New Penza brand: pro and con

The Russian city of Penza is more and more discussible now on different areas: social networks, professional communities, offices of regional authorities. Issues of Penza’s branding and territorial marketing are under discussion. The new conception “Penza is a territory of discoveries” is about to became a regional brand and this idea already has both followers and opponents.

Development and application of the brand program will be supported by some millions rubles and powerful administrative resources, perhaps it will be the best territorial branding campaign in Russia.

According to researches Penza region has low publicity and fame level, its image is diffused and unspecified. In experts’ opinion Penza doesn’t stand out for other regions and needs modern conception of its promotion. “Penza is a territory of discoveries” was declared as main conception and brand of this region.
 

Certainly Penza has some advantages such as numerous cultural and social objects, high environment protection, favorable geographical situation and good public security. This region is also famous for significant educational and tourist potential, unique complex of social programs and… mitral valves production.

On the assumption of these factors the conception “Penza is a territory of discoveries” has five certain programs to realize. The first one is “Penza is a territory of innovations and high technologies” or “Penza technocity, this dubious part reminds of that in Russia mitral valves are produced only here. Conception’s authors are sure that this idea will attract investors who interested to develop hi-tech. But Russia has already a lot of science cities, heart as a symbol is unpopular and on the whole Penza has appreciable less science factories as in Soviet Union times.
 

The second part of the conception is “Penza is the Russian sport capital”. It’s well known that Penza is a native city for some Olympic champions, Penza sportsmen play at very high level in different national and international competitions. But experts doubt whether such project will attract investors and… Penza sportsmen may get tired some day.

“Penza is educational capital of Russia” says the third part of brand conception. This region has some colleges and universities unique for Russia, hence there is high trained potential. But last year five Penza universities got to the list of inefficient ones. Will investors become interested to deal with this field? This is the question.

Penza authorities try to improve environmental problems, thesis “safe city” is a the base of the conception “Penza – Russian ecopolis”. Mere words. Local residents have some doubts about this fact: chemical weapons recycling factory works there. It’s not excluded that some green organization will protest.
 

The fifth part of conception is “Penza is open territory (or territory for developments)”. Authors consider this formulating is the most capacious and expresses idea exactly. Creative and modern character conforms to world tendencies. It’s not difficult to select infinitely epithets about open authorities, free business development, low corruption, universal values and so on… Even a new logo was created – o’PENза (Open Penza – Открытая Пенза). But this conception is already discovered, Penza has many competitors on this field, for example COPENhagen, Roma – città apperta, Cherepovetz – territory of development. Will investors bite on these common words?

Russian professional community is indignant with conception “Penza is a territory of discoveries”. City branding and territorial marketing experts have a lot of doubts about this program first of all whether usual people were interviewed. Obviously that conception was created without work with inhabitants, has very crude basis and doesn’t present something unique and having perspectives. And which is more the author of this conception is some agency “Region Media” which doesn’t have an experience of territorial marketing and branding and probably will receive ponderable profit for these research and “brand” development.

by Valentin Ivanov

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How Berlin changed its' dark image into a smart city for creative people

The history of Berlin has a lot of dark spots: for a long time the German capital was separated into two parts during the Cold War years. The Berlin Wall was demolished in 1990 but the image of a defective, separated city remained here for years. Many prejudices about Germany, Germans, their clumsy language and ambiguous history aloud corrupt impression of today’s Berlin: it is the centre of cultural and social life of Germany and the base of European economics and policy. In 2008 new branding program “Be Berlin” was realized to cure tourists, investors and residents of these unpleasant associations and to make an image of modern and smart city for creative and ambitious people.

Berlin Partner GmbH was founded in the summer of 2007 to promote and implement PR campaign of Berlin. Strategic objective of this program was to show strong sides and possibilities of Berlin and which is more all they had to be told by the Berliners themselves.

The 11th of March, 2009 Berlin major Klaus Wowereit launched “Be Berlin” program. Berlin administration in common with Deutsche Post sent thousands of letters and post cards “Be Berlin” and asked people to write their interesting cases, tell their stories of success, their thoughts about native city. And people answered: during some months citizens were writing their stories and the best of them were published on the project’s web-site.

Next four years the program developed very systematically and with great scale. The best participants of program were invited to city administration and got titles of the Ambassadors of Berlin. Their task was popularizing of Berlin and its brand everywhere.

New Berlin design was created: it was an excellent combination of gray-scarlet-blue letters, figures and forms. Advertisement was everywhere: on the billboards, advertisement columns, post cards, in metro. Outstanding Berlin musician Paul van Dyk created music for this marketing campaign and director Robert Thalheim shot a film with key message: Join us!

Berliners together wrote the largest declaration of love. This amorous consisted of 2,000 messages written on the stickers and got stuck on the floors of 8 railway stations. This event got kindliest responses of residents and united them in this mater. Also people published on the campaign web-site (www.be.berlin.de) reasons why they love Berlin and these messages “Reason of a day to love Berlin” appeared in metro twice a day.

“Be a star of a night” was a name of Fire Festival in Berlin. People could see their names projected on Brandenbourgh Gates. All these and a lot of other mass activities joined variegated city residents under one word “Berliner”. Successful experience of city branding didn’t stop here and in the next years branding program appeared at the world level and soon was recognized like one of the most efficient city branding campaigns in the world.

The first year the marketing campaign was organized only on regional level and its main purpose was to develop strong feeling of identification between people. Just for the first six months the campaign achieved a high level of recognition, 65% of Berliners said that they’re ready to become the Ambassador of Berlin. According to public opinion poll the choice “to live in Berlin” for Europeans became more attractive for three years of campaign in 30%, and the choice “to work in Berlin” – in 45%.


by Valentin Ivanov

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Territorial logos: good, better, the best!

Last time we started to view various territorial brandings, successful as a rule. At that time it was logos of Las Vegas and Melbourne cities. Today I’m going to tell you about logos of the New-York, Perm, Kazan cities and some countries such as Croatia, Estonia, France, Italy and Slovenia. Some of brands became better, some not so. 

New-York

The process of the New-York branding started in 80s and today we can say that its territorial branding is one of the most serious in XX century. City branding became an important strategy which has already proved its efficiency. In 1977 the New-York Commerce Department gave an order to Wells Rich Green agency to do an advertising campaign. Nobody knew that campaign will take longer than it was planned. Designer Milton Gleizer made a city logotype absolutely gratis. Suddenly it became the New York symbol. Logo is too simple and too successful that all New-Yorkers loved it and today a lot of territories try to copy this idea. But their attempts are unsuccessful: if people see “I love so-and-so” they remember about the New-York city immediately.

Kazan

This city is an example of how large-scale cultural and sport events can promote the branding starting. In fact this method proves its value: the city is in the centre of the events, all media watch it intently and all advantages and disadvantages are conspicuous. New Kazan logotype creation is connected with forthcoming World Students Games. New brand was placed even at the houses’ numbers. New motto “Thousands worlds of the New” is a symbol of interconnection of different cultures and religion living here together since the beginning of the time.

Perm

 

Well-known and one of the most expensive Russian designers offered a quite simple logotype for Perm (Пермь). By his opinion logo should be only the first letter of the city name – П. No decorations and ornaments. He offered to use this understandable and easy-to-read letter everywhere: from houses’ numbers to walls and benches. People were too amazed by Perm logo simplicity and clarity.

Estonia

 

Desire to become the European Union member made Estonia to brand actively. It was very necessary to create a proper image of this small Baltic country for Europeans, the EU members. Branding started in 2002, the project cost was about $1,000,000. The result is the logo and the motto “Welcome to ESTonia” or “Go to EST!”.

France

France is one of the most outstanding modern territorial brandings. This country endowed new logo with new images, filled it with a great number of means, and escaped of usual using of the state symbols. It is unique case in the territorial identification. New French logotype is airy, light, expressive and quite emotional. It correlates well with the idea of all country branding. That rebranding is very successful. It seems that the logo is drew by the hand, strive upwards and transforms into personal signature of France.

Croatia

 

Rebranding here was in 2006. I can’t say that restyling changed the composition a lot, rather the presentation style was transformed. New logo has more bright colours and sun cheer mood. The symbol became more attractive and pleasant visually, and doesn’t resemble those corporative red-blue colours more.

Slovenia

In contrast to the Croatian logo the Slovenian one underwent important changes. Besides the new type appeared it was worked out new image including three symbols: a lime leaf, a heart and the Slovenian mountain Triglav. But it was quite difficult for amateurs to identify all these symbols. Rather they make the logo like flame that correlates with the country branding in a strange way. And used colour decisions make it too dark and not such cheerful.

Italy

 

Italian logo had considerable changes. Old sign was rather dynamic in its composition and had a riot of colour. Traditional Italian flag colours are used in new logotype; it became more accurate and even ascetic but rich in meaning at the same time. Symbol supports the country motto “Italia leaves trace”

by Valentin Ivanov

 

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Successful territorial branding can do for a city more than other marketing tools

Today territorial branding arouse great interest more than corporative one. Often city branding and especially re-branding have a good impact on their image. Today I’m going to tell you about the most successful territorial brands.

Melbourne: emotions overflow

One of the most impressive and bright branding examples is City of Melbourne, Australia. Today its old logo is too simple and doesn’t provoke any associations besides those ones which are connected with its elements: sun, pen and column. This symbol conformed all tendencies of 80s, it was very restrained and absolutely without emotions.

In contrast to the old logotype the new one caught spirit of modern times. It is like a certain monogram embodying infinite transformations and reincarnations. The shape reminds of a crystal which can transform its image adapting to various cultural contexts and using the wildest color gamut.

Its creator is the Landor agency; it earned $240,000 from city administration. It was found that new logo is worth the effort. This innovative brand will take the place of more than 40 symbols.

This work is very revealing for modern territorial branding. It could unite different cultural and social levels. It went away of officialese and bureaucratic prejudices. It is a good example of how one brand can find common grounds with media, social networks, public communications, etc.

Las Vegas: faithfulness to traditions

Las Vegas is the most stable brand in the world. It didn’t go through negative shocks. The city image was created as far back as XIX century, the building times. And now city power organized actions to support their brand.

In 2003 the R&R Company created a motto which symbolizes Las Vegas essence: “What Happens here, Stays here”. It became famous all over the world. It is necessary to say that the slogan is not unfounded. The R&R researched public opinion to know why people like their city. It appears that Las Vegas gives them possibilities to get to the worlds where excitements, pleasure and adventures are like nowhere. It is a peculiar world closed of outsiders and which doesn’t expose its own secrets.

Such advertising campaign was appreciated like one of the most successful in the USA and got the name of “the cultural phenomenon”.

to be continued…

by Valentin Ivanov

 

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