Towards a model of the Place Brand Web

Abstract

This article contributes to theory concerning the relationships between the brands associated with a place, through a two-stage mixed method study involving interviews with place brand practitioners and web content analysis. The article, first reports on the challenges associated with managing place brand relationships and, then, discusses various aspects of the brand webs associated with places. On this basis, the article proposes, exemplifies and discusses the Place Brand Web Model. This model, which responds to the complex nature of the relationships between the brands associated with a place, is presented in two instantiations, the DMO perspective, and the more generalised perspective that views brands with associations with a place as contributing to the co-creation of the perceptual entity, THE Place Brand. The model is exemplified and discussed and with reference to a major UK city.