all inhabitants, thus, it needs a popular acceptance (Wolff Olins, 2008).13) Olins14) makes a few remarks concerning the current branding characteristics: The brand has become a social platform .The brand represents


more than a label applied to a product (which would have acted at an emo- tional level on a client, determining him to buy that product) – the brand has become a platform: people are invited not only to buy that product, but do dif- ferent things, interact, take attitude, change opinions, ideas, knowledge (see portals wikipedia.com, eBay.com, YouTube.com, etc), create, be innovative (Peugeot invites clients to be car designers); thus, the brand implies less emotional state: it has become more practical, generating active people and even activists of that spirit. The brand makes connections. It no longer addresses individual


consumers, but corporations, too. These form “constellations”, and the brand makes connections between them. Moreover, a brand may generate another, through endorsement. For example, New York has become an urban brand which connects an unimaginable number of companies and agencies promot- ing the city. The brand is no longer necessarily property of a company, but it has become the token of a true movement. The brand is a theme. Most corporations have become sensible to


local context. In the spirit of the idea of “identity instead of identical”, many multinational companies have adapted and personalised according to local culture (MacDonald’s sells locally specific products in many parts of the Globe: “La Plata” hamburger in South America, “terriaki macburger” in Japan,


12) Idem, p. 11. 13) Idem, p. 13. 14) See webpage www.wolffolins.com.


94


To support this point, Peter van Ham (2002) identifies at least four categories of instruments in favour of city branding: 1. urban products and services have become so similar, from a qualitative point of view, that it takes something else to make a difference; 2. between brand and the consumer there is an emotional relationship which ensures loyalty of the latter; 3. brand offers a substitute for the political programs and ideologies (a.n. brand generates that set of ideas in which one believes and associates with); 4. the urban brand implies emotions, feelings, and certain values of city lifestyle. It is more and more part of urban management philosophy, in order to in- crease city competitiveness, regionally, nationally or globally; The main condition coordinating the urban management philosophy is the globalisation process which offers new competing data. Local authorities, residents must find solutions in order to keep the city in the sphere of global competitiveness, or else it is eliminated and its decline begins. Now, urban management implies the shift from leading (local government) to manage- ment (governance), public-private partnerships and a more adequate control over public space. 12) City branding implies loyalties and national characteristics; it implies


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144  |  Page 145  |  Page 146  |  Page 147  |  Page 148  |  Page 149  |  Page 150  |  Page 151  |  Page 152  |  Page 153  |  Page 154  |  Page 155  |  Page 156  |  Page 157  |  Page 158  |  Page 159  |  Page 160  |  Page 161