How community event narratives contribute to place branding

Abstract

Purpose: To date, the importance of smaller, local community events in the place branding process has been overlooked in the place branding and event studies literature – yet they are recognised as a means of increasing the attractiveness of a place for residents, through building a sense of community and contributing to quality of life. The purpose of this paper is to make clear the contribution of community event narratives to place branding. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative approach was adopted. The public narratives of a portfolio of 14 community events (from event websites, press releases and media discourse, local government strategic policy documents) were examined. An inductive thematic analysis was conducted, and a visual framework for analysing and discussing the findings was created. Findings: Community event narratives provide a useful resource that could be drawn upon by place branding practitioners to reach potential new residents who share similar ideals as local residents. The findings from this study demonstrate that local community event narratives do indeed tell “stories about who we are”. Practical implications: This paper has implications for place branding initiatives seeking to attract new residents, particularly where there is a sense of fear and resistance from residents about “outsiders” moving in. Originality/value: This paper presents an alternative model to the traditional city branding campaigns that seek to attract new residents, in the form of a values-based event-led branding strategy that may be more appropriate and compatible with local stakeholder goals.