Place Marketing Explained: From Place Identity to Campaigns
Cities and regions compete for visitors, talent, businesses, students and investment. Kotler, Haider and Rein describe places as competing for different groups of “place buyers”, including tourists, residents, companies and investors. Digital communication has expanded the choices available to these audiences, making it easier to compare locations before deciding where to travel, study, work or invest (Kotler, Haider and Rein, 1993).
Place marketing helps locations communicate their strengths and reach the audiences that support their development goals. Effective marketing starts with clear objectives and connects the place’s identity and brand with practical activities such as content, advertising, public relations, events and website communication.
This article explains what place marketing means and presents an eight-step framework for planning, implementing and evaluating a place marketing strategy.
What is place marketing?
Place marketing is the strategic process of shaping how tourists, investors, entrepreneurs, future residents, students and local communities perceive a location. It also aims to influence decisions that support the economic and social development of the place. Kotler, Haider and Rein connect place marketing with understanding what different target groups value and improving how a place presents its qualities to those groups (Kotler, Haider and Rein, 1993).
Unlike product marketing, a place is a living system with multiple stakeholders, identities and stories. Its reputation is influenced by marketing communication as well as policies, infrastructure, public services, local organisations and people’s direct experiences of the location (Kavaratzis, 2004).
Can a place really become a product?
Not in the traditional sense. Places cannot be designed from scratch or controlled by a single organisation. Their identity is shaped by history, culture, communities, institutions and stakeholder behaviour.
However, Kotler, Haider and Rein argue that places can become more attractive to target markets by improving their economic and social foundations and communicating their distinctive qualities effectively. Place marketing can therefore package and communicate relevant characteristics of a location to specific audiences. In this sense, a place can be marketed as a collection of propositions, each appealing to different people for different reasons (Kotler, Haider and Rein, 1993).
A city, for example, can represent several different propositions at the same time. To tourists, it may offer culture and entertainment. To businesses, it may offer infrastructure and economic opportunity. Students may value education and social life, while investors focus on sector strength and growth potential. The place itself remains the same, but the selected value proposition changes according to the audience.
Place marketing as a strategic process
Place marketing includes activities such as advertising, content marketing, public relations, social media, search engine optimisation, email marketing, events and website communication. Individual campaigns form part of this process, but their impact grows when they support clear objectives and communicate a recognisable message.
Rainisto examines place marketing as a managed process that connects marketing theory, branding, place development and local economic development. His research suggests that results depend on more than individual promotional activities. Planning, implementation and the conditions surrounding the marketing effort also shape success (Rainisto, 2003).
Collaboration also shapes the process. Municipalities, tourism organisations, investment agencies, universities, businesses, cultural institutions and community organisations may all communicate with target audiences. Shared objectives help these organisations contribute to a coherent marketing effort.
The foundations of place marketing
Many place marketing initiatives focus on visibility without first establishing clarity, consistency and experience. A city can launch campaigns, produce attractive videos and invest in advertising, but interest is less likely to become action when the message is inconsistent or the experience does not support the promise.
Kavaratzis argues that perceptions of a city are formed through both formal marketing communication and wider actions such as policy, infrastructure and organisational behaviour. The place itself therefore communicates alongside its campaigns (Kavaratzis, 2004).
The strongest place marketing strategies in this framework are built around three connected foundations.
Place identity: discovering the different identities of a place
Every place has an identity, but very few have only one. A city can simultaneously be a technology hub, a cultural destination, a university city and a desirable place to live. These identities develop through history, geography, institutions, local businesses, communities and everyday experiences. Marketing does not invent them. It discovers them, prioritises them and communicates them more clearly.
This is similar to product marketing. A product may appeal to different customer groups for different reasons. A smartwatch, for example, can be positioned around health, productivity or lifestyle. The product remains the same, but the message changes depending on the audience. Places work in a related way, although their identities are more complex and less controllable.
Research plays an important role during this stage. Stakeholder interviews, resident feedback, visitor research and market analysis help identify the characteristics people already associate with a location. Those insights become the foundation for the branding and marketing decisions that follow.
Branding places: turning identity into a recognisable brand
Once the relevant identity elements are clear, they can be translated into a place brand. Place branding expresses a place through positioning, visual identity, messaging, storytelling and experiences. It is more than designing a logo or writing a slogan. It creates a recognisable personality that people associate with the place wherever they encounter it.
Kavaratzis presents city branding as the construction, communication and management of the city’s image. This image is supported by formal communication and by the way residents, visitors and other audiences experience the city (Kavaratzis, 2004).
Just like commercial brands, places can be positioned in different ways depending on their objectives. A shopping district may present itself as a destination for independent boutiques and local cafés. A business park may focus on entrepreneurship and sector expertise. A coastal region may build its reputation around nature, wellbeing and outdoor activities. These positions remain credible when they reflect qualities the place can genuinely provide.
Consistency supports recognition. A website, tourism campaign, investment brochure and social media channel should communicate a connected identity. However, consistency does not require one identical message for everyone. Zenker and Braun challenge the idea of a “one size fits all” city brand and propose a branded-house approach that allows related propositions for different groups to exist beneath a shared place brand (Zenker and Braun, 2017).
Destination branding: presenting visitor experiences
Destination branding focuses mainly on how visitors perceive and experience a place. Travellers rarely choose a destination because of a single attraction. They consider the combination of experiences, associations and practical benefits that the destination appears to offer.
One destination can communicate different experiences to different visitor segments without losing its central identity. A historic city may promote museums and architecture to cultural travellers, outdoor activities to active visitors, conferences to business travellers and nightlife to younger audiences. Each campaign highlights a different aspect of the same destination while remaining connected to the broader place brand.
Successful destination branding combines storytelling with digital marketing. High-quality content, search engine optimisation, paid campaigns, photography and video can help potential visitors understand the destination and imagine the experience before arrival.
A place marketing strategy builds on these connected foundations. Place identity provides authentic characteristics. Place branding selects and organises those characteristics into a recognisable position. Destination branding applies that position to visitor experiences, while broader place marketing develops propositions for audiences such as investors, residents, students and businesses.
Place marketing in research
Kotler, Haider and Rein describe strategic place marketing as a response to competition for visitors, residents, companies, investors and economic activity. Their approach places audience needs, place development and communication within one marketing process (Kotler, Haider and Rein, 1993).
Kavaratzis argues that city marketing extends beyond promoting a city through advertising or campaigns. It involves constructing, communicating and managing the city’s image through a combination of marketing communication, public policy, infrastructure, organisational behaviour and the experiences people have within the city (Kavaratzis, 2004). Because cities are among the most actively marketed types of places, the terms city marketing and place marketing are sometimes used interchangeably. However, city marketing is best understood as one application of the broader discipline of place marketing, which also includes regions, destinations, countries, shopping districts, university campuses and other geographic locations.
Rainisto studies the management process and success factors behind place marketing practices. His work connects marketing and branding with place development, assessment and local economic development, supporting the use of a structured process rather than disconnected campaigns (Rainisto, 2003).
Zenker and Braun address the complexity created by different target groups. They argue against using one uniform city-brand message for every audience and propose a brand architecture that permits related, audience-relevant propositions beneath one shared brand (Zenker and Braun, 2017).
Anholt’s concept of competitive identity connects brand management with areas such as public diplomacy, tourism, investment, trade and export promotion. This perspective treats reputation as the result of coordinated action and communication rather than promotion alone (Anholt, 2007).
Together, these perspectives show that successful place marketing requires a structured process connecting objectives, place development, identity, branding, audiences and marketing activity. The following eight-step framework provides a practical roadmap for developing that strategy.
The place marketing strategy process in 8 steps
A place marketing strategy connects long-term ambitions with practical marketing decisions. It determines what the place wants to achieve, which strengths deserve emphasis, which audiences matter and how campaigns will reach them.
The process continues beyond planning. It includes identity research, brand development, audience analysis, message creation, channel selection, campaign delivery and performance measurement. Each step provides input for the next, while new research and campaign results may lead teams back to earlier decisions.
The following eight-step framework provides a practical roadmap for cities, regions, destination organisations, investment agencies and their marketing partners.
Step 1: Define your place marketing objectives
Every place marketing strategy begins with clear objectives. Before deciding which messages or channels to use, determine what the marketing effort needs to achieve. These objectives guide the identity elements you select, the audiences you prioritise and the campaigns you develop.
Objectives depend on the ambitions and circumstances of the place. A city may aim to recruit skilled workers, while a region may want to increase off-season tourism. Other objectives may focus on investment enquiries, student recruitment, business growth, resident retention or reputation development.
Translate broad ambitions into measurable targets wherever possible. A tourism objective could specify the desired growth in visits during selected months. An investment objective could focus on qualified enquiries from chosen sectors. A talent objective could track applications, relocations or engagement with recruitment content.
Clear objectives give participating organisations a shared direction. They also create the basis for selecting performance indicators and evaluating results later in the process.
Step 2: Identify the relevant aspects of the place’s identity
Once the objectives are clear, identify the aspects of the place’s identity that support them. Every place contains many characteristics shaped by its history, culture, economy, landscape, institutions, communities and everyday experiences. Different objectives may require a different emphasis.
A city seeking technology investment may highlight its research institutions, specialist workforce, infrastructure and business networks. The same city may focus on architecture, heritage, food and cultural life when attracting leisure visitors. Both approaches can reflect the same place while selecting different identity elements.
Identity research may include local data, historical research, stakeholder interviews, resident participation, asset mapping and analysis of local narratives. Audience research can then reveal how closely external perceptions correspond with the identity described by local stakeholders.
The aim is to select authentic strengths that are relevant to the objective. Marketing works with these strengths rather than creating a fictional version of the place.
For a detailed explanation of the research process, read our guide to place identity.
Step 3: Develop the place brand
The place brand turns the selected identity elements into a clear proposition. It defines how the place wants to be recognised and provides a foundation for messages, campaigns, visual communication and audience experiences.
Brand development may include positioning, a value proposition, message themes, visual guidelines, tone of voice and a clear promise. These elements help organisations communicate the place recognisably across websites, advertisements, events, social channels, tourism campaigns and investment materials.
The objectives guide the brand choices. A region focused on attracting sustainable businesses may emphasise its clean-energy sector and research network. A destination seeking more cultural visitors may highlight local history and creative experiences.
Audience research also informs the brand. Initial positioning may begin with the objectives and identity, while research tests whether that positioning feels relevant and credible to the people the place wants to reach.
A place brand should express promises that the location can support through its services, policies, environment and stakeholder behaviour. Kavaratzis shows that city image is affected by these wider forms of communication, while Anholt connects sustainable place reputation with coordinated action across policy and promotional fields (Kavaratzis, 2004; Anholt, 2007).
Our guide to place branding explains the complete brand development process.
Step 4: Identify and understand your target audiences
A place marketing strategy needs clearly defined audiences. Visitors, investors, students, entrepreneurs, skilled professionals and prospective residents make decisions for different reasons. Each group also uses different sources of information during its decision process.
Start by selecting the audience groups that connect most closely with the objectives. A broad goal such as attracting businesses becomes more useful when it identifies sectors, company sizes, countries of origin, investment needs and decision-maker roles.
Research should explore what the audience values, which barriers affect its choices, how it compares locations and where it searches for information. Interviews, surveys, search data, website behaviour, social listening, stakeholder knowledge and campaign results can support this analysis.
Segmentation allows marketers to adapt propositions without creating an unrelated brand for every audience. Zenker and Braun argue that a uniform city-brand message may overlook the different knowledge, needs and associations of specific groups. Their branded-house approach supports connected propositions for different audiences beneath one shared city brand (Zenker and Braun, 2017).
The place brand provides the shared foundation, while target-specific communication selects the benefits and evidence that matter most to each audience.
Step 5: Define your messaging and campaign approach
Once the objectives, identity, brand and audiences are clear, define how the marketing will connect them. This stage turns the strategic foundation into a practical campaign approach.
Begin with the value proposition for each priority audience. Explain what the place offers, why that offer matters and why the audience should choose this location over another option. Kotler, Haider and Rein place this understanding of target-market decision-making at the centre of strategic place marketing (Kotler, Haider and Rein, 1993).
Support each proposition with evidence such as infrastructure, services, local experiences, sector data, testimonials, success stories or quality-of-life benefits.
A talent campaign may focus on career opportunities and daily life. An investment campaign may centre on sector expertise, access to markets, available sites and institutional support. A tourism campaign may use local stories, experiences, seasonal themes and practical travel information.
The campaign approach should also define responsibilities, budgets, timelines, approval processes and performance indicators. Rainisto’s research approaches place marketing through its process, assessment criteria and success factors, supporting planned and managed implementation rather than isolated promotional activity (Rainisto, 2003).
Step 6: Select the right marketing channels
Channel selection determines where audiences encounter the marketing. The right mix depends on the objective, the audience’s behaviour, the available budget and the type of action the campaign seeks to encourage.
Relevant channels may include:
- Search engine optimisation and search advertising
- Editorial content and destination storytelling
- Social media and creator partnerships
- Email marketing and direct outreach
- Public relations and media partnerships
- Display advertising and online video
- Destination, investment or recruitment websites
- Trade fairs, conferences, roadshows and local events
Different channels can serve different stages of the audience journey. Search content may answer early questions, while case studies can support comparison. Email campaigns may nurture interest, while events and direct contact can help audiences make a final decision.
The channel mix should reflect evidence about audience behaviour rather than the popularity of a platform. Each channel should communicate the place brand consistently while adapting the format and level of detail to its context. This supports the broader principle that place marketing should begin with target-market needs rather than promotional activity alone (Kotler, Haider and Rein, 1993).
Step 7: Implement and coordinate marketing campaigns
Implementation turns the strategy into visible activity. Campaign teams create content, launch advertisements, publish webpages, contact media, organise events, support partners and respond to audience interest.
Each campaign should connect with the original objectives and selected audience. Campaign briefs can document the purpose, proposition, audience insight, main message, channels, responsibilities, timing, budget and measurement plan.
Coordination becomes especially important when many organisations communicate about the same location. Municipalities, destination organisations, investment agencies, universities, businesses and cultural partners may each own different channels and audience relationships.
Kavaratzis distinguishes formal marketing communication from the wider communication created by policies, physical developments, organisational behaviour and people’s experiences. These elements collectively influence the image of the place, which means a campaign cannot be managed separately from the reality it promotes (Kavaratzis, 2004).
Shared campaign resources can help partners communicate a connected story. These resources may include messaging guidance, approved images, audience insights, campaign calendars, landing pages, templates and reporting dashboards.
Regular coordination gives teams space to share audience feedback and adapt their work. It also helps prevent competing messages from weakening the positioning established earlier in the process. Rainisto’s research also places cooperation and managed implementation among the conditions that influence place marketing success (Rainisto, 2003).
Step 8: Measure, evaluate and improve performance
Measurement connects campaign activity with the objectives defined in the first step. It helps teams understand which messages, channels and audience segments produce useful results.
Use several levels of measurement to create a complete view of performance:
- Reach: Search visibility, campaign reach, impressions, media coverage and audience growth
- Engagement: Content interaction, email responses, video completion, event participation and return visits
- Conversion: Bookings, enquiries, applications, registrations, downloads and direct contacts
- Place outcomes: Visitor distribution, investment interest, student recruitment, business attraction and talent relocation
- Perception: Awareness, associations, consideration, trust and resident sentiment
The selected indicators should match the objective and the expected decision period. A paid tourism campaign may produce bookings within weeks, while an investment campaign may require months of contact before generating a confirmed project.
Compare performance across audiences, messages, channels, locations and campaign periods. This analysis can reveal which activities deserve more investment and which assumptions require new research.
Evaluation completes one cycle of the process and begins the next. The findings may lead to revised objectives, updated audience insights, stronger messages or a different channel mix. Rainisto’s work supports this process-oriented view by treating assessment and implementation as connected parts of successful place marketing practice (Rainisto, 2003).
Building a coordinated place marketing strategy
Effective place marketing connects long-term ambitions with practical marketing decisions. Clear objectives determine which aspects of the place’s identity deserve emphasis. The place brand then turns those strengths into positioning and messages that can be adapted for different audiences.
Campaigns, content, websites, advertising, public relations and events bring the strategy into the market. Their impact grows when participating organisations work from shared objectives and communicate a recognisable brand. Measurement closes the process by showing which activities attract attention, influence perceptions and encourage action.
The eight steps provide a repeatable process rather than a fixed formula. Cities and regions can revisit each stage as their objectives, audiences and circumstances develop. This reflects the wider literature on place marketing, which connects target-market analysis, place development, brand management, stakeholder coordination and evaluation rather than treating promotion as a separate activity (Kotler, Haider and Rein, 1993; Rainisto, 2003).
Our guides to place identity and place branding provide further support for the second and third steps.
Place marketing services to put you on the map
Developing a place marketing strategy is only the first step. Turning that strategy into measurable results requires consistent branding, clear communication and marketing channels that match the behaviour of each audience.
At SublimeStart, we support places in developing strong, authentic brands that reflect who they are and where they want to go. For guidance or support with shaping your place brand, you can contact our team or learn more about our place marketing services.
References
Anholt, S. (2007). Competitive Identity: The New Brand Management for Nations, Cities and Regions. Palgrave Macmillan.
https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230627727
Kavaratzis, M. (2004). From city marketing to city branding: Towards a theoretical framework for developing city brands. Place Branding, 1, 58–73.
https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.pb.5990005
Kotler, P., Haider, D. H. and Rein, I. (1993). Marketing Places: Attracting Investment, Industry, and Tourism to Cities, States, and Nations. Free Press.
Publisher information
Rainisto, S. K. (2003). Success Factors of Place Marketing: A Study of Place Marketing Practices in Northern Europe and the United States. Helsinki University of Technology.
https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:tkk-000746
Zenker, S. and Braun, E. (2017). Questioning a one size fits all city brand: Developing a branded house strategy for place brand management. Journal of Place Management and Development, 10(3), 270–287.
https://doi.org/10.1108/JPMD-04-2016-0018
