The Marketing and Branding of Places, Cities and Destinations in France

Vincent Gollain, January 2015

Foreword

The Marketing and Branding of Places, Cities and Destinations

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Territorial Marketing

1. Introduction

2. How to define Territorial Marketing?

3. Marketers, Don’t stay alone!

4. In France, we love Branding…

5. Some French Best Practices

Contents

4

1. Introductory question:

Territorial Marketing:what's the point?

4

Context: mobility and benchmarking of territories by people, companies, etc.

6

European city branding. Concept: Evert Ypma, Design: Femke Herregraven. 2009

Competition in Europe: the example of Territorial Brands

Source: Greater Sydney Partnership

Some RankingsThe European City Brand Barometer

Sour

ce :

Saffr

onco

nsul

tant

s

What are the consequences ?

Increase of mobility and

intensification of the

competition: you have to put

the client at the center of your

territorial marketing strategy

2. How to define Territorial Marketing?

Territorial Marketing is not only Promotion

Many people and policies makers think of territorial marketing only as advertisingand promotion. Websites, brochures, newspaper ads are important but « they are only the tip of the marketing iceberg » (Kotler, Armstrong, Wong, Saunders, 2008).

Territorial marketing is not only Sales

Many people and policies makers think that people in charge to promote a place, a city or a destination are used to say everything to attract companies, tourists, investments, etc.

What’s territorial marketing ?

« Today, marketing must be understood not in the old senseof making a sale – telling and selling – but in the new senseof satisfying customer needs ».

Source: Principles of Marketing, 2008

"Territorial marketing is the effort to promote territories in a competitive market, in order to influence the public'sbehavior in their favour through an offer whose perceivedvalue is lastingly superior to that of the competition. Territorial Marketing is also a tool box made with methods, technics and Best Practicies »".

Source: V. Gollain, 2014

What’s does it mean?

Territorial marketing is a mix of methods, techniques, good practicies and above all a spirit.

The spirit of marketing is based on the client. You have to think for the clients of your locations or destinations

Think as a client means that you have to answer to these questions : What’s my global competitive identity? Who are my clients and what are my advantages? What are my services for existing and potential clients?

Regions, counties, cities, places, … :Who are your clients?

14

All clients are differents and have different needs! Know your markets!

• Approach. To market your territoryproperly, you should first of all segmentthe market, then target one or moresegments, and lastly position yourself inthe chosen segment(s).

• The purpose of segmentation is toidentify customer groups with similarneeds and behaviour. Through marketsurveys you can learn about the natureof each group.

Companies

The Place

- City and agglomeration.

- County

- Region

Large-scale facilities

Festive andRecreational

events

Professionalevents

Professional Trade shows : visitorsand exhibitors

Tourists and visitors

Mobile capital

Consumers

Residents,Students and

Retired people

Associations and non profit organisations

Entrepreneurs, craftsmen, traders

Specific activePopulations and talents

Public Authorities

Short-termactivities

Do you have any clients in these 14 markets?

Where are your clients?

17

Some are already here.

Others are locatedoutside your area

1. Analysis & Diagnosis3. Action plan

2. Definition of strategic

choices

1. Analysis & Diagnosis3. Action plan

2. Definition of strategic

choices

How to build a marketing plan?The Three stages

The marketing plan: Follow 10 steps to build it

Stage 1: make the diagnosis- Step 1: collect information- Step 2: analyse markets- Step 3: study market environments- Step 4: evaluate competitive positions of your place- Step 5: analyse existing relationships between your place and the Demand- Step 6: conclusion based on findings

Stage 2: define strategic choices- Step 7: set objectives and goals- Step 8: build your positioning and promise

Stage 3: draw up the action plan- Step 9: create the operational plan via the marketing mix- Step 10: put your actions in a plan to optimise

Source: Territorial M

arketing Guide, January

2014

The 4 dimensions of your operationalplan

Brand your Destination. A brand policy is very useful to bring playerstogether, create a storytelling for all,

find collective goals, act, etc.

clients : market your area withdedicated tools for each group of

your clients

Pride Marketing : identify« ambassadors » for your area

locally and abroad.

Promote FlagshipsDon’t hesitate to select places suchas buildings, district, tower, bridge,

… to illustrate your identity

Source : Vincent Gollain, january, 2015

Select your actions: marketing mix

22

3. Marketers, don’t stayalone

Territorial marketing in France is based on collective initiatives

Acting together through a collective marketing strategy:

The attractiveness of an area is NOT the result of one actor , BUT a chain of actors.

You have to bring together local players to act together.

More and more marketing/brandingstrategies are based on collective initiatives

541 partners

40 members

12 members

The ONLYLYON initiative, created in 2007 thanks to concerted regional economic governance, is designed to develop the image and reputation of Lyon. Lyon became the first French city to develop a regional marketing strategy. 24 institutional and economic partners active on a global scale.

25

3. In France, we love branding

Source : Marc Thébault, november 2014

Examples of brands : for cities, « departements », regions

5. Some French « Best Practices » of territorial marketing

28

Marketing techniques and methodsput the client in the spotlight

Cerise Revait©: 13 criteria for identifyinga territory's assets

C CelebritiesE EnterprisesR Resources Allocation I Infrastructure and real estateS ServicesE Events

R Research and DevelopmentE Exchange EconomyV Values and identityA Abilities & Human Capital I ImageT Telecommunications & IT© Collective, structural action

http://www.marketing-territorial.org/article-cerise-revait-r-in-english-38369891.html

Territorial portraits are very used in France to identify elements of competitive identity

Source: AGUR, Dec. 2009 http://www.calvados-tourisme.com/fr/pros/partenaires/marque-marketing.phphttp://www.agur-

dunkerque.org/ressources/Lists/Publications/Search-DispForm.aspx?ID=259

Example: Alsace

http://www.marque-alsace.fr/images/pdf/Portrait_identitaire.pdf

Marketing your assets throughcartography

How to promote the Diversity of the offer?

Interactive maps « clients oriented »

www.iau-idf.fr

http://www.place4project.fr/

Hubstart Live

Humour as marketing tool(in this case Parisians)

http://www.leloiretvousreussit.com/cgloiret/

TV show parody in the Auvergne region

Source :http://www.delatentation.com/

Reims: Luxury codes and web 2.0

Source: http://www.investinreims.com/

The city of Reims (Champagne) mixes the codes of luxury marketing (see the colors) and a web 2.0 marketing strategy.

Webzines

http://www.succeedinparisregion.com/

http://lemag.imaginalsace.com/en/

http://www.media-paris-saclay.fr/

UNESCO Label and Marketing

Games for residents

Pass for destinations

http://www.cotedazur-card.com/?lang=EN

From Big Data to Smart Data

http://www.issy.com/home/issy-a-smart-city

And many other examples!

http://www.marketing-territorial.org/tag/english%20readers/

Vincent GOLLAIN

www.marketing-territorial.org(in French with an english section)

References:• Cerise Revait ® method, www.cdeif.org• V. Gollain, Territorial Marketing Guide (in

French), Territorial Editions, January 2014.

Thank you for your attention

vgollain@hotmail.fr

@marketing_terri et @VincentGollain