Economic Development in the Contemporary Global Environment: The Role of Place Branding as a Tool of Local Economic Development in Ontario, Canada

Over the past three decades, place branding has emerged as a strategy for local economic development for municipalities in Canada and globally, as communities seek to (re)assert themselves in a dynamic global economic market. Due to the infancy of the research domain – as it has only been in the last 15 years that place branding has received critical academic attention – there are several major lacunae within the existing scholarship: (i) current research is primarily focused on Europe; (ii) research has mainly focused on nation branding and the largest urban centres, so place branding within ‘typical’ municipalities is not well understood; (iii) there are few testable models or hypotheses that have been developed; (iv) most is conducted through one-off case studies, and therefore it is difficult to make generalizations or conclusions; and (v) most place branding privileges tourism attraction as the context of study. To expand existing research, a mixed-method approach was adopted drawing on statistical, spatial, and qualitative methods to explore the breadth and depth of the place branding issue in Ontario. Statistical analysis was used to examine the usage and message of place branding in Ontario’s municipalities (n = 414). Spatial analysis examined the underlying spatial pattern of the place brands, and attempted to find potential locations for municipal collaborations. Finally, in-depth interviews were conducted with key stakeholders connected with place branding process to gain insight into the background, rationale, process, and utility of place branding. The results of the three phases of research show that place branding is occurring in a majority of Ontario’s municipalities (in well over 90% municipalities). The distribution of place brands show that they are not random, and that municipalities with similar brands tend to cluster together, providing an opportunity for inter-regional collaborations. Finally, the results show that municipalities are using similar approaches to ensure economic advancement and that place branding is seen as critical component of local development. The findings call for the inclusion of place branding as a local strategy for economic growth; however, it requires readjustment in the brand positioning to allow greater effectiveness in attraction of target audiences

Does It Work? Examining the Effectiveness of Place Branding in Local Economic Development

For cities in advanced economies, the past three decades have been characterized by a steady increase in the use of place branding, with it becoming an integral part local economic development policy. In the context of this study, place branding goes beyond the traditional understanding of logos and slogans, and instead is understood to be the culmination of intentional and unintentional actions by cities that help create and attenuate the network of connections of the place held in the mind of target audiences. Place branding is now viewed by local policymakers as a necessary undertaking to respond to local issues that emerge (i.e. the decline of traditional economic sectors, changing demographics and population decline, the rise of the knowledge and creative economies changing position of cities in regional and global competitions for footloose economic resources). Indeed, local governments are now pinning their hopes on place branding as a way to counter many of the ills that their city faces. Despite the increased attention that place branding has received as a local economic development policy, there is considerable uncertainty over whether it is effective in meeting the hopes and aspirations of the cities that employ it. In short, does it work? To address this question, this dissertation considers place branding’s role in the attraction of three mobile economic resources (talent, immigrants, and businesses) to examine whether it is able to effectively influence these target audiences. Within this dissertation, influence is measured in several ways: place brand awareness, place brand equity, and decision-making of the target audiences. A key contribution of this dissertation is that it reframes the concept of equity to align with the geographical concept of sense-of-place. Using the Province of Ontario, Canada as the study area, the effectiveness of place branding is quantified through multiple surveys of talent (n = 3951), immigrants (n = 739), and businesses (n = 659). The influence is examined across eight studies through a series of quantitative approaches (i.e. descriptive statistics, ANOVA, regression, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, conjoint analysis, and Hierarchical Bayesian estimation). Overall, this dissertation demonstrates that place branding does have an influence on attracting mobile economic resources, and as a result has the potential to be an effective local economic development strategy. However, cities and other local governments need to be strategic in their branding efforts, and consider the brand to more than logos and slogan, to ensure it promotes the correct feature of the city that are meaningful to the target audiences being pursued

Planning for Local Economic Development: Research into Policymaking and Practice

This thematic issue of Urban Planning brings together a collection of seven articles that explore and critically engage with contemporary issues with local economic development and connect with the broader fields of urban development and planning. The articles presented here provide a complementary mix of broader conceptualizations and research and narrower case-studies which draw from a range of geographies. Contributions include the development and application of a vulnerability and risk measures for economic prosperity; examinations of how urban planning and zoning are used as tools to address industrial decline and spur new forms of economic production; complementing investigations into the role of innovation within local economic development examining the role of public and private institutions as well as broad and targeted policy interventions; and the relationship between ‘big-tech,’ economic development and urban planning and governance

Innovation within the Context of Local Economic Development and Planning: Perspectives of City Practitioners

Although innovation is a major theme in current local economic development and planning, there is a considerable uncertainty of what the concept specifically means, measured, and how outcomes are identified. To date, no study has investigated this glaring gap in scholarship. To address this gap, we interviewed economic development practitioners across cities in Ontario to identify and clarify how they define, apply, and measure innovation within their cities’ economic development strategies. Practitioners indicate that innovation plays a key role in their cities’ economic development strategy, demonstrating the importance of the concept within local governments. Additionally, it is clear that local governments are key facilitators of innovation. While many cities claim to have some form of innovation in their economic development strategies, a wide range of framings and approaches to innovation exist. Cities may not be taking the most efficient approach to fostering local innovation, which is critical with the rise of knowledge-based economic development

Just Because You Could, Doesn’t Mean You Should: Exploring if (and When) Cities Should Brand Through a Case Study of The City of London, Ontario

Cities in Canada and abroad are engaging in place branding initiatives without any true understanding of whether they are likely to succeed. A key reason for this uncertainty is that there is a lack of understanding of what local conditions are needed to ensure the best chance for success. This study addresses this uncertainty in two ways: first, a theoretical framework is developed to identify local characteristics and conditions that are requisite for place branding; and second, the City of London, Ontario is used as a case study to examine whether small and midsized cities should be branding. Based on an extensive review of the literature domain a framework of seven criteria was developed: is there a need? Is there something to be branded? Is there local capacity and knowledge? Is it part of strategic planning? Is there leadership? Is there coordination? And is the process inclusive? Based on interviews with sixteen key stakeholders in London (both local officials and community stakeholders), it is clear that the city meets very few of these criteria. This suggests that London – and likely most other small and midsized cities in Canada and abroad need to be measured in their approaches to place branding

A comparative analysis of place branding in Michigan and Ontario

Place branding has increasingly been adopted as a municipal initiative to change the trajectory of local economic development. Specifically, local municipalities and communities have used place branding not only as a response to the influence of globalization and neo-liberalism, but also economic challenges and restructuring. Like any other initiative, the ultimate goal is to enhance the economic and social well-being of local jurisdictions. Although a popular strategy, it is not clear if and how locally specific factors mediate the process. By comparing two cross-border geographical areas, this study attempts to identify how regional variability in the manifestation of politicaleconomic forces, as well as geographical influences, affects the use of place branding at local scales. Every municipality in Michigan (n = 1774) and Ontario (n = 414) was systematically examined for the presence and message of local place brands as presented through logos and slogans. The comparative analysis demonstrated that Ontario’s municipalities utilized place branding to a greater extent, and that the dominant messages differ by region. Further, this analysis shows that – beyond political differences – geographical context appears to have an effect on both local place branding usage and message

Is it sound poilcy or fast policy? Practitioner’s perspectives on the role of place branding local economic development.

In response to neoliberal policies and globalization pressures over the past three decades, urban governments in advanced economies have, with near-unanimity, adopted place branding as an approach to foster local economic growth. Framed as an outcome of multilevel neoliberal policymaking and local entrepreneurial governance, place branding has been adopted by urban places at all scales and geographic contexts with little regard for its efficacy. It is unclear, however, whether place branding represents a substantive approach, or is merely an emerging example of a neoliberal scripting. In many regards, the debate surrounding place branding is similar to the discourse on the Creative Class a decade ago. Consequently, uncertainty exists regarding whether place branding reflects practical and responsible urban governance or a superficial, fast policy with limited potential to foster local development. To date, little is known about how practitioners perceive place branding as a policy tool in the context of economic development. This study examines the perceptions of economic development practitioners regarding how place branding is being developed and implemented as a policy tool. The analysis is based on in-depth interviews with economic development practitioners (n = 25) from a wide range of municipalities in Ontario. Findings of this study indicate that while opportunity exists for place branding to represent in-depth and extensive local development policy, it is more generally an urban development script for creating a sense of place and fostering local economic development. Additionally, the majority of place branding policy represents superficial policy, emphasizing hegemonic approaches. Place branding can therefore be explained as an example of fast policy

The role of place branding in local and regional economic development: bridging the gap between policy and practicality

Place branding has become an increasingly integral part of local and regional economic development strategies in the global competition for business investment. Professional and academic understanding remains limited, however, regarding whether place branding can be classified as a ‘high-road’ policy with substantive and effective merits or a ‘low-road’ policy that is generally inefficient and ineffective at fostering sustainable economic growth. Through the context of business attraction, this study examines whether place branding represents ‘high-road’ policy by comparing what economic development practitioners are doing to create and support their brands against the needs and desires of businesses considering relocation. The research goal is achieved through a series of in-depth interviews with economic development practitioners (n = 25) and private-sector site selectors (n = 10) in the province of Ontario, Canada. Gaps between policy and practicality are identified by comparing the responses of the two groups. Results demonstrate that place branding has the potential to be ‘high-road’ policy given its utility in business attraction. In its current implementation, however, place branding remains better described as a ‘low-road’ policy, as it is not being used efficiently. Several gaps in place-branding policy are identified, including an overreliance on visual identities and narratives, poor communication of the brand information, and overemphasis on presenting quality of life and affordability. These gaps present possible areas of ineffectiveness that can limit the ability of a place brand to attract investment, but provide areas of future policy improvements, thus enabling place branding to shift from ‘low road’ to ‘high road’

Immigrant attraction and retention: An exploration of local government policies

For cities, immigration is now considered a vital part of local economic and community development. Over the past half-century, many cities have experienced a series challenges caused by the impacts of late-stage demographic transition; the slow bleeding of skilled domestic workers to larger metropolitan areas; and the decline of traditional economic sectors. As a result, there has been a prioritization of attracting and retaining high-skilled and well-educated immigrants by local governments through locally-focused, place-based policies. Within this context, this paper examines the ways that cities in the Province of Ontario, Canada are constructing and implementing immigrant attraction, integration, and retention strategies. To achieve this goal, we identified and examined the local immigration policies of the 52 cities in Ontario, 36 of which have a formal immigration policy document. A comprehensive content analysis was conducted on these available to identify the ways that immigration is conceptualized, and the specific policies and approaches that local governments are implementing. Statistical analysis was used to determine if there was variation in policy across different types of cities. Based on this analysis, local governments are generally developing holistic, place-based policies – however, there is variation in approaches across cities of different sizes and geographies. These place-specific policies draw on local assets and advantages (i.e. existing migrant communities; local amenities and attractions; economic and education opportunities) while also work to enhance enhancing local capacity (i.e. building networks and immigration partnerships; training employers and city workers)