City Branding: Why It's Important for All Cities

Brainwoo
Feb 25, 2010
By Emily Fletcher

A recent article in The New York Times titled "Roll Over, Elvis. Meet Indie Memphis," which highlights favorite spots for locals in Midtown Memphis, got me thinking about what people considered to be the "real" Memphis. Is it the sweet smells of barbeque, Beale Street and Graceland? Or is it Indie Memphis: a "hipster, epicenter, a diverse area that is home to posh cocktail bars and long-standing juke joints?" Or is it all of them?
After contemplating that question, I began to realize how important it is not only for Memphis but for all cities, to develop a sense of identity, something people can associate with - a brand. Cities often overlook the idea of distinguishing a brand for themselves, thinking branding is purely for businesses. However, this is simply not true. In fact, CEOs for Cities' report "Branding Your City" explains that "cities have always been brands in the truest sense of the word."
As the report explains, in today's fast-paced world, every city is in competition with every other city for its "share of consumers, tourists, businesses, investment, capital, respect and attention." Cities are critical to the economy and the culture of all nations as they are constantly competing for money, recognition and opportunities. So, how a city communicates its distinctive features and qualities will determine what cities will succeed and which ones will fail.
Think of is this way...
Unless you've lived in a particular city or have good reason to know a lot about it, the chances are you think about it in terms of a handful of qualities or attributes, a promise, some kind of story. That simple brand narrative can have major impact on your decision to visit the city, to buy its products or services, to do business there or even to relocate there." - Simon Anholt, international place branding authority.
Therefore, branding is a tool that can be used by cities to define themselves and help stimulate economic growth by attracting new businesses and residents, drawing tourist dollars and increasing opportunities for urban growth.
Branding a city is a challenging process, because people feel passionately about the cities in which they live and how the rest of the world views it (hence my initial question about Memphis). Therefore, extensive research and planning goes into distinguishing a city's brand, just like branding for a business.
Check back for follow-up posts on the research and planning that goes into defining a brand for a city. But first, take a look at the quote below and think about these cities that have successfully branded themselves.
"Paris is romance, Milan is style, New York is energy, Washington is power, Tokyo is modernity, Lagos is corruption, Barcelona is culture, Rio is fun." - Anholt
And, as for Memphis, what do you think its brand is or should be? Is Memphis soul - encompassing not only music and food, but also charity, compassion and an entrepreneurial spirit, as evidenced by blues, rock, barbeque, Clarence Saunders (Piggly Wiggly Founder), FedEx's Fred Smith, Kemmons Wilson of Holiday Inn, Danny Thomas, the Wolf River Conservancy and Shelby Farms, the strong religious community, the Civil Rights Museum, the arts scene, etc.? Is Memphis bioscience and medical leadership due to its establishments like St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Campbell Clinic, orthopedic device companies and Memphis Bioworks? Or is Memphis distribution -- planes, trains, roads and river -- America's Aerotropolis? Does Memphis have too many identities, or can you have multiple identities to multiple audiences?
Can you think of any other cities that have a strong brand identity?