5.B - rebranding strategies

Question 1

what is rebranding?

Answer 1

development aimed at changing negative perceptions of a place, making it more attractive to investment

Question 2

what is reimaging?

Answer 2

developments associated with rebranding usually involving cultural, artistic or sporting elements.

Question 3

what is a place’s brand?

Answer 3

• a place’s brand is the popular image that place has aquired and by which it is generally recognised
• objective (location)
• subjective (safety etc)

Question 4

why might places need to rebrand?

Answer 4

• if a place has aquired a negative brand then rebranding can be attempted
• in today’s increasingly globalised world, places are competing not just regionally, but nationally and internationally for investment
• places seek to rebrand because their current brand is failing to attract sufficient investment

Question 5

how are placemaking and rebranding different?

Answer 5

• placemaking = physical aspects like making it look more presentable
• rebranding = changing PERCEPTIONS of place (advertising etc)

Question 6

what 3 key terms does rebranding involve?

Answer 6

1. brand artefact (the physical environment)
2. brand essence (people’s experiences of the place)
3. brandscape (reputation of a place)

Question 7

what is the brand artefact?

Answer 7

the physical environment

Question 8

what is the brand essence?

Answer 8

people’s experiences of the place

Question 9

what is the brandscape?

Answer 9

The reputation of a place

Question 10

how can SPORT be used to rebrand places?

Answer 10

• major international sporting events, such as the Olympic Games, a world cup or F1 Grand Prix, can be the catalyst that helps kick start rebranding
• focuses on the LEGACY of the event
• Bahrain has been very keen to establish itself on the F1 list of races as part of the rebranding of the place as a major hub at the global scale
• sometimes it doesn’t work e.g. Rio Olympics
• Bath Rugby central to the brand of Bath

Question 11

how can ART be used to rebrand places?

Answer 11

• both through art galleries and events
• galleries such as the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao and the tate gallery in St Ives have been pivotal in the rebranding of these places
• art events such as the edinburgh and glastonbury festivals contribute economically and culturally to the image of where they are based
• Banksy - Stokes croft rebranded around that graffiti (bottom up)

Question 12

how can HERITAGE be used to rebrand places?

Answer 12

• nearly always plays a role and can revitalise a place
• the Wessex tourist board has based much of its rebranding of this rural region on the rich heritage of the region
• e.g. ancient monuments such as Avebury and Stonehenge
• the areas that need rebranding in the UK often link to their industrial past
• e.g. SS GB, Titanic museum belfast, Stratford-Upon-Avon (shakespeare)

Question 13

how can RETAIL be used to rebrand places?

Answer 13

• Time space compression has changed retail rebranding. more independent shops due to a decline in highstreet
• with the growth in importance of consumer spending and the increased emphasis given to the “shopping experience”, rebranding can be aided by retail developers
• the flagship Selfridges store opened in 2003 has become an icon of the rebranding of central birmingham
• further developments have followed in the area such as the rebuilding of New Street Station
• Dubai has sought to raise its international profile through the shopping experience it offers

Question 14

what is a flagship development?

Answer 14

• large scale, one off property projects with distinctive architecture
• they act as a catalyst to attract further investment and regeneration
• e.g. Millenium Stadium Cardiff

Question 15

how can ARCHITECTURE be used to rebrand places?

Answer 15

• nearly always plays a role and can be used to reinforce a particular heritage look or promote the place as modern/forward looking
• examples include the covent garden area in central London for the reuse of existing buildings
• or the Pompidou Centre in Paris for the tranformative effect of radical design
• architecture is not just about the look of a place, it can also alter how people use a place and thus change its image
• O2, Sydney Opera House

Question 16

how can FOOD be used to rebrand places?

Answer 16

• some places have developed a reputation of high quality food to help their rebranding
• Ludlow, a small market town in Shropshire, has become known as the “food town”
• it has several restaurants w/ international reputations for fine dining, many specialist food shops and food festivals
• Wapping Wharf
• small, independent (expensive) food used. can be quite exclusive and will rule out certain areas of society.

Question 17

what is a market-led (topdown) strategy?

Answer 17

• private investors looking to make a profit
• typically includes private property developers, builders and business owners, for example those running restaurants, wine bars/retailing
• gentrification is typical of this strategy

Question 18

what is gentrification?

Answer 18

• the upgrading of inner city areas due to immigration and investment of higher income groups

Question 19

what are top down strategies?

Answer 19

• involves large-scale organisations such as local authorities, especially their planning departments, development agencies and private investors
• e.g. London Docklands

Question 20

how are governments involved in rebranding?

Answer 20

• governments are needed to initiate the rebranding process and provide the funds to stimulate large scale projects
• invest money to initially clean up an area and/or provide the infrastructure
• the hope is to stimulate the multiplier effect by going on to encourage private investment
• e.g. LDDC invested £4 bill to prepare Canary Wharf

Question 21

how are corporations involved in rebranding?

Answer 21

• invest their money in regeneration projects
• make their investments after the govts have begun the rebranding process
• responsible for creating specific social projects/economic opportunities in line with the govts plans for the regeneration of the area

Question 22

how are NGOs involved in rebranding?

Answer 22

• such as national trust, resident groups or community groups can influence rebranding on a smaller scale
• more involved in social and environmental projects, meeting the needs of the communities they serve
• e.g Local groups involved in the rebranding of the Bear pit

Question 23

rebranding can be a contested process:
CHANGING THE CHARACTER OF A PLACE

Answer 23

• gentrification brings about socio-economic change as wealthier people move into a neighbourhood
• their relatively large disposable income lead to changes in the types of local services available
• newsagents, corner shops and hardware shops can be displaced by restaurants, wine bars and specialist shops such as boutique clothes and shoe shops
• rising property prices invariably accompany gentrification, forcing poorer residents, who cannot afford the increased rents and prices of goods and services, to move out

Question 24

rebranding can be a contested process:
FAVOURING ONE GROUP OVER ANOTHER

Answer 24

• some players/stakeholders benefit more than others from rebranding.
• when liverpool one (a large shopping centre in inner liverpool) was developed, many local residents felt that regeneration would be of little benefit to them
• the rebranding was felt to be more suitable for entrepreneurs and those living in the suburbs/outside liverpool

Question 25

rebranding can be a contested process:
DIFFERENCE IN PRIORITIES

Answer 25

• development agencies may have different priorities from local residents
• liverpool vision, the urban regeneration body working in inner liverpool, employed cheaper foreign labour rather than local people
• it wanted to attract organisations and individuals from outside the local area, believing in this way it would help change Liverpool’s negative image
• however, establised residents and existing owners of shops, offices and leisure facilities felt they were being ignored in the rebranding process

Question 26

why has rebranding been a contested process in east harlem?

Answer 26

• demography and culture changes
• landlords may benefit by selling but tenants won’t
• BUT appears to be a positive outcome due to the many social issues