How “woke” became weaponized in the culture wars

The term “woke” has its roots in Black culture but has since been removed from this origin and been co-opted a symbol by those who push back against social justice progress. Staci M. Zavattaro writes that for policymakers and activists to affect change, it is important to understand how the social constructions of “woke” and Critical Race Theory, more specifically, have changed

Exploring managerial perceptions of place brand associations in the US Deep South

Purpose – This paper aims to understand how place brand managers in the US Deep South understand the brand images associated with their states and cities. The US South has its own unique identity – and the Deep South has its own differences from the rest of the country. Typically, the Deep South is seen as backwards, uneducated and the “buckle of the Bible Belt”. Given potentially negative brand associations, this research explores how destination marketing organization (DMO) managers in three Deep South states (Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama) think their places are perceived. Design/methodology/approach – Miles et al.’s (2014) guidelines for qualitative content analysis are used to understand responses to open-ended questions regarding place brand associations. Surveys were sent to 104 DMO managers in each state, and 53 questionnaires were returned with usable responses. Deductive and inductive analyses were used to understand place brand associations, as well as how managers in the three states are promoting positive associations or correcting negative ones. Findings – Managers reported both positive and negative brand associations but also detailed problems when promoting either: financial and political constraints, information sharing, and asset capitalization. Managers, then, face issues when trying to promote their cities and states, thus negatively influencing the economic and social returns on tourism investment into the region. Originality/value – Not many studies examine this region of the USA when it comes to tourism-related brand associations. Usually studies focus more broadly on a Southern identity rather than specific associations DMO managers understand the state to maintain. The study also fills a gap regarding asking DMO managers how and why they do what they do. Finally, the study puts into action Gertner and Kotler’s (2004) framework for assessing corrective measures for a negative brand image

A Critical Theoretical Exploration of Municipal Marketing of Sustainability

This research illustrates how local governments are using the idea of sustainability as a public relations and marketing tactic, slowly unmooring the policy concept from its signifier. Sustainability, then, is turned from a concrete phenomenon into a postmodern language game and image creator for the local government entity. Works from Wittgenstein, Baudrillard and Foucault are used to highlight this occurrence. Sustainability is a language game that turns sustainability into an image-laden commodity that when sold creates docile bodies. This is not to say that no concrete results come from a move toward a sustainable organization; rather the build up, programs and results will be packaged as an image worth selling. This research showcases how cities throughout the United States, chosen based on purposive sampling, are or are not utilizing sustainability as a marketing and PR tactic

Place Brand Identity: An Exploratory Analysis Of Three Deep South States

Place branding and marketing are becoming key governance strategies that can increase governance legitimacy by meaningfully involving local stakeholder groups within the brand identity creation process. There remains a gap in knowledge regarding how place branding managers seek to involve stakeholders in the brand development, communication, and evaluation process. This research, based in three U.S. Deep South states and using Kavaratzis and Hatch’s (2013) brand identity framework, finds that practitioners are doing well when it comes to expressing local beliefs within the brand identity, but can improve when it comes to analyzing and incorporating that feedback meaningfully. Without this, critical local stakeholders can feel alienated from local governance practices, thus decreasing legitimacy in branding and marketing processes and policies alike