scholarly journals City branding and museum souvenirs: towards improving the St. Petersburg city brand

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 529-544 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iuliia Trabskaia ◽  
Iuliia Shuliateva ◽  
Rebecca Abushena ◽  
Valery Gordin ◽  
Mariya Dedova

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify ways to develop museum shop product, which will possess competitive advantage, and to recommend what should be done to develop such product so that it has a positive impact on the city brand of St. Petersburg.Design/methodology/approachIn total, 76 museums have been studied through the observation method to describe their shops’ inventory in terms of percentages of each product. Mostly St. Petersburg museums were included in the analysis. The observation method enabled the researchers to analyse the inventory of the museum souvenir shops. The findings of the analysis enabled the researchers to reach conclusions about museums’ strategies of product development.FindingsThe research allowed to make the conclusion that although the museum shops in St.Petersburg demonstrate positive tendencies in the development of competitive stores’ products a lot of work is still to be done. Not all museums are characterised by availability of clear strategy for product development. They offer souvenirs (if any) which do not differ from those existing on the market according to topics and functions which are characteristic for them. Recommendations on how to make the product of museum shops more competitive were proposed.Practical implicationsCities need new and fresh ways to create and promote their brands. Museums can contribute to this significantly with the help of souvenirs production. This research will provide insight into the process of how museums can do this by developing their shops’ inventory strategies. Recommendations to improve strategies for creation of competitive product were offered in the paper.Originality/valueIn today’s competitive conditions, museums are creating augmented products and create museum shops. Nevertheless, the role of museum shops in brand creation is underexplored. Museum shops have a high potential for creating high-quality products that may influence the museum and city brand in a positive way, as souvenirs and visual images of museum artifacts play an essential role in making an impression on tourists.

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabrícia Durieux Zucco ◽  
Clóvis Reis ◽  
Sara Joana Gadotti dos Anjos ◽  
Samara Jane Effting ◽  
Melise de Lima Pereira

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the attributes of Blumenau city brand, from the residents’ perspective and its relation to their intention to remain living there. Design/methodology/approach This is a quantitative study using survey data collected from a sample of 417 subjects, stratified by neighborhood, income class, gender and age. The theoretical and methodological framework is the scale developed by Merrilees et al. (2009) and the FOCUS (2014) report about the self-image of the residents of Blumenau. Findings There is a positive relationship between the assessment of the attributes of the municipality and the residents’ attitude toward Blumenau brand. The study also verified a positive relationship between Blumenau brand assessment and the residents’ intention regarding their own future. In fact, the relative satisfaction of the respondents with the attributes of the city, as well as the positive socio-economic indicators, influenced the intention to stay in the municipality. Originality/value This work presents a methodological combination of the evaluation of city branding and the intention to remain living in a certain place. The study adds important information on the role of the residents on the process of city brand building, showing that besides the transient assessment, the intentions to remain in a place should be considered, given that such intent is linked to the image that residents have of the city.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 491-509
Author(s):  
Deepa Jawahar ◽  
Vinney Zephaniah Vincent ◽  
Anju Varghese Philip

Purpose All touristic cities have their unique attributes to showcase and differentiate themselves from others. This distinctive attribute is the unique selling product or tourism product of a particular city. It could be an art form, culture, regional climate, food and festival. Literature indicates that the identity of the entire city would be affected by such tourism products. The purpose of this study is to analyse the influence of the ‘image’ of an Art-event to city branding. The study also examines the mediating role of ‘city attachment’ in the relationship between event image and city brand equity. Design/methodology/approach In all, 432 samples have been collected from visitors to one of the biggest contemporary art events in India – the “Kochi-Muziris Biennale – 2018,” conducted in the city of Cochin, situated in Kerala, the southernmost state of India. Findings Results show that the direct relationship between event image and city brand equity is stronger than the hypothesised path through the mediating role of city attachment. Research limitations/implications This study provides a better understanding of the event image and its importance in creating the host city’s brand equity. It contributes to both the practitioners and tourism researchers. Originality/value This study looks at the event image through functional and affective aspects and its influence on city attachment and city brand equity.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rico Piehler ◽  
Ayla Roessler ◽  
Christoph Burmann

Purpose This study aims to investigate the brand-oriented leadership of a city’s mayor and city online brand communication as brand management-related antecedents of residents’ city brand commitment. It thus examines if city brand managers can apply internal branding concepts from the corporate branding domain in a city branding context. Design/methodology/approach The relationships between the brand management-related antecedents and the internal city branding (ICB) objective are tested through structural equation modeling using cross-sectional survey data of 414 residents of a German city. Findings Both the brand-oriented leadership of the mayor in terms of acting as a role model by living the city brand and its identity and by showing commitment to the brand and the city’s online brand communication in terms of its quality have positive effects on residents’ city brand commitment. Moderation analyses reveal no significant differences between the path estimates for age, place of birth, duration of residency and education. However, the results differ significantly for gender. Research limitations/implications As this study’s sample is limited to only one city in Germany, further research needs to investigate the relationships in different cities and other countries to ensure the generalizability of the results. Future studies might also include other aspects of city brand communication, as well as cognitive and behavioural ICB objectives. Practical implications To increase residents’ city brand commitment, city brand managers should ensure that a city’s online brand communication is adequate, complete, credible, useful and clear. Furthermore, through creating awareness for the importance of a mayor’s brand-oriented leadership and through educating and training the mayor to engage in this specific form of brand-oriented transformational leadership, city brand managers can increase residents’ emotional attachment with the city brand. Originality/value This study integrates internal branding research from the corporate branding domain with place and city branding research. It confirms that certain aspects of internal branding (i.e. brand-oriented leadership, brand communication and brand commitment) are applicable not only in the corporate branding domain but also in other branding contexts such as city branding if adapted properly.


2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 1001-1018
Author(s):  
Marianne Wollf Lundholt ◽  
Ole Have Jørgensen ◽  
Bodil Stilling Blichfeldt

Purpose This study aims to contribute to an increased understanding of intra-organizational city brand resistance by identifying and discussing different types of counter-narratives emerging from the political and administrative arenas. Design/methodology/approach The empirical material consists of secondary data as well as six in-depth semi-structured interviews with Danish mayors and city managers in three different municipalities in Denmark. Findings Intra-organizational counter-narratives differ from inter-organizational counter-narratives but resemble a number of issues known from extra-organizational resistance. Still, significant differences are found within the political arena: lack of ownership, competition for resources and political conflicts. Lack of ownership, internal competition for resources and distrust of motives play an important role within the administrative arena. Mayors are aware of the needs for continued political support for branding projects but projects are nonetheless realized despite resistance if there is a political majority for it. Research limitations/implications This study points to the implications of city brand resistance and counter-narratives emerging from the “inside” of the political and administrative arenas in the city, here defined as “intra-organizational counter-narratives”. Practical implications It is suggested that politicians and municipality staff should be systematically addressed as individual and unique audiences and considered as important as citizens in the brand process. Originality/value So far little attention has been paid to internal stakeholders within the municipal organization and their impact on the city branding process approached from a narrative perspective.


2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 515-526
Author(s):  
Aidan McKearney

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide a critical reflection on the profound changes regarding sexual minority rights in Britain and Ireland. It seeks to illustrate how recent legislative changes can impact the working lives of gay employees living and working in nonmetropolitan locales. The paper also aims to assess the role of LGBTQI movements, groups and networks, in facilitating voice and visibility and advancing equality. Design/methodology/approach Secondary research was undertaken to assist in contextualising the empirical findings, within a literature review. The paper presents findings derived from a qualitative study, involving in-depth interviews with 44 gay men in Britain and Ireland. Findings LGBTQI movements and groups have played a crucial role in facilitating voice, and visibility for LGBTQI people in both Britain and Ireland. These movements have themselves, undergone change, moving from liberationist-queer-radical approaches to normalising-sexual citizenship-radical approaches. Significant legislative advances have taken place in the 2000s, and these have had a positive impact on gay workers. However, there is a continuing need for organisations to respond in ever more strategic, effective and inclusive ways, if the promise of sexual citizenship is to be realised by gay people in the workplace. Local, self-organised LGBT groups can play an important role in building sexual citizenship in nonmetropolitan locales. Originality/value This paper’s value and contribution lie in its application of theoretical principles and models, most notably models of sexual citizenship, in a specific historical, geographical and spatial context. The paper offers an insight into the lives of gay men who reside and work in nonmetropolitan locales; and highlights the emergence of subtle forms of gay resistance and radicalism, through self-organised groups.


2017 ◽  
pp. 1459-1481
Author(s):  
Ebru Uzunoglu

With the rapid explosion of Internet, social media has emerged as a new communication venue for city branding initiative. The aim of this chapter is to provide a deeper understanding of today's communication environment, and in particular, to focus the greater interactivity, engagement and responsiveness of resources in relation to city branding. Thus, this chapter firstly outlines the participatory city branding, which can be considered as an appropriate approach for involving wide range of stakeholders in promoting cities as brands. Secondly, the role of social media and its influential users are scrutinized to better present their importance for city branding. Following this, the examined Instagram campaign to promote the city of Izmir intends to allow greater insight into how to utilize online platforms in order to communicate a city both to its citizens and to global arena. And finally, the chapter leads to practical implications regarding how to benefit from social media for effective participatory city branding.


2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 255-268 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernando Rey Castillo-Villar

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand how future urban icons can effectively contribute to the development of an authentic city brand linked to local identity. Urban icons have been one of the main tools of city branding to promote a unique and distinctive image of the city. However, the rising of the globalization reflects a series of strong dilemmas regarding the contemporary urban icons because these have been reproduced in a standardized way around the world without any connection to the local context. Design/methodology/approach This exploratory study consisted of 30 in-depth interviews with visual aids of urban icons conducted with local residents of the city of Monterrey, Mexico. Findings The results demonstrate that the acceptance of a contemporary urban icon by local residents depends on their relationship with the most representative aspects of the local identity and their ability to generate positive experiences. The outcomes of the research suggest that future urban icons should favor the local identity and the free coexistence between local residents over the attractive visual design and the private space. Originality/value The article discusses the dynamics between urban icons and the city brand from a new theoretical approach supported by empirical evidence. The novelty of this approach consists of the vision of the urban icon as an element capable of linking the city brand with the values and ideals of local residents.


Author(s):  
Ebru Uzunoglu

With the rapid explosion of Internet, social media has emerged as a new communication venue for city branding initiative. The aim of this chapter is to provide a deeper understanding of today's communication environment, and in particular, to focus the greater interactivity, engagement and responsiveness of resources in relation to city branding. Thus, this chapter firstly outlines the participatory city branding, which can be considered as an appropriate approach for involving wide range of stakeholders in promoting cities as brands. Secondly, the role of social media and its influential users are scrutinized to better present their importance for city branding. Following this, the examined Instagram campaign to promote the city of Izmir intends to allow greater insight into how to utilize online platforms in order to communicate a city both to its citizens and to global arena. And finally, the chapter leads to practical implications regarding how to benefit from social media for effective participatory city branding.


2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 224-255
Author(s):  
Keon Bong Lee ◽  
Suk Bong Choi

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore when and how Korean firms learn from internationalization to develop new competencies to serve an international market. Design/methodology/approach This study adopted a contingency perspective to examine the relationship between organizational coordination and organizational implementation capabilities. A conceptual framework was tested based on data obtained from Korean firms. Findings The results suggested a discrepancy between the direct and indirect influences of internationalization. On the one hand, there is an inverted U-shaped pattern in the direct relationship between internationalization and organizational implementation capabilities; that is, high levels of internationalization may reduce organizational implementation capabilities. On the other hand, the evidence for a U-shaped moderation suggests that high levels of internationalization can help a firm become capable of amplifying the value of cross-functional coordination in organizational implementation capabilities. In addition, technological changes weaken the positive impact of organizational coordination on organizational implementation capabilities. Research limitations/implications Empirical research on the role of internationalization and dynamic environments in the context of new product development (NPD) affirms the importance of testing the curvilinear moderation beyond a linear two-way interaction. Practical implications The present study offers insights into the importance of high levels of internationalization in enabling Korean firms to create effective cross-functional coordination to serve an international market with new products. Originality/value This is the first review focusing on the role of internationalization in NPD.


2012 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian Zenker ◽  
Adrian Seigis

PurposeTo develop a city, officials frequently invest a great deal of taxpayers' money in large‐scale place development projects, which are often sparsely supported by the citizens because such projects often lead to unwanted effects (such as gentrification). This results in conflicts between planners and citizens, which are expressed in public protest and resistance. The instrument of citizen participation is repeatedly raised as a solution for such conflicts, but it remains unclear how and especially why this concept should be effective. The purpose of this paper is to empirically highlight the mediating role in this process: the feeling of being respected. By this means, the paper will contribute to a better general understanding of citizen participation.Design/methodology/approachIn an experimental scenario study (n=368), different types of citizen participation (i.e. cases where the result was binding for the city vs non‐binding) were researched using a between‐groups design. To validate results, in a second step, the outcome was discussed with three experts, all of whom have worked in the field.FindingsSurprisingly, it seems that neither the type of participation nor satisfaction with the project makes a difference with regards to citizen satisfaction, but simply the condition of being asked. One could argue that the feeling of being respected is the main mediator in this process. These results show the effectiveness of the participation tool in general, and give a possible explanation for this effect.Originality/valueThis paper concentrates on the variables underlying citizen participation. It shows empirically that the feeling of being respected is the mediator within this process. By this means, the paper offers a valuable insight into citizen participation in general and discusses its usage in place marketing.


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