Block 7 (The Rebranding Process + Players In Rural Places)

Question 1

Define a rural area

Answer 1

A natural area (countryside/forest) with a low population density (less than 10,000 people)

• Can be REMOTE (high peripherality)
• Most often NOT REMOTE - HINTERLAND (low peripherality)

Question 2

Define ‘hinterland’

Answer 2

Rural areas that are economically tied to urban catchment areas

Question 3

Define peripherality

Answer 3

Distance in time/space from the opportunities provided by urban areas

Question 4

Define the ‘rural idyll’

Answer 4

The view of rural areas as areas of natural beauty (‘chocolate box villages’) that must be conserved

Question 5

List some characteristics of the rural idyll

Answer 5

• Local, primary employment (e.g. agriculture)
• Traditional buildings (e.g. thatched roofs)
• Locally born population (e.g. local accent)
• Rural hobbies (e.g. hunting)

Question 6

Do most rural areas fit the rural idyll?

Answer 6

No - most have faced decline

Question 7

What are some challenges that may cause a need for rural rebranding?

Answer 7

• Changing demographic (population becomes wealthy, old)
• Changing economy (primary sector becoming services)
• Post-productive countryside shift (focus on sustainability -expensive)
• Loss of affordable housing (gentrification + second homes)
• Loss of rural services (independent butchers, etc, not profitable)
• Physical exclusion (public transport too infrequent, become isolated)
• Digital exclusion (slow WIFI, poor connections to digital world)

Question 8

Define rebranding

Answer 8

Marketing a place to give it a new identity in the consciousness of the public and businesses

Question 9

What 2 processes can contribute to rebranding?

Answer 9

• Regeneration

- Re-imaging

Question 10

Define regeneration

Answer 10

Long-term process involving economic, social and environmental improvement

Question 11

Define re-imaging

Answer 11

Creating new mental perceptions of a place through advertising

Question 12

Give an example of a re-imaged place

Answer 12

Yorkshire - advertised as ‘alive with opportunities’

Question 13

What are some rural rebranding strategies?

Answer 13

• Recreation
• Heritage
• Media
• Events
• Food/produce
• Farm diversification

Question 14

What is the recreation rebranding strategy and an example?

Answer 14

• Walking/cycling routes etc

- E.g. Isle of White Walking Festival

Question 15

What is the heritage rebranding strategy and an example?

Answer 15

• Historic buildings/industrial past capitalised

- E.g. Mining museums in Wales

Question 16

What is the media rebranding strategy and an example?

Answer 16

• Use for TV settings, etc

- E.g. Father Brown, Blockley

Question 17

What is the events rebranding strategy and an example?

Answer 17

• Events based on crop/food festivals that characterise rural areas
• E.g. Feastival, Cotswolds

Question 18

What is the food/produce rebranding strategy and an example?

Answer 18

• Advertising specialist foods from the area

- E.g. Devonshire cream

Question 19

What is the farm diversification rebranding strategy and an example?

Answer 19

• Making farms more profitable by installing activities, etc

- E.g. Freestyle 360 gym, Blockley

Question 20

What figures are involved in rural rebranding?

Answer 20

• Gov/local authorities - have most power+money, may want to stimulate growth+investment
• Local community groups - want to improve their local area
• Private investors - involved to make profit for their company

Question 21

What are some positive social effects of rural rebranding?

Answer 21

• Improved community pride

- Improved perception of place from outsiders - more tourism and immigrants

Question 22

What are some positive economic effects of rural rebranding?

Answer 22

• Businesses grow, as more visitors and locals

- More attractive to TNCs, so investment occurs, providing jobs and regeneration

Question 23

What are some positive environmental effects of rural rebranding?

Answer 23

• Improved environmental quality - deprivation leads to decline of both physical and built environment upkeep

Question 24

What are some negative social impacts of rural rebranding?

Answer 24

• Increased traffic congestion on small rural roads
• Community may be lost (out pricing - second homes)
• Locals may reject change - holding onto what used to be the rural idyll and not wanting to diversify - NIMBYism

Question 25

What are some negative environmental impacts of rural rebranding?

Answer 25

• Increased pollution (air pollution - traffic, litter)