A place name is not only a valuable carrier of individual and social identity but also historical ties. Place
branding includes many aspects, but a name is always the core of a brand. What happens if the name changes
due to a municipality consolidation?
In the ongoing reform of the Finnish municipality structure, the number of municipalities will decrease
markedly. The nomenclature will be revolutionised while most municipal names will be withdrawn, and just one
name will be selected as a joint name. Moreover, new names have been invented. Therefore, the image of the
new city may become fragmented and the place-of-origin image might be lost. The municipal office-holders in
marketing will face unexpected problems in branding, if they have not taken identity and image questions
related to names into account.
In our paper, we will contemplate the impact of municipality name change on place branding from the
viewpoint of socio-onomastics and place branding research. We will reflect our theoretical views on our data
that consists of responses to a survey conducted among residents in the region of Southwest Finland. According
to the survey, names do represent collective memory and place identity and carry a significant heritage value
among the residents.