A3 Refereed book chapter or chapter in a compilation book
The Touchy Subject of the Place Name – Contemplating Municipality Names and Branding in Merging Situations
Subtitle: Contemplating Municipality Names and Branding in Merging Situations
Authors: Hakala Ulla, Sjöblom Paula
Editors: Paula Sjöblom, Terhi Ainiala, Ulla Hakala
Publishing place: Newcastle upon Tyne
Publication year: 2013
Book title : Names in the Economy: Cultural Prospects
First page : 152
Last page: 172
Number of pages: 21
ISBN: 978-1-4438-4945-6
Abstract
The main objective of place branding is to create positive attitudes in
the target markets – in other words, to improve the welfare of the place.
The crucial factors in creating a place brand are place identity and place
image. Image is the sum of beliefs, ideas and impressions that people have
of a place. Identity is evident on different levels: the functional, the
experiential, and the symbolic level. The name of a place is not only a
valuable carrier of individual and social identity but also of historical ties.
People identify with places through their names.
What happens to place brands and place branding if the names change
due to municipality consolidation? The purpose of this paper is to discuss
the role of names in place mergers from a place branding perspective.
With three illustrative case examples, we will discuss the possible impact
of a name change on place branding and on various stakeholders,
particularly residents and small and medium sized enterprises, and we will
contemplate the challenges of place branding from two angles: identity
and image. We claim that the administrative change focusing also on the
municipality name has its emotive consequences, and new emphasis and
appreciation are given to locality and old symbolic elements.
The main objective of place branding is to create positive attitudes in
the target markets – in other words, to improve the welfare of the place.
The crucial factors in creating a place brand are place identity and place
image. Image is the sum of beliefs, ideas and impressions that people have
of a place. Identity is evident on different levels: the functional, the
experiential, and the symbolic level. The name of a place is not only a
valuable carrier of individual and social identity but also of historical ties.
People identify with places through their names.
What happens to place brands and place branding if the names change
due to municipality consolidation? The purpose of this paper is to discuss
the role of names in place mergers from a place branding perspective.
With three illustrative case examples, we will discuss the possible impact
of a name change on place branding and on various stakeholders,
particularly residents and small and medium sized enterprises, and we will
contemplate the challenges of place branding from two angles: identity
and image. We claim that the administrative change focusing also on the
municipality name has its emotive consequences, and new emphasis and
appreciation are given to locality and old symbolic elements.
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