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Rural place branding processes: a meta-synthesis

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Abstract

Like cities and nations, rural places have adopted the practice of place branding to improve their reputation and increase their competitiveness to attract residents, tourists, and consumers. This review aims to synthesize case studies of rural place branding in order to identify different types of processes applied and relating them to the contextual factors underlying their application. A typology of five rural place branding processes (PBP) is proposed, based on the existence and dominance of a focal actor, and other actors involved in the process. Six contextual factors that affect the application of the various PBP are identified: (1) type of place distinguishing between places with or without administrative power, (2) initiative referring to the difference between political/administrative, community, mixed, (3) support base for the branding distinguishing between strong political/organizational, strong community, strong identity, (4) brand purpose, i.e., competitiveness, identity, conservation; (5) target group, and (6) type of place brand referring to the difference between sectoral and integrated place brands. Patterns of the contextual factors have been identified that seem to be typical for the application of the different PBP types. The findings provide guidance to rural place managers and communities to apply a PBP that matches their specific context.

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  1. Department of Sociology, Environmental and Business Economics, University of Southern Denmark, Niels Bohrs vej 9-10, 6700, Esbjerg, Denmark

    Barbora Gulisova

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  1. Barbora Gulisova
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Appendix 1: Overview of articles and cases included for analysis

Appendix 1: Overview of articles and cases included for analysis

No.

Author (year)

Journal

Place

Obtained from main search

 

1

Blichfeldt and Halkier (2014)

European Planning Studies

Løgstør (DK)

2

Cavicchi et al. (2013)

International Food and Agribusiness Management Review

Marche region (IT)

3

de San Eugenio-Vela and Barniol-Carcasona (2015)

Journal of Rural Studies

El Lluçanès, (CAT, ES)

4

Donner et al. (2017)

 

Bretagne region (FR); Languedoc-Roussillon (FR); Black Forest region (DE); West Cork region (IR)

5

García et al. (2013)

 

River Minho Estuary (PT + ES)

6

Gibson and Davidson (2004)

Journal of Rural Studies

Tamworth (AUS)

7

Grydehøj (2011)

Space and Polity

Shetland Islands (Scotland, UK)

8

Horlings (2012)

 

Het Groene Woud; Heuvelland region (NL)

9

Horlings and Kanemasu (2015)

Land Use Policy

Shetland Islands (Scotland, UK)

10

Lee et al. (2015)

Journal of Rural Studies

The city of Stratford; District Municipality of Muskoka (CA)

11

Martin and Capelli (2017)

Public Management Review

Auvergne (FR)

12

Messely et al. (2015)

Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie

Westhoek; Pajottenland & Zennevallei (BE)

13

Mettepenningen et al. (2012)

Sociologia Ruralis

Meetjesland; Haspengouw; Parc Naturel des Deux Ourthes; Gaume (BE)

14

Michelet and Giraut (2014)

Revue de Geographie Alpine

Valais (CH)

15

Porter (2013)

Journal of Landscape Architecture

Blue Mountains (NSW, AUS)

16

Ryan and Mizerski (2010)

 

New Norcia (WA, AUS)

17

Willemsen and van der Veen (2014)

Journal of Place Management and Development

Utrechtse Heuvelrug region (NL)

Obtained from complementary search

 

18

Giovanardi et al. (2013)

Marketing Theory

Montefeltro; Romagna; Val di Cornia (IT)

19

Grydehøj (2008)

Island Studies Journal

Shetland Islands (Scotland, UK)

20

Haven-Tang and Sedgley (2014)

Journal of Destination Marketing & Management

Monmouthshire (SE Wales, UK)

21

Kerr and Johnson (2005)

 

Bargo (NSW, AUS)

22

Mayes (2008)

 

Bargo (NSW, AUS)

23

Messely et al. (2010)

APSTRACT

Groene Woud (NL); West Cork (IR); Pajottenland (BE)

24

Pasquinelli (2011)

Book chapter in Pike (2011) ‘Brands and branding geographies’

Val di Cornia (IT)

25

Vik and Villa (2010)

Sociologia Ruralis

Fjærland (NO)

26

Wheeler et al. (2011)

Journal of Travel and Tourism Marketing

Victoria's High Country; the King Valley (VIC, AUS)

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Gulisova, B. Rural place branding processes: a meta-synthesis. Place Brand Public Dipl 17, 368–381 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41254-020-00187-y

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