist city? A moderated mediation analysis

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-68
Author(s):  
Laurent Tournois ◽  
Chiara Rollero
Keyword(s):  
Place Attachment ◽  
Power Distance ◽  
Place Branding ◽  
Moderated Mediation ◽  
Place Identity ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Place Image ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose This study aims to investigate how residents’ perceptions of the image of their place of living influence their level of commitment toward it. The mediating role of human place bonds (place attachment and place identity) and the moderating effect of the socio-demographic characteristics of the host community in this relationship is specifically examined. Design/methodology/approach The theoretical direct–indirect–moderation relationships are examined using structural equation modeling and moderated-mediation or condition process analysis (Hayes and Preacher, 2013). Data were collected from 472 residents living in Belgrade (Serbia). Findings The findings support the contention that place attachment and place identity mediate the relationship between place image and commitment. The study further shows that the conditional indirect relationship of place image with commitment through place attachment and place identity is significant for age. Age and place of birth are found to moderate the relationship between place image and place attachment. Research limitations/implications A stimulating avenue for future research is to explore the effect of culture (individualist, short-term oriented and low on power distance vs collectivist, long-term oriented and high on power distance cultures) on model’s relationships as well as on commitment specifically. Practical implications To enhance their residents’ commitment, place marketers should focus on two levels of action. The first lever is to assess how residents perceive the image of the place where they live as it can serve as a strategic outline to explore their level of support and address the possible negative feelings they may have toward any development project. The second level of action is developing bottom up strategies that are likely to enhance residents’ commitment which aims at transforming residents into active place ambassadors and actors of the public life of the city. Originality/value To the best of authors’ knowledge, this study is one of the first in the place branding research domain to examine the role of human place bonds in the relationship between place image and commitment using mediation, moderation, and moderated-mediation analyses. Moreover, place branding literature is underdeveloped regarding the current issues most post-communist countries face.

Professional development of HR practitioners – a phenomenographic study

2015 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 220-238 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moira Bailey
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Geographical Area ◽  
Opportunity To Learn ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Formal Learning ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The North ◽  
Specific Geographical Area ◽  
Phenomenographic Study

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is an investigation into the experiences of professional development of human resource (HR) practitioners in the North of Scotland, and the use of non-formal learning in that development. Design/methodology/approach – In-depth semi-structured interviews from a purposively selected sample of HR practitioners were conducted. Data from these interviews was analysed on a phenomenographic basis, to discover the qualitatively different ways in which HR practitioners describe, experience, understand and analyse their professional development and the use of non-formal learning in that development. Findings – What emerged from the analysis were two sets of categories of description, one for each of the phenomena. An outcome space for each of the phenomena emerged, illustrating the hierarchical relationship within each set of categories of description as well as the dimensions of variation relating to the phenomena. These outcome spaces represent the collective experience of the practitioners on the subjects of professional development and non-formal learning. Research limitations/implications – Sample size and the specific geographical area are acknowledged as limitations. Another factor which may be considered a limitation is that the author's position as an HR lecturer with a keen interest in the subject could lead to this being considered an “insider” study. All these factors are acknowledged. These have been mitigated against by the careful preparation undertaken during the research process which resulted from the author's awareness of these limitations. Originality/value – This study has given a voice to the HR practitioners in the North of Scotland with regard to their experiences and attitudes towards their professional development and the role of non-formal learning in that development. This study gives employers, other practitioners and professional bodies an opportunity to learn from the practitioners themselves as to how they can help practitioners in terms of their development.

Region-of-origin (ROO) certification as marketing strategy in the South African wine market

2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 139-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josias A. Engelbrecht ◽  
Frikkie Herbst ◽  
Johan Bruwer
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Geographical Area ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Purchase Decision ◽  
Grape Variety ◽  
Region Of Origin ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Specific Geographical Area ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – This purpose of the study was to examine the relevance of the presence of geographical information, specifically the certification of region of origin (ROO) on the wine label, in the consumer’s wine purchase decision. In addition, the research investigated how the relevance of ROO varies across demographic and behavioural market segments. Design/methodology/approach – The data gathered via an online questionnaire from 434 South African wine consumers were analysed by employing both descriptive and inferential statistical methods. Findings – The ROO of wine plays a secondary role in influencing consumers when faced with a purchasing decision on its own. However, as part of the composite regional variable, namely, grape variety, region and wine style, it plays a major role in influencing consumers. The specific wine grape variety emerged as the most important factor influencing consumers. It was also found that consumers with a high involvement and interest in wine assign a higher degree of relevance to certification of origin of wine than consumers with a low involvement. Practical implications – Wine producers should strive to create a “lighthouse” identity in the minds of consumers. This can only be achieved if most, if not all, the wine producers in a specific geographical area consistently and authentically communicate the same message and offer products with a lighthouse identity to wine consumers. Originality/value – This is the first study that examines the impact of ROO as an information cue on consumers’ wine purchase decision-making in South Africa. It is of value to academic researchers, wine marketing professionals and generic marketing organisations such as wine route organisations.

scholarly journals Entrepreneurs' behavioural competencies for internationalisation

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 723-747 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Cortellazzo ◽  
Sara Bonesso ◽  
Fabrizio Gerli
Keyword(s):  
Geographical Area ◽  
Performance Criterion ◽  
Global Market ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
International Strategy ◽  
Limited Attention ◽  
Export Intensity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Specific Geographical Area ◽  
Training Programmes

PurposeThe entrepreneur is the main decision-maker in small and medium-sized enterprises and is the principal force in the implementation of a firm's international strategy. Research has paid limited attention to the intangible aspects of human capital, namely behavioural competencies that may have an impact on the entrepreneur's ability to take advantage of international opportunities. This study addresses this gap, identifying the behavioural competencies that distinguish entrepreneurs who pursue a stronger internationalisation expansion beyond the European market.Design/methodology/approachA competency modelling process is implemented for a sample of Italian entrepreneurs. Data on behavioural competencies are obtained through the coding of behavioural event interviews administrated to the entrepreneurs. Export intensity is adopted as a performance criterion to classify the entrepreneurs.FindingsThree behavioural competencies (change catalyst, teamwork and organisational learning orientation) emerged as more significantly activated by entrepreneurs who show a higher export intensity in the global market.Research limitations/implicationsThe exploratory nature of the study, conducted in a small sample and in a specific geographical area, may reduce the generalisability of the findings.Practical implicationsEntrepreneurs can become aware of the behavioural competencies needed for the implementation of internationalisation processes. Additionally, training programmes can be designed to promote the development of these behaviours.Originality/valueBridging the literature on international entrepreneurship, cross-cultural studies and competency-based research, this study highlights the role of behavioural competencies in the internationalisation process from a micro level of analysis. This article proposes a competency framework that can be adopted to assess a broader portfolio of entrepreneurs' behaviours.

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