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BLOG5of5: Standing Out While Fitting In
Points of Parity (POPs) & Points of Difference (PODs).
Cities, just like products, compete—for tourists, talent, investment, and prestige. To market a city effectively, urban planners and marketers must understand 2-key branding concepts:
Points of Parity (POPs) & Points of Difference (PODs).
Points of Parity in city marketing are the basic expectations visitors or residents have. These include safety, transportation, cultural amenities, and infrastructure. If a city lacks these essentials, it’s automatically at a disadvantage. Think of POPs as the minimum requirements to be on someone’s radar when they’re considering where to visit, live, or do business.
Points of Difference, however, are what make your city memorable. Is it Halifax’s connection to the sea and musical roots? Montreal’s bilingual culture? Austin’s “Keep it Weird” vibe? PODs are emotional, experiential, and unique to your city’s soul.
Why does this matter? A city with strong POPs but no PODs risks being forgettable. On the flip side, unique features won’t shine if basic expectations aren’t met. The most successful city brands find harmony between the two.
Takeaways:
- Identify your city’s must-have services and make them visible.
- Celebrate and promote what makes your city one-of-a-kind.
- Align storytelling with both global expectations and local character.
Point of Interest:
Keller et al. (2015) remind us that “meaningful differentiation combined with category legitimacy is key to achieving strong brand resonance”—true for shampoo and cities.
Reference:
Keller, K. L., Parameswaran, A. M. G., & Jacob, I. (2015). Strategic Brand Management. Pearson Education India.
#CityMarketing #UrbanBranding #PlaceMarketing #MarketingIntent
Blog 2of5 - City Branding in CBRM - My Grad Research
Branding in CBRM: Understanding Resident Perceptions and Building a Stronger Community
How do people feel about where they live? More importantly, what makes them stay? These were the driving questions behind my 2020 graduate research study on city branding in Cape Breton Regional Municipality (CBRM).
At its core, my study aimed to analyze resident attitudes toward CBRM’s attributes and explore whether these attributes influenced their decision to remain in the region. The findings shed light on the importance of resident-driven branding and how CBRM can use place branding strategies to create a more engaged, sustainable, and thriving community.
What is City Branding and Why Does It Matter? In marketing, a brand is a network of associations in people’s minds that shape their perception of a product, service, or in this case, a place (Keller, 1993). Cities, like products, compete for attention—whether from potential residents, tourists, or investors. A well-developed city brand can:
✅ Enhance economic growth by attracting businesses and investment
✅ Encourage tourism by positioning a city as a desirable destination
✅ Strengthen community identity by fostering local pride and engagement
According to Braun (2008), successful city branding creates both symbolic and economic value, helping cities stand out in an increasingly competitive world.
The Key Role of Residents in City Branding
- While businesses & governments play a role in shaping a city’s reputation, residents are the heart of a place brand. Their perceptions, experiences, & interactions define the identity of a community (Kalandides & Braun, 2013).
- Place branding is shaped by multiple stakeholders (residents, businesses, & governments), meaning there’s no centralized control over the brand (Van Ham, 2008). Instead, a city’s image is created organically, through lived experiences, community engagement, & collective storytelling. This is why resident involvement is critical—when people feel connected to their community, they become its best ambassadors.
- One of the biggest takeaways from my research was that city branding efforts should be built from within. Instead of relying on external marketing agencies or generic promotional materials, city marketing should rely upon resident-driven branding strategies that highlight authentic stories, local culture, & economic opportunities.
Conclusion: A Roadmap for Sustainable & Effective City Branding - City branding is not just about marketing—it’s about people. My research revealed that residents are the key drivers of a strong & sustainable city brand. By shifting toward resident-centered branding efforts, CBRM can create an identity that is genuine, engaging, and future-focused.
As cities compete for talent, investment, & recognition, CBRM has an opportunity to stand out—not just through advertising, but through the power of community. By incorporating residents voices into the branding process, we can shape a city brand that resonates, inspires, & retains those who call it home.
City branding isn’t just about marketing—it’s about people. It’s about experiences, and connection to home.
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Citations
- Braun, E. (2008). City Marketing: Towards an integrated approach (No. EPS-2008-142-ORG).
- Braun, E., Kavaratzis, M., & Zenker, S. (2013). My city–my brand: the different roles of residents in place branding. Journal of place management and development, 6(1), 18-28.
- Keller, K. L. (1993). Conceptualizing, measuring, and managing customer-based brand equity. Journal of marketing, 57(1), 1-22.
- Van Ham, P. (2008). Place branding: The state of the art. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 616(1), 126-149.
Blog 3of5 Emotional & Heritage Based Marketing...
Telling a Community Story with Heart - Let’s be honest—
...when was the last time a city brochure full of stock photos & generic slogans made you feel anything? Probably never. That’s because place branding isn’t about fancy logos or slick advertising—it’s about emotion!
A great city brand feels like home, whether you were born there, moved there, or just happened to stay one summer & never left. A community's biggest strengths aren’t just its scenic coastlines or historic streets. What truly makes a place special is its stories—past, present, and future.
Leveraging Identity, History, and Natural Beauty - creates a place of resilience, tradition, and opportunity. Our history is written in the hands of our people, who built these communities with grit and determination. Our traditions—whether it’s the music that echoes through local pubs, the kitchen parties where everyone suddenly becomes a singer, or the deep-rooted sense of neighbourly kindness—create the emotional glue that holds this place together.
And our natural beauty? Come on. If you’ve ever watched the sunrise for example, over the Cabot Trail or felt the Atlantic wind remind you who's boss, you know exactly why people fall in love with this place.
But here’s the challenge: How do we bottle that feeling and use it to strengthen local pride and attract new residents?
The Power of Storytelling in Place Branding - Instead of marketing a product, we should tell its story—a story about where we’ve been, where we are, and where we’re going. Think of it like this:
✅ The past reminds us who we are. Our history of hard work, cultural diversity, and community spirit should be celebrated and shared.
✅ The present keeps us connected. Highlighting the people and businesses making a difference today shows that our community isn’t just a place with a great past—it’s a place with an exciting right now!
✅ The future gives us hope. A good place brand isn’t just about nostalgia—it’s about opportunity! Young professionals, entrepreneurs, and families should see our community as a place where they can build their future!
Roots & Routes: A Heritage-Based Marketing Initiative - One way to bring this concept to life is through a marketing initiative like "City A Roots & Routes"—a campaign that ties together the deep roots of families who have lived here for generations with the new routes people are creating in our community today.
🔹 Feature local heritage sites—but tell the real stories behind them. Who lived there? What struggles and victories shaped the land?
🔹 Showcase cultural events that celebrate our diverse history, from Mi'kmaq, to Gaelic, to Acadian, to Lebanese, etc.
🔹 Highlight families who have stayed for generations and those who have recently chosen to call our town home—because whether you’ve been here for five minutes or five generations, you’re part of the story now!
🔹 Make it interactive. Create a “family tree” of our residents, where people can share their stories online or in a traveling exhibit. Want to see how your great-grandfather’s mining roots connect with a new entrepreneur starting a tech company? That’s the magic of heritage—it’s always evolving.
Why This Works - People don’t connect with places because of fancy marketing buzzwords. They connect because of stories, memories, and emotions.
When we brand our town using authentic storytelling and emotional connection, we create a city brand that is impossible to fake—because it’s built on real people, real history, and real heart.
And that’s something no stock photo can capture.
We’d love to hear from you! 🌍
Visit us at: marketingintentworkshops.com
📧 Reach out today: Together, we can make sure that your community's story is told authentically, powerfully, and with the heart it deserves. Let’s build something meaningful—one story at a time! 💙😊 marketingintentworkshops@gmail.com
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Blog 4of5: Community-Driven Marketing: The Power of People in Place Branding
Marketing is about building connections, fostering engagement, and making people feel invested in their communities. This is the foundation of community-driven marketing, an approach that shifts the focus away from traditional top-down branding and places residents at the heart of city marketing efforts.
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Why Community-Driven Marketing Matters - Cities, like brands, have identities. But unlike traditional brands, a city's identity isn’t controlled by a single company, organization, or government office—it’s shaped by the people who experience it daily.
Community-driven marketing ensures that:
✅ Place branding reflects the true values of residents
✅ Public spaces and infrastructure projects align with local needs
✅ Residents feel a deeper connection to where they live
By prioritizing inclusivity and participation, municipalities can foster local pride, economic growth, and long-term resident retention—ensuring that people don’t just live in a place but feel a part of it.
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Placemaking and Community-Driven Development
A powerful aspect of community-driven marketing is placemaking—a concept where residents actively shape their environment to reflect their needs, priorities, and culture.
Rather than relying on external consultants or government-led decisions, placemaking empowers residents to take part in shaping their city’s future. This participatory approach has been shown to:
🔹 Strengthen emotional ties to a place
🔹 Encourage long-term commitment to a community
🔹 Create public spaces that truly reflect the character and desires of its residents
A Community-Driven Example: The “Shape Your City” Initiative.
Imagine if your city launched a community-led initiative called “Shape Your City”, where residents could:
🗳 Vote on urban improvements – Want more public parks, bike lanes, or pedestrian-friendly spaces? Residents could help decide which projects receive priority.
💡 Propose community projects – From new public art installations to community gardens, local input ensures meaningful change.
🌍 Direct sustainability initiatives – Encouraging eco-friendly investments that align with the region’s environmental goals and local values.
By involving residents in real decision-making, CBRM can foster a stronger connection between people and place, ensuring that branding and marketing reflect the authentic community experience.
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Key Takeaways
1. People-Centered Branding Creates a Stronger Sense of Belonging - Branding isn’t just about attracting visitors—it’s about making residents feel proud of where they live. A strong community brand comes from the people who shape it daily. :)
2. Community Involvement Leads to Smarter Investments - When residents are actively engaged in placemaking, public investments become more aligned with what people actually want and need. This leads to stronger community satisfaction and higher resident retention. :)
3. Local Voices Strengthen a City’s Future - People are more likely to stay, invest, and thrive in a city when they feel heard. Community-driven marketing ensures that residents aren’t just spectators—they’re active participants in shaping their city’s growth and evolution. :)
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Competitive Analysis is INSIGHT!
A competitive analysis involves collecting data on products, sales, and the marketing strategies of competitors within the same industry. This info helps businesses assess strengths, weaknesses, and their potential opportunities.
Understanding the market landscape through competitor analysis aids in making informed decisions to enhance industry future positioning. Frequent competitive analyses can offer numerous advantages:
- Provide Insight into market and industry dynamics.
- Evaluate competitor performance
- Identify strategy gaps addressed by competitors.
- Develop strategies highlighting unique value propositions.
- Adapt quickly to market changes, securing a competitive edge.
Connect with us to kickstart your competitive analysis journey.
Leverage OUR resources to stand out in YOUR market! Feedback @ email marketingintentworkshops@gmail.com & we will talk scale, content & tasks!
2023 academic publication
This is a topic I studied in the 90s. It's was great to be working with Somalia about and in 2023.
by The Journal of Development Policy Review
You can access the article via these links:
Sample Questionnaire - Think QUESTIONNAIRE, FOCUS GROUP & TH
Thank you for your participation - WORK STRESS LIFE QUESTIONNAIRE:
https://forms.gle/u6EQiaZ9EkTvLuqk6
As a researcher it is Imperative that I collect data. Please share & Please fill out my 27 question PILOT STUDY questionnaire on WORK STRESS LIFE. It's an international questionnaire and all are welcomed. Ty (Takes 5 minutes)
Thank you so very much for taking the time to participate in the questionnaire Pilot Study as it more helpful than you can ever know.
WORK STRESS LIFE Questionnaire (Pilot Study)
WORK STRESS LIFE - Pilot Study - Questionnaire RESULTS
A pilot study is a small-scale run that allows the author to analyze results & make corrections.
50 respondents from many countries completed the study (due to the author living abroad for years).
Timeline was the last 3 months, concluding at midnight 15/02/21.
Responses for the 10-WORK questions & the 10-LIFE questions were measured with the 5-point Likert scale.
WORK 5-point Likert scale: (1) Strongly disagree (2) Disagree (3) Neutral (4) Agree (5) Strongly agree.
LIFE 5-point Likert scale: (1) Strongly agree, (2) Agree, (3) Neutral, (4) Disagree, (5) Strongly disagree.
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RESULTS
Notable results for study’s WORK section: highest numbers for Anxiety, Headaches and Covid.
Notable results for study's LIFE section: lowest numbers for Meditation, Breathing Exercises & Exercise.
DEMOGRAPHICS
The largest portion of respondents were from the age group 26-45 at 54%; The 61-75 age group were 2nd at 28%, while the 46-60 age group were 3rd at 16% and the 0-25 made up only 2% of respondents. Females represented 54% of respondents & males 46%.
62% of respondents were single, while 38% were married/common-law.
80% of respondents were employed with 14% of respondents are retired.
For further Information & the complete Report
Contact marketingintentworkshops@gmail.com for further information regarding QUESTIONNAIRES.