The story behind the story
Identity and branding as part of regional development
Branding appears to play an important role in many Lifescape projects, but what does it actually mean to the partners in the regions? Researcher Christian Curré of Telos, the Brabant Centre for Sustainable Development examined the role branding takes in France, England and Germany. Branding, anyway, is strongly connected to the story of the region and has to strike a balance between people, planet and profit. Curré: ‘It makes no sense to only have regions with strong brands.’
What is the reason for this study?
The reasons were threefold. Firstly, the Lifescape project was nearing its conclusion and it seemed appropriate to study the challenges for branding and integrated regional development in the extension of the Lifescape products. Secondly, this study fits in very well with my own PhD research on the role, development and significance of regional identity. And a very important third reason was that mapping the European branding experiences within Lifescape could offer ideas for dealing with similar challenges in other parts of Europe.
What is the most striking conclusion?
In many regions, branding is the obvious solution, whether a region has a long cultural history or has only recently been invented, but the research shows that branding has many appearances and dimensions and that branding can mean different things to different regions. The integrated character of regional development is important everywhere, but branding plays a constantly variable role, depending on the parties and stakeholders that are involved and the object in mind.
What kinds of instruments are used to develop regional identity?
Regional identity is not as clear-cut as you would expect. It is not a candy vending machine, where you insert a coin and identity comes rolling out. Identity is more subtle than that and especially shows itself in the emotions of the local people and the stories that inhabit an area. Besides a cultural historic dimension, which is formed in symbols, traditions and rituals, there is a certain interaction between the regional identity, the landscape and the regional economy. In every region, people need to get a knack of transforming the qualities of an area into an added value. Thus, branding is really marketing, for inhabitants, visitors as well as companies.
Is the most important conclusion that branding is seen as a goal as such and not as part of a much broader process of regional development?
What is striking is that many regions have the feeling that they have to put themselves in the picture. You should, however, carefully look into the question whether the goal is providing a qualitative impulse for the region as a whole or marketing the region in a more economical sense. It is necessary to seek a balance between those two goals and make an assessment of the results in view. No two regions are the same. Not every region can realise the same potential of actors and products. It makes no sense to only have regions with strong brands.
Do the three countries you studied differ much from each other?
It is unmistakable that regional identity is culturally encrypted. The opportunities and obstacles that projects encounter in the various countries are determined by legislation, the division of tasks between the various parties, and customs. In Germany we see easy cooperation between traditional practices and new markets, but in France there is a certain administrative division, and there the individual is more important. In England there is self-awareness about the future challenges. What the three cases have in common is that in the regions that want to develop themselves in a sustainable manner, people openly discuss with each other and work with a healthy dose of passion.
What will become of the results of the study?
I will incorporate the results into my PhD research, but apart from that, the report I wrote can be a helping hand for regions that want to work on strengthening their self-awareness. The descriptions of the regions I studied can perhaps be a source for inspiration. Apple wine as a contemporary bearer of integrated regional development and regional products that are actually too expensive for the local population (“branding paradox”) - those are two sides of the same coin. That is: opportunities and challenges.
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