Have you ever wondered who owns the brands of cities and nations? It’s a fascinating question that our readers have been asking, and we have gathered insights from our panel of place brand specialists to shed some light on the matter. Here’s what they had to say:

Caio Esteves (Places For Us)

According to Caio Esteves, the brand is owned by the population. Strong place brands are shared ideas that are owned by audiences and facilitated by the government. In this case, the government acts as a facilitator while the community becomes the owner.

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Christopher Hire (2thinknow)

Christopher Hire believes that the citizens own the city brand. After all, if they don’t believe in it, it won’t be ‘real.’ So, citizens and businesses both have ownership of the brands of cities and nations. The custodianship of these brands often rests with locally elected officials, though it can be an unrewarding task to be responsible for brands that they don’t actually own.

Ed Burghard

Ed Burghard explains that a brand is a promise. It sets an expectation of an experience. In the context of place brands, it is the responsibility of country leaders to ensure that their nation’s promise is relevant and authentic for residents and visitors. The strength of a place brand is owned by its residents and visitors, as it depends on the degree to which the brand experience fulfills its promise.

Efe Sevin

Efe Sevin emphasizes that the ownership of city and nation brands is a complex matter. Short answer: nobody and everybody. While no one can claim exclusive ownership over a city or nation brand, anyone can start their own branding campaign. Bureaucratic mandates and financial resources usually determine ownership in terms of launching campaigns. However, brand ownership, in terms of authority and perception, belongs to the residents and citizens.

Gary Warnaby

According to Gary Warnaby, the ownership of city brands is different from traditional products. While brand names are legally protected, city brands are unique. For example, the ‘I (heart) Placename’ logos that have imitated the original from New York would not be allowed in any other commercial context. Additionally, the participatory nature of place branding processes raises questions about ownership and control. The top-down efforts of brand management may not be accepted or adopted if they do not include meaningful discussions with stakeholders.

Gordon Innes

Gordon Innes explains that nation and city brands are far more complex and multi-faceted than company or product brands. They mean different things to different people at different times. Therefore, they cannot be owned or managed in the same way. Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) play a role in highlighting assets, attributes, policies, and symbolic actions that reinforce the stories told by nations and cities.

Gregory Pomerantsev

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Gregory Pomerantsev believes that nations and cities own their own brands. However, brand ownership has a community-based nature. It is essential for brand managers to be exposed to the heart and soul of the community, and to consider the strengths of competitors and dynamics of the marketplace.

Günter Soydanbay (Soydanbay Consulting)

Günter Soydanbay argues that place branding is a metaphor. Places are not brands, and nobody can own a nation brand. However, branding techniques can be used to define and promote a place. The identity and image of a place can be considered within this context. The identity, which appeals to the senses, can be owned by organizations such as tourism boards or ministries. The image, on the other hand, is the impression held by people and cannot be owned by anyone.

Gustavo Koniszczer (FutureBrand)

Gustavo Koniszczer explains that the intellectual property of a country or city brand is not regulated in the same way in all cases. Usually, country brands are managed by the administrative structure responsible for tourism, investments, and/or promotion of exports. The ideal situation is to have brand ownership distributed among multiple sectors.

Heather Skinner

Heather Skinner believes that many tourism place brands are ‘owned’ or managed by Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) or local governments. However, the brand management should include meaningful discussions with all stakeholders. If branding efforts fail to do so, they may not be accepted or adopted and may be subverted.

Hila Oren

Hila Oren believes that the true owners of a city brand are the city’s residents. Although managed by the Municipality and championed by the Mayor, it is the residents who truly own and live the brand. This includes workers, tourists, students, and anyone who chooses to be part of the city and identify with it. City branding is about belonging, pride, and improving the lives of the people who live in and own the brand.

Inga Hlín Pálsdóttir

The ownership of city and nation brands depends on the specific setup and cannot be easily answered. The nation or government should protect the name of a country and be responsible for it. However, when it comes to branding slogans or logos, the organization or municipality responsible for the brand program should be the formal owner. Protecting the names or brands of countries is an important consideration for the future.

Jaume Marín

Jaume Marín believes that city brands are owned by everybody involved in them, including locals, businesses, operators, media, local authorities, and DMOs. City brands are a collective effort that requires the collaboration and ownership of multiple stakeholders.

Jeannette Hanna (Trajectory)

Jeannette Hanna suggests thinking of brands for cities, regions, and nations as public “trusts.” They are typically stewarded by partnerships that include economic development, tourism, hospitality, businesses, and community groups. The success of a place-based brand depends on how well it is embraced by local stakeholders, from businesses to individual ambassadors. Brand stewards are responsible for incentivizing collaboration, supporting, and monitoring impact.

Joao Freire (Grounded)

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Joao Freire believes that a nation or city brand should be owned by its residents and managed by professionals. Residents should have a say in the brand’s management through the involvement of elected representatives. The objectives of the brand should benefit the residents, who should be regarded as shareholders entitled to profit from the brand strategy.

Martin Boisen (For the Love of Place)

Martin Boisen argues that nobody ‘owns’ a place brand. Instead, a place brand belongs to the past, present, and future people who live in that place. It should be treated as a commons, managed by democratically elected or controlled governments. These governments have a responsibility to ensure that place brands are well managed, even if the task is delegated to a public-private organization.

Nadia Kaneva

Nadia Kaneva emphasizes the changing meaning of ownership in relation to brands. In the case of place brands, while companies may profit from positive associations, the costs of maintaining the infrastructure and services that contribute to the brand are typically paid with public money. Thus, the ownership of city or country brands cannot be separated from the question of who profits from the brand.

Natasha Grand (INSTID)

Natasha Grand provides different perspectives on ownership. She suggests that city brands are owned by the people who care about the place, regardless of where they live. Ideally, a state-financed but politically independent Nation Brand Trust would curate, foster, and develop the brand. However, in practice, brand tools are usually owned by the state body that contracted the branding program, such as the tourism ministry.

Oliver Zoellner

Oliver Zoellner believes that the citizenry should own the brands of their nations or cities. These brands are created and made up by the people, their values, lifestyles, and identities. Place brands should be public property and not privatized, as this would alienate the citizenry from their own brand.

Pärtel-Peeter Pere (Future Place Leadership)

Pärtel-Peeter Pere argues that a place brand cannot be owned but can only be managed. It is a public domain that affects all people and businesses within a place. Therefore, the responsibility falls on the government to manage it in an inclusive and open way, considering the perspectives of all stakeholders.

Robert Govers (Imaginative Communities)

According to Robert Govers, place brands cannot be legally protected, so no one can truly own them. However, partnerships involving economic development, tourism, hospitality, businesses, and community groups steward these brands. The success of a place brand depends on how well it is embraced by local stakeholders.

Conclusion

As you can see, the ownership of city and nation brands is a complex matter. While governments, residents, businesses, and other stakeholders play a role in their management, the true ownership lies in the collective efforts of the community. Place brands are a reflection of the values, identities, and experiences of the people who live in and engage with a place. So, in a way, we can say that everyone and no one owns these brands.

Source: https://t-tees.com
Category: WHO