Russia took the 20th place in Country Branding Ranking 2012

Bloom Consulting Company released a new annual Country Branding Ranking. According to this ranking the USA continues its reign as the world leader in the 2012 Country Brand Ranking both for Trade and for Tourism, the strong overall performance and excellent CBS Rating ensured its’ continued dominance. For the first time, the United Arab Emirates, joined some of the Asian Tiger economies in the top 25 both in the Tourism and Trade Rankings.

Asia performed extremely well in the 2012 Ranking. Eight Asian countries finished in the top 25, with China as number four. Aided by both strong tourism receipts and CBS Ratings, Thailand (6) and Malaysia (14) significantly improved from last year. For the first time, Macao was evaluated as an individual country and finished with a bang at number eight. A notable absence was Japan.

Russia takes the 20^th place in this ranking between Croatia and Portugal. The progress is called here “Slightly Strong”.

CBS Rating is calculated using brand strategy economic performance analysis and analysis of Online Search Demand. The country brand strategy is measured through brand tags, the key words that reflect the brand strategy of each country. For the first time in any country or nation brand ranking, Bloom’s Online Search Demand (OSD) is able to show if a country supplies what tourists are seeking, and how well the country is matching this demand.

Brand tags function as the ‘supply’ side of the tourist-destination equation. Thousands of brand tags were collected from each country’s official tourism agency and then classified into 38 different clusters that relate to adventure sports and activities, natural features, local culture and traditions, or gastronomy. Each cluster is assigned an economic value in order to rate the relative returns gained from each brand tag.

Domestic and international tourist searches for the brand tags and related words were then analyzed, country by country, in the most used search engines, to show the country’s accuracy match and quantify Online Search Demand. By considering the OSD, Bloom Consulting is able to show if a country offers what tourists are seeking, and how well the country is matching this demand. This identifies the gap between supply and demand. The more accurate a country is, the better the CBS Rating.

The Ranking for Tourism you can see here - http://www.bloom-consulting.com/sites/default/files/files/Bloom_Consulting_Country_Brand_Ranking_Tourism_2012.pdf 

Where to refresh in summer? Examples of interesting city decisions

Summer is coming and inhabitants of big cities are brought up against intense and scorching heat. Fountains, parks and gardens became more popular, but city beaches are the most available and favorite places for people relax. You know the citizens of large megalopolises are deprived of that pleasure to swim in clean rivers or lakes because all water bodies are not only in pollution but often completely dangerous for bathing.

In New York City the problem of lack of relax places was and always will be urgent and topical. There are about 80 beaches in the city and every day 100 000 people go there. You can imagine how banks and coasts transform into rubbish heap during one day.

Neptune Foundation project's organizers created an interesting decision of the problem. In 20th century in the Hudson River there were more than twenty floating bathrooms which were located in populous city districts and where people could take bath regularly. Neptune Foundation architects took this idea from the past to create a modern floating swimming pool for citizens. And it was no necessary to build something new: they just re-equipped an old cargo barge.

In 2005 they bought an old 260 meters barge that worked on the Mississippi river early. Works were started in the Bolinger shipyard, New Orleans, and were finished in Brooklin. The new swimming pool can contain 100 000 liters of water that comes through special filters right from the gulf. The electricity system is completely autonomous and doesn't require communications from the city. Simultaneously 175 people can rest here, there are 7 swimming tracks, children' zone, shower, locker rooms, bar. The whole weight of this construction is 1830 tons. All expenses are $ 4 000 000.

On the opening ceremony this poll was called Floating Pool Lady. More than 50 thousand people visited this place during the first year. In 2008 Neptune Foundation handed over the pool to the New York City administration gratis. The pool is situated on the embankment in Brookline Bridge Park and every winter it returns to the dockyard till the next summer. Organizers want to move the object every summer for all inhabitants of different city district could enjoy bathing and swimming in open air.

City activists around the world realize such bold and extraordinary projects and their main aim is to do territory more attractive for residents and tourists. The problem of lack of bathing and swimming places was decided also in Portuguese city of Guimarães. Fountain Hackers project transformed city fountains into public swimming pools.

Architects and designers wanted to give people a possibility not only to admire the fountains but also to use them, make there places for swimming, rest, sun bathing, washing and even having a dinner. The Fountain Hackers project was created by Like Architects Studio and designer Ricardo Dorado.

Five fountains were remade and every one of them got a name, conception and design. Certainly some of them were re-equipped, for example, stairs and small hills like in swimming pools appeared. Very pretty yellow plank beds appeared in Beach Loung Fountain, where people rest after work. In Barbecue Fountain small tables and umbrellas stay right in water and people can meet each other and have a lunch sitting ankle-deep in fountain. Playroom Fountain are filled of plastic balls from children rooms and you can bath on inflatable mattresses in this colored pool.
The main idea of the project is to remind people that many years ago fountains were used like places for bathing and sources of drinking water but later transformed into decoration items. Like Architects organizers guessed right that their decision will refresh Guimarães life and make city territory more attractive for people rest. 

by Valentin Ivanov

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New life of old refuse bins

We get used to see refuse bins as simple and often muddy containers which don’t impress us by anything. Two students of London Economy School decided to change people attitude to the refuse containers. Now it is an innovation item which was created with new technologies. Henceforth the refuse bins are not only collecting waste but the information blocks also created by Renew company.

On the threshold of London Olympic Games near 100 containers appeared in the financial London centre – the City. This construction was made by the Renew. The container is a tank of middle sizes with very durable walls. Such construction makes it possible to secure people against probable explosives (after acts of terror in 2005 in London centre it is forbidden to put usual bins). The container walls have liquid-crystal displays showing different information from advertising and notices to information about quotes and situation on stock exchanges which is very actual for the London’s City residents.

All Renew containers network are fitted up by the system to exchange messages instantly if some emergency situation will be. But nevertheless the main function of the containers is advertising. The Renew specialist declared that more than about 3 million people saw displays’ advertising every day during the Olympic Games.

Besides the containers components are environmentally sound. The Renew company wants to donate some profits money to energy-efficient projects development in other territories all over the world.

The cost of one container is £ 25 000. The company installs these “smart” containers after the Olympic Games also and also it made a contract with the City for 21 years in future.

Today the Renew has agreements with other cities. It will install refuse bins in Manhattan and Singapore. In Japan these intellectual containers will also support security during earthquakes.

 

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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Abandoned railway or blooming park?

It is one of the New-York miracles. Nobody could imagine that an abandoned railway will transform and became an amazing park well-known as one of the USA sights. Today I’m going to tell you about this marvelous project.

So, imagine: 30-s, Manhattan. The Hudson riverside is enveloped by factories and enterprises. Three districts – Meatpacking District, West Chelsea и Hell’s Kitchen (Clinton) – are united by the High Line railway.

Its advantage is that its bed is situated in 30 foots above ground. It was too necessary because the first railway passed through asphalt and the 10th Avenue was called like “Death Avenue” because of frequent accidents. Freight trains were too dangerous for cars and pedestrians. “Air” railway was constructed through the buildings contrary to the real streets network. Such construction was absolutely safe.

In 1980s the last train went here. It had only three goods vans and took frozen turkeys. After that the railway was abandon. And then local landowners required to take down the construction. But a social activist Peter Obletz went to the law: he demanded to preserve the High Line and to renew traffic there. Five-years litigation was ineffectual.

In 1999 a community “Friends of the High Line” was founded by Robert Hammond and Joshua David. They didn’t know each other but united to preserve the railway. Actually it vexed city authorities and businessmen because Meatpacking and West Chelsea districts have changed their looks. There a lot of restaurants, galleries, boutiques appeared and the High Line was too old-fashioned. Just designers, architects and social activists protected this railway and wanted to create new public place in NYC.

After September, 11th act of terror David and Hammond were ready to their project will be forgotten and there will be other works which are more important than the old railway reconstruction. But thanking to great interest to urban design and planning people addressed to needs of idea again.

In 2002 “Friends of the High Line” proved cost efficiency of new public place. They fond out that tax dollars will be more than building costs. City Council said about necessity to renew this place and the NYC major Michael Blumberg offered financial support.

720 architects and designers from 32 countries presented their ideas how to create this territory attractive for NY citizens and tourists. The James Corner Field Operations (landscape designing), Diller Scofidio + Renfro (architect office), horticulturists, communication and safety engineers, artists became their work here. The park building there started in 2006 and all project had a cost about $ 50 million.

The South Park Section in Hanswurt district was opened on the 8th of July, 2009. Now the alley extends right up to the 20th St. at length 2.3 km. The works here are being continued to build alley along the whole railway, up to 30th St. at least. Now the section between the 30th St. and the 40th St. belongs to the railway company and the NYC administration is going to buy this territory and continue the park development.

High Line Park actually looks unusually. The old rails were preserved at some places, trees and bushes were planted here. As a result there is unique landscape between nature and industrial worlds. Also there is a fine view to the Hudson River, the New-Jersey and the Chelsea district which also transformed to modern art centre last years.

Besides there are a lot of installations here, you can see different artists or rehearsing theatre troupes here. There is an excellent infrastructure here: fountains, toilets, deck chairs. It is indeed amazing place even by standards of such multi-faceted city as the New-York.

The specialists from Rotterdam, Hong Kong, Jerusalem and Singapore go here to see this “urban miracle” and to be inspired by it. Alan Greenberg (economic development, Philadelphia) says: “Many people are convinced of impressive economic success of this project and want to have the same in their cities, but the question is about possibility to copy it”. But the fact is in any case talented architects and designers can renew abandoned territories in every city.


by Valentin Ivanov

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