How to make everyone fall in love with a city

摘要

The cultural appeal of big, historic cities has long been a key driver of tourism and business proliferation, and the brand perceptions of these melting pots continue to develop over time. A research paper by Zelenskaya and Elkanova (2020) explores the arena of place brand architecture, through a focus on the complex place branding layers that have been applied to St Petersburg, Russia's second largest city. Specifically, a group-targeted sub-brands strategy for city branding is proposed, together with an examination of its marketing advantages and challenges. Data for the study were gathered from detailed interviews with stakeholders involved in city branding efforts in St Petersburg. Secondary data were also used in the form of research reports and newspaper articles, for example. Lifting the lid on brand architecture Culture is well known for its revitalizing potential, thanks to its almost timelessly aspirational quality. St Petersburg has been lovingly described over generations as Russia's cultural capital by Russian visitors, and as the window to Europe. Yet this rooted emotional bond with the city remains absent for foreigners, necessitating concerted and complex efforts to brand the city as a destination ready to enrich the foreign visitor too. The traditional, vanilla museum city brand remains the dominant image for foreign tourists, leaving plenty of room for dynamic brand improvements.