Creating places with personality

Andy Spracklen MRTPI FRSAFounding Director, Urban8

what is branding?definition

purposeelements

benefits

“ a name, sign or symbol used to identify items or services of the

seller(s) and to differentiate them from goods of competitors.”

The Dictionary of Business and Management

“A set of assets (or liabilities) linked to a brand's name and symbol that adds

to (or subtracts from) the value provided by a product or service…”

David Aaker in ‘Building Strong Brands’

“Delivery on a promise” John Till, Hull Cityimage

purpose

• Creates identity• Communicates values• Changes perceptions• Competes for attention• Champions…

elements

• Brand• Brand essence• Brand values• Other elements• Brand strategy

benefits

• Shapes assumptions• Shapes the market• Shapes identity• Shapes people• Shapes places• Shapes value

getting started

researchstorytelling

communication

research

• Brand audiences• Brand geography• Brand politics

storytelling

• Embedded• Imagination• Differentiation• Consistency• Layering

communication

• Consistency• Ownership• Concise• Clear• Differentiated• Delivery

city branding

Central idea

BehaviourCommunications

EnvironmentProduct & services

area & site regeneration

Delight!

Dwell.

Grow...

West Midlands

Global• Diversity• World class

Connected• People• Technology

North Staffordshire

Creative• Design• Innovation

Green• Pride• Sustainable

Newcastle

Festival• Distinctive• Culture

Market• Place• Enterprise

Strategic positioning

VISIBLE CHANGE

VISION

SOFTWARE

HARDWARE

Market placeheart of community, trade & food

Festivals & eventsdriver of cultural development & active lifestyles

Green economystrategic catalyst for innovation & rebranding

Creating an international exemplar of a distinctive 21st century market townPillar 1:

Remakin

g Re

tail

•A town centre to delight in•Getting the fundamentals and ‘core business’ right•Focuses on town centre

Pillar 2: To

wn &

Culture

•A town centre to dwell in:•Creating reasons and spaces to be in•Extends focus to town & borough

Pillar 3: Gree

n A

mbiti

on

•A town centre to grow in:•Establishing a resilient & sustainable centre equipped for the new economy•Extends focus to sub-region

PARTNERSHIP & BALANCE

Newcastle-under-Lyme: A Festival Market

Town

Creativity

Marketing

TechnologyInnovation

Sustainability

The festival market town?

Let’s get on with it!

Headlines: top stories

•Limited numbers of ‘family forming’ ages

Key proposition #2

• Benwell and Scotswood must retain and attract new and greater diversity of people, particularly families

• Objective to create a series of attractive, popular and distinctive neighbourhoods capable of creating mixed and inclusive communities by retaining and attracting a diversity of people

• Key options: should different parts of the area have different identities and ‘offers’, or should we create a mix throughout the area?

• Key research and testing: character/identity/branding analysis and sustainability appraisal/benchmarking

key lessons

• Communication, communication, communication

• The art of storytelling• Creative thinking• Different perspectives• Culture

practical ideas

• Brand boards• Get out• Read widely• Observe• ‘Steal’ ideas• Use different media• Change your outlook• Move desk• 80/20 principle

• Be principled• Experiment• Be spontaneous• STOP• Comic strips• Spider diagrams• Use your friends• Follow-through• Record well

sum up

key messages

• Vision & promise• Personality & identity• Imagination & research• Deliver & change• Increasing value

Process as important as the product

• Vision and optioneering – align issues– Distinctiveness and strategic positioning leading to clear set of

principles and guidelines with ‘strategic fit’

• Test deliverability thoroughly – planning, market, engineering, financial, etc.– Implementation strategy and mechanisms

Communication is key

• Consistent personnel and clarity of roles and responsibilities

• Commitment and leadership – both at Officer and Member level

• Expectations managed; process/timescales clear• Multi-disciplinary approach – masterplanning

and Development Control staff working together• Holistic plan built upon consensus and

ownership

The right behaviours

• Collaboration and non-adversarial• Holding nerve• Leadership• Decisiveness• The long view

Efficient leadership

• New delivery models• Programme management• Internal coordination• External coordination• Decision-making process• Communications and marketing

Deliverability is key• Be clear about your objectives, the goals of stakeholders and

needs of residents• Robust evidence base and appraisal of physical, economic, cultural

and social issues• ‘Holistic’ approach to deliver high quality design at all levels• Prepare a sound commercial brief based on the market• Test and deliver financial viability• Future-proofing and flexibility• Create a detailed action plan, phasing plan and timetable• Prepare a sustainable development framework• Implement through the planning system

Keys to success

1. Commercial awareness of viability2. Communication between all stakeholders3. Clarity of policy and process4. Consistency of expectation and requirements5. Certainty of purpose and will6. Coherence of argument and strategic fit7. Creativity of personnel and funding8. Character of place...Collaboration is the watchword