Linking Culture and the Environment

138 Destination and Place Branding
Sustainability and stakeholder involvement are central to urban marketing
frameworks. In nation and place branding, synergies have been
created: tourism benefits from goods branding, marketing for investments
benefits from destination image and local residents gain a quality of life
from new investments. In addition to collaboration and integration for different
products, industries and market segments, more challenges emerge at
the spatial and geographic levels: Cai (2002) examined cooperative branding
for rural destinations, and in this case the cooperation is needed for a
geographic region. Dredge and Jenkins (2003) explored differences along
spatial scales while establishing distinct destination identities. They
observed differences in perceived identities and goals for regional tourism
policy based on the geographic scale. They discovered how conflict over
globalization and localization may influence and destabilize joint decision
and policy making at the local level. The authors emphasized the powerful
concept of globalization and how this movement challenges place governance
capacities in decision making. They state, however:
there has been growing recognition that important socio-political responses to
this so-called homogenizations (globalization) have been a reassertion of “the
local”, where collectives of actors with similar worldviews seek to reassert their
identity and interests relative to other collectives.
(Giddens, 1990; Dredge and Jenkins, 2003)
Globalization leads to tension between branding homogenization and cultural,
geographic heterogenization.
Place Branding in a Globalized World
Place branding is a concept of our postmodern world. In an era of globalization
and homogenized products, brands are created to create a distinguished
image and reputation. Global brands offer the opportunity to establish a
standardized value across the world and differentiate similar products from
other brands. This chapter demonstrates some of the challenges associated
with destination branding:
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A destination image only provides limited information on how accurately
a tourist’s perception compares to the reality of a place.
Branding is more complex than creating a perceived image but includes
communication of vision, value and reputation and builds relationships.
Destination brands are more complex than product brands and more
similar to organizational brands.
Destination brands can be integrated into place brands:
° They have a core identity and associated attributes.
° They have multiple stakeholders.
° They serve complex functions and communicate with multiple market
segments.
° Geographic scales play a role in policy and decision making.
° Geographic identities have been neglected in place branding.
The pressures of globalization create a need for localized identities.