MUNICIPAL BRANDING AS AN INNOVATE INSTRUMENT OF INCREASING THE COMPETITIVENESS OF THE CITY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33287/102058Keywords:
public administration, municipal branding, local government, city branding, city community, competitive advantages, branding strategyAbstract
The article explores the content and essence of the municipal branding tool as a managerial concept of representing the potential of the city from its most attractive and competitive sides. Research shows, that city residents play one of three major roles in the process of this tool using. First, the community is the subject of municipal branding. As municipal policy is formulated according to citizens’ decisions, residents become decision-makers for the city’s branding. Second, residents can be a major element of city branding: when tourists visit the city, they evaluate not only the external attributes of the city, but also the locals, which shape their understanding of the city’s values. Finally, residents can be brand ambassadors of their home-city, its promoting throughout the world. The content of the main stages of the implementation of municipal branding strategy is revealed. Author stresses that they include phases from diagnose of the situation and formulation of the branding goals to the direct implementation of the strategic plan through concrete measures, programs and projects with the monitoring of the results obtained. The five main urban identity parameters that should be included and developed within Ukraine’s national brand identity are described in the article: social, historical, economic, cultural and human capital. It is assumed that brand identity of the city is based, on the one hand, on national identity, and the unique features of the city’s territory, socio-cultural, historical and economic identity of its community, which is highly aware of its territorial, socio-cultural and historical belonging to the territory. Thus, the main result of municipal branding is the established brand of the city and its general reputation, preferably not only within the country but also abroad.
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