Community!
A great topic for discussion!
Holding a Master of Communication, I bring strong research skills and analytical expertise to the table!
POINTS OF PARITY & POINTS OF DIFFERENCE
POPs & 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:
POP 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.
POD, 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.
Reference: Keller, K. L., Parameswaran, A. M. G., & Jacob, I. (2015). Strategic Brand Management. Pearson Education India.
what makes branded content stick - 4 pillars
In a world overflowing with content, the real challenge isn’t just creating branded content—it’s creating branded content that sticks. Audiences today are savvy. They scroll fast, skip ads instinctively, and know when they’re being sold to. So how do you capture attention and keep it? The answer lies in 4 core qualities that set impactful branded content apart from the rest.
1. Relevance - If it doesn’t speak to your audience, it won’t speak at all. Effective branded content starts with a deep understanding of your audience’s values, needs, and context (demographics provide this info...). Pro Tip: Use insights from customer feedback, surveys, or even comments on social media to inform your content themes.
2. Authenticity - Branded content isn’t about pretending to be something you’re not—it’s about amplifying what you genuinely are. Audiences are drawn to transparency. Think less “scripted commercial,” more “meaningful conversation.”
3. Value - Whether educational, entertaining, or emotionally moving, branded content must give something before it asks for anything in return. If your audience walks away having learned, laughed, or reflected, they’re far more likely to remember—and return.
4. Craft - Yes, design and production still matter. Beautiful visuals, strong writing, and high-quality audio or video elevate your content from forgettable to memorable. Good craft doesn’t mean high budget—it means intentionality.
The Takeaway? - The best branded content doesn’t just blend in—it breaks through. It feels useful, real, and worth your time. If your content doesn’t check at least three of the four boxes above, it’s probably not ready for prime time.
Want to build content that email us at marketingintentworkshops@gmail.com.
Let’s make your story stick.
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.
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
Business with Marketing Intent & Workshops
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.
________________________________________
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.
________________________________________
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.
________________________________________
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. :)
marketingintentworkshops@gmail.com
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.
.
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.