Local Identity, Pride and Branding in Place Transformation

2. Unearthing and communicating a unifying narrative

Abstract

This chapter explores how governments can unearth and communicate a unifying place narrative that offers hope and a vision for the future. It considers how to use innovative participatory approaches alongside more traditional data sources to set an ambitious but realistic vision. It looks at how place narratives can build on existing local strengths, heritage and identities, to promote authenticity and reflect what is distinctive about a place. It considers how this overarching narrative can be tailored to speak to specific audiences, e.g. tourists, residents, and investors, before setting out the tools and resources that enable a wide range of stakeholders to act as its ambassadors.

Introduction

There is increasing interest in learning how to unearth and communicate narratives that can unify different perspectives, shift negative stories or valorise a place’s underappreciated resources. As explored in Chapter 1, mapping a place’s identity, including existing internal and external narratives and the futures they envisage, can reveal whether these are inhibiting or propelling transformative change. Rather than taking a narrative as a given, this chapter examines how forward looking and constructive narratives can be uncovered and articulated, engaging a variety of local actors. It is not about creating a new narrative from scratch, but rather about building on constructive aspects of identity, pride and distinctiveness already in a place, and about finding a unifying story that can bring different people from within a community together around a shared understanding of a place’s past, present and future. Stories that resonate with local experiences and aspirations can not only strengthen pride in place, but encourage local initiative and collective action to implement the shared vision of a place’s development.

One tool increasingly being used to unearth place narratives is place branding. This is a process to uncover the distinctive assets, culture and values of a place, and to braid them together into a place narrative that can restore or enhance a positive image, signal opportunity and reflect the dignity of its inhabitants (Anholt, 2010[1]; Kavaratzis and Ashworth, 2008[2]; Muñiz Martínez, 2019[3]; IPBA, 2023[4]). For external audiences, a compelling and authentic place brand can shape how a place is perceived, valued and engaged with. It can put places in a better position to retain and attract talent, as a meaningful story that people can see themselves in becomes the basis for a reason to move or stay; build confidence as a place where one’s business can expand and contribute to the local economy; and help a place to be seen as a reliable trading partner, the trusted origin of quality products, or as an attractive place to visit (Anholt, 2010[1]; Kavaratzis and Ashworth, 2008[2]; Muñiz Martínez, 2019[3]; Muñiz Martínez, 2016[5]). Some place brands also aim to inform a government’s strategic decision making processes, a theme explored in more depth in Chapter 5.

However, for a narrative to achieve any of this, it needs to feel authentic and widely owned. At one level, this means going beyond a logo or slogan, to capture something more profound about a place and the community that lives and works there – for instance, building on its cultural heritage, celebrating its natural beauty or capturing what is only made there. At another level, it means celebrating a narrative that diverse community members can see themselves belonging to and benefiting from, and that can rekindle hope for present and future generations in a place (Björner and Aronsson, 2022[6]; Bole et al., 2022[7]; Hakala, Lemmetyinen and Nieminen, 2020[8]; Kavaratzis and Hatch, 2013[9]; Muñiz Martínez, 2019[3]).

This has implications not only for the content of a place brand, but also for the process through which it is unearthed. This includes working with communities who have lived through economic and social decline, some of whom may carry deeply rooted narratives of loss, alongside a range of other actors who can inject new ideas and fresh perspectives. In the absence of this broad ownership, the story a place tells about itself will have limited reach (Braun et al., 2018[10]). Its impact relies upon residents, businesses, local leaders, policy actors, entrepreneurs, civil society and visitors making it their own and stepping forward as its most enthusiastic ambassadors – not just in words, but in their collective actions to translate it into reality (Ibid). This ownership gives the narrative legitimacy and reach – place brands that are too far removed from the lived reality of the population of a place may meet active resistance and will likely struggle to create real opportunities for large cross-sections of the community (Braun et al., 2018[10]; Ward, 2000[11]). In extreme cases, when the gap between the identity of the place a brand projects and its lived reality on the ground feels too wide, local stakeholders have mobilised to bring an end to specific place branding efforts (Braun, Kavaratzis and Zenker, 2013[12]).

Furthermore, as the brand narrative is developed, it is important to consider its potential to translate into visible and broadly shared local prosperity. A narrative can open certain possibilities while closing off others. As such, considerations about who can benefit from the economic value a narrative can generate, how it might interact with the existing community fabric and the degree to which it can contribute to building a better place to live for all, need to be included in the narrative curation process from the outset.

The chapter draws on concrete examples to illustrate how place narratives can be developed. This includes unearthing an authentic narrative with diverse stakeholders that builds broad ownership; understanding one’s audience and tailoring the story accordingly; and equipping everyone to serve as ambassadors of the unifying narrative. In most cases, place branding is initiated by governments, however there are also examples of efforts started by other actors, such as the private sector or not-for-profit business foundations. Various cases illustrate how these can be collaboratively developed and used to steer a place towards economic, physical and social transformation.

How to unearth a narrative

Bring the right people to the table and co-create with them

Increasingly, governments are learning to engage in a process of co-creation with diverse stakeholders to unearth a place narrative. This might typically comprise residents, local businesses and entrepreneurs, local authorities, school children, universities, visitors and other intermediaries such as chambers of commerce or economic development agencies. Together, they can read the reality of a place and identify those essential elements that make it what it is; define and build on local strengths; articulate their own aspirations and values; and, from this, distil sources of hope and possibility that can serve as the foundations for a compelling account of where a place has come from, and where it wants to go.

Where the narrative emerges from genuine co-creation, it is less likely to feel superficial, or a copy-paste from somewhere else, lending it legitimacy and building ownership. The process of unearthing a place brand narrative in Pori (Finland) offers a concrete example of how this can unfold in practice by engaging residents from all age groups and backgrounds in unearthing a city story rooted in their lived experiences (Hakala, Lemmetyinen and Nieminen, 2020[8]) (Box 2.2). The case points to the value of sustaining this engagement over time, including through creative campaigns that took on a life of their own among the wider public.

In contrast, if narratives fail to engage key local stakeholders and do not resonate locally, this can become a barrier to generating the intended impact. For example, in East Frisia and Emsland (Germany), an economic narrative on green energy, formed internally among an existing network of SME firms, was able to gain legitimacy (Roessler et al., 2025[13]) (Box 2.1). The narrative aligned diverse leaders around common objectives, enabling it to be effectively translated into development strategy and implementation (Ibid). In contrast, as detailed below, in another region with a similar history, a narrative around the bioeconomy shaped by a few actors who came predominantly from outside the region and which did not enjoy buy-in from the local SME base, never managed to take hold (Ibid).

Resistance can also emerge from marginalised populations who do not see themselves nor their needs reflected in a place narrative. Sentiments like “it’s not my comeback” can characterise local discourse if redevelopments and new opportunities are perceived only to benefit those who are already ahead, and if they fail to address the root causes of inequalities that act as barriers to certain groups accessing opportunities. In such cases, feelings of exclusion, discontent and resistance to transformative change can emerge (Braun, Kavaratzis and Zenker, 2013[12]). This can influence resident decisions about whether to stay in or leave a place, and it can put strain on the relationships between existing residents and newcomers.

Box 2.1. The role of SMEs in shaping and using an economic narrative: East Frisia and Emsland, Germany

Research across multiple peripheral regions in Germany found that place narratives emerging from within a region more readily gained legitimacy, helping to align and mobilise actors around a common vision. In particular, when key local SMEs contributed to uncovering a forward-looking narrative to support the growth of new industries, other regional firms were willing to get on board.

Long perceived externally as the “poor house of Germany,” the East Frisia and Emsland (Ems-Ache) regions have developed a strong and innovative small and medium-sized enterprise structure. This fabric exists alongside large companies including shipyard Meyer-Werft, and wind turbine manufacturer Enercon. Internally, an emerging positive narrative as a “green energy region” dominates, in support of pioneering hydrogen energy technology. This endogenous development vision was uncovered by an existing network of firms – mainly SMEs – with a strong regional identity. The vision has enabled them to exercise collective agency, tap into regional funding, and gain the support of other regional firms.

The creation of a strong umbrella organisation – in the form of a regional development association – played a critical role uniting key actors across both regions. Interviews conducted with diverse stakeholders found that most actors perceived themselves to be connected to the green energy narrative. While other, conflicting narratives emerged, these remained at the periphery.

Emsland’s recent economic trajectory aligns closely with the direction regional actors have collectively articulated. According to the OECD regional attractiveness framework, the Ems-Ache region is strong in dimensions of economic attractiveness and resident well-being compared with other large European regions. The region also appears to be making a notable contribution to the energy transition, with renewable energy expansion above both state and national averages. At the same time, it has strengthened its position as a labour market hub, with marked employment growth: by 2024, close to half of all employees worked in sectors with strong growth potential, spanning mechanical engineering, vehicle manufacturing, IT and telecommunications, healthcare, and business-related services such as research and development. Underpinning this performance is a tertiary education landscape focused on vocational training as well as a robust and diverse industrial structure.

Innovation indicators point in a similar direction. The region’s share of research and development personnel increased by 0.32 percentage points between 2019 and 2021, compared with a national average increase of 0.01 percentage points, while start-up creation grew by 11.8% between the 2016-2019 and 2020-2023 periods, compared with a national average decline of 0.2%. Demographic indicators are likewise relatively positive, with population growth of 0.75% between 2022 and 2023, against 0.41% nationally, and a comparatively high share of young adults despite slightly below-average net migration.

The same study examines another region with a similar economic base, where a narrative that focused on the bioeconomy and green energy was seen by local SMEs as having been imposed by a small number of actors from outside the region. The narrative and the economic opportunities it envisioned were seen by these firms as in conflict with their perceived regional identity. As such, they did not get on board, and the narrative could not be operationalised.

These examples highlight the importance of governments including local firms – notably SMEs – in unearthing economic place narratives, alongside other local leaders and actors. As the authors note, who is – or is not – included in this process has the “potential to be decisive with regard to whether a region receives and realises its economic opportunities or moves towards a regional development trap.”

Source: (Roessler et al., 2025[13]; Röbke, Wankmüller and Freitag, 2025[14]; OECD, 2023[15]).

Use innovative and participatory co-creation methods alongside more traditional tools

Beyond who is engaged in unearthing a place narrative is the important question of how people are engaged. Increasingly, places are taking steps to encourage diverse, less heard voices to play an active role, engaging people creatively in ways that can overcome “strategy fatigue.” Such processes can also seek to nurture affection for a place, build a clear vision to legitimise new development pathways, and mobilise collective action. Ultimately, this process revolves around a few core questions: where we have come from, where we are now, and where we would most like to be in the future.

Several examples illustrate this point. As in the case of Pori (Finland), this can involve combining participatory and creative methods that invite residents to articulate what their place means to them and to help shape how it is presented to others (Box 2.2). Similarly, to develop a vision for the renewal of the town centre in Paisley, Scotland (United Kingdom), the architectural firm ThreeSixty Architecture, working in collaboration with the Renfrewshire Council, invited diverse stakeholders together to unearth the town’s future story (ThreeSixty Architecture, 2025[16]) (Box 2.3). The process aimed to raise ambition for the town centre and to strengthen participants’ connection to it, with careful thought given to the environment created and participatory methods used (Ibid).

Box 2.2. City rebranding in Pori, Finland: Co-creation as an ongoing dialogue

In Pori (Finland), the place branding story of the city illustrates how co-creation can be organised as an iterative process rather than a one-off consultation exercise. Catalysed by a broader city development project in 2015, the process aimed not to invent an entirely new identity, but to build a more unified city narrative rooted in residents’ lived experiences while acknowledging the city’s history and heritage. This outward-facing work was paired with strong internal co-ordination across the city administration. An internal branding group, bringing together representatives across municipal divisions, was convened early in the process to clarify perceptions of the Pori brand, build commitment among staff and help ensure that the emerging narrative could be carried consistently across the organisation. In that sense, branding was treated as a way of aligning how the municipality understood and presented itself. The City of Pori’s current official website still reflects this, linking city identity to services, participation, relocation, tourism and business attraction.

The case also shows the importance of creating multiple channels through which people can participate meaningfully. In 2017, residents were invited to act as co-producers of the city brand by sharing their own stories and experiences of Pori through an online platform, generating close to 5 000 testimonies that were then analysed and used to develop different brand conceptions for the city. These concepts were subsequently opened up again for comment, with all resident groups – from senior citizens to kindergarten children – invited to react to the emerging ideas and suggest how Pori should present itself internally and externally. Participation was further supported through a dedicated meeting place in the city centre, which gave the process a visible and accessible physical presence. Together, these mechanisms helped shift residents from being passive recipients of a place narrative to active contributors in shaping it. More broadly, the city’s continued use of participatory channels – including resident-facing engagement initiatives and participatory budgeting – suggests that this co-creative logic extends beyond the branding exercise itself.

Pori also illustrates how creative and affective tools can help a place narrative resonate more widely. Place branding was primarily directed at current and prospective residents with the aim of strengthening local pride and making Pori a more attractive place to live while also communicating the city’s character to visitors and businesses. For instance, the campaign played with Pori’s long-standing association with unpleasant smells resulting from past industrial activity through the launch of a city fragrance, Eau de Pori, using humour and self-irony to reframe a familiar feature of the city’s reputation. A separate “love letter” campaign, addressed to former Pori residents living elsewhere in Finland, likewise generated strong engagement on social media, where recipients and observers began sharing their own responses and content. As the campaign took on a life of its own, it reinforced the city’s message in ways that no top-down communication strategy could fully script. This emphasis on a distinctive local character remains visible in Pori’s current official messaging, which describes the city as shaped by tenacity, creativity, contrasts and self-irony, and presents this image to both existing and prospective residents.

Source: (City of Pori, n.d.[17]) (Essential Costa Rica, 2026[18]) (Hakala, Lemmetyinen and Nieminen, 2020[8])

Box 2.3. Imagining the future story of Paisley (Scotland, United Kingdom): Drawing on creative methods with wide local consultation

Consulting a wide range of stakeholders and local actors can help efforts to unearth a place narrative that reflects its existing identity, honours its past and incorporates the future aspirations of those who live, work and spend time there. In Paisley, Scotland (United Kingdom), the architectural firm ThreeSixty Architecture collaborated with the local government to organise a series of participatory workshops that brought together school students, community groups, the business community, private developers, residents, service workers, civil servants, landlords and visitors. These participants, representing current and future users of the town centre, worked collaboratively to uncover narratives that valorised Paisley’s heritage and helped to reshape existing perceptions. As one component of a broader stakeholder engagement process, this exercise aimed to build a shared vision that could underpin ambitious physical and spatial interventions as part of the town centre’s revitalisation.

Once a global textile powerhouse, Paisley has, in recent years, been associated with challenges facing town centres across the UK, including a declining number of visitors and changing retail patterns. A town of just over 77 000 that had experienced economic downturn, it had been viewed as the “poster child for high street decline.” These perceptions, held both externally and among some local stakeholders, had practical implications, with the use of the town centre steadily falling. However, rather than trying to revive the town centre of the past, local leaders framed this as an opportunity to rethink its role and purpose from a primarily retail-focused model towards a more multifunctional space that could better reflect the needs of diverse users.

The participatory process was designed to build a common vision through meaningful engagement. Organisers invited harder to reach groups and individuals. Rather than relying on open consultation alone, workshops were carefully curated to encourage wide representation, including smaller group formats. The workshop space was complemented by follow-up one-to-one conversations, to hear individual perspectives away from the group dynamic.

Creative methods such as role play were used to foster empathy and encourage participants to consider the needs of others, helping to move beyond competing interests towards a shared perspective. Different needs and patterns of use of the town centre were mapped onto a digital plan entitled “Interactions, not transactions”, which illustrated how the paths of different demographics could intersect. Furthermore, examples from other places were introduced to raise ambition and expand thinking about what may be possible, while still allowing locally grounded narratives to emerge. Participants were encouraged to reflect on the town’s heritage in broader and deeper terms, moving beyond a narrow focus on industry to explore underlying elements of Paisley’s identity, such as creativity and the tradition of making, learning and innovation. They were also asked to imagine Paisley’s future over a 15-year horizon.

This process unearthed four place narratives: textile town, maker’s town, learning town and heritage mile, which became the foundation for a new town centre vision. The objective of these narratives was to guide new development directions. They informed plans for housing, education, leisure, and commercial spaces, as well as efforts to better integrate the university into the town centre. A shared document capturing this vision was produced to help align stakeholders and guide decision making, acting as a reference point for implementation. Participants were enabled to imagine themselves in the narratives and town centre through interactive digital tools, such as a “pin board” image that inserts people into simulated “pinned” polaroid photographs using CGI and mood images.

Each of the four stories included concrete ideas for the future of the town. For example, the “heritage mile” narrative envisioned the redevelopment of the area surrounding the Paisley Museum, Abbey and Town Hall. This was seen as a way to capitalise on a GBP 100 million (approximately EUR 1.2 million) culture-led programme already underway. Its flagship project is the major refurbishment of the Paisley Museum, which aims to develop the town’s visitor economy, increase high-street footfall and strengthen a positive place identity, locally and externally. Ultimately, the vision for the museum reflects all four narratives. Its displays will celebrate the town’s textile heritage – including its namesake Paisley pattern – and will include, among other facilities, learning spaces and community-making spaces.

Overall, the process went further than unearthing narratives: it sought to reawaken affection for the town centre and create ambassadors for its development and use. The ambitious Vision for Paisley Town Centre 2030 that came out of this process led to the purchasing of a central shopping centre by a retail company, who is working with the firm and the council to realise the vision. The case illustrates how participatory narrative-building can support place-based regeneration, not as an end in itself, but as a mechanism to align actors, raise ambition and connect long-term investment with locally grounded perspectives.

Source: (ThreeSixty Architecture, 2025[16]) (ThreeSixty Architecture, 2019[19]) (ThreeSixty Architecture, 2026[20]) (OECD, 2022[21]) (OECD, 2022[22]) (Renfrewshire Council, 2026[23])

Build on existing roots so that narratives are authentic, credible and realistic

For place narratives to go beyond a logo or slogan, it is important that these processes enable people in a place to dig deep and identify what it is that defines who they are and what gives their place meaning. Examples from Chapter 1 illustrate the despair that can underpin some local narratives. Some places may have experienced economic decline or a challenging event, and it is important that places are honest about where they have come from, how they have evolved since, and where they want to go. An unearthed place narrative that can steer a place forward needs to resonate not only with what people associate with a place, but with what they care about in that place and that which creates a sense of belonging, local pride and hope.

Similarly, negative external narratives can be sticky, and one bad headline can set a place back even if it has undergone positive transformation internally. A place’s story needs to be grounded in something solid in a place, like the artisanal passion and exceptional quality that defines Tasmanian made goods (Australia); the significant investment made in culture, education, social infrastructure and transport to dramatically improve liveability, equality and safety in Medellin (Colombia); or Costa Rica’s commitment to embedding sustainability in its culture and systems, rather than in name only (Brand Tasmania, 2025[24]; Muñiz Martínez, 2019[3]; Essential Costa Rica, 2026[18]).

Asking the right questions can encourage places to dig deeper. For example, in unearthing its place brand narrative, Brand Tasmania (Australia) sought out place-specific examples and stories that exemplified Tasmania “at our best” (Brand Tasmania, 2020[25]). Interviewers asked questions such as: What makes this place different? What does the community want to achieve together? Are there specific local examples of what success looks like? What would break your heart if you had to leave? Who in the community exemplifies the best of the place? In this way, people could articulate stories that they saw themselves in, that could invite people, capital, talent and trust into a place whose story was already unfolding. Brand Tasmania was able to distil traits, traditions and values that Tasmanians shared regardless of where they lived in the state (Brand Tasmania, 2019[26]). In Paisley, Scotland (United Kingdom), the community was pushed to consider what has historically given the town purpose (ThreeSixty Architecture, 2025[16]) (Box 2.3). People were asked, what does the town’s historic textile industry really represent? While a story of Paisley as a “textile town” did emerge, it was framed as “a new take on an old story”, emphasising design and manufacturing, fashion and artisanal production, and upcycling practices (Ibid). Questions that help communities focus on unifying values can help find points of commonality and break down the barriers between different groups, moving the focus away from attitudes that can create divisions.

When places build on their history, arts and culture often serve as a strong basis for identity. Examples include the historic art foundry in Lauchhammer (Germany), explored in Chapter 1; salsa dancing and music in Cali (Colombia), the City of Salsa; or Rione Sanità (Italy), which reinvented itself by restoring its rich cultural heritage in the form of its Catacombs and Baroque churches, as discussed in Chapter 4 (Görmar, 2024[27]; Muñiz-Martínez, 2023[28]; La Paranza, 2025[29]). In all these examples, where local narratives were characterised by attachments to past industrial industries, or steeped in a sense of loss and despair, the process of unearthing a narrative also entailed figuring out how to acknowledge past struggles while transforming perceived challenges into strengths and opportunities.

Places can also lean into an identity shaped by specialised industries and skills – to capture what is made and produced there. Estonia’s brand portrays it as a “digital society”, a claim that is backed up by its significant efforts to go digital – 99% of its state services were online in 2025, and it estimates that the time saved by its widespread use of digital signatures represents 2% of GDP (Brand Estonia, 2026[30]; Reinson, 2025[31]). The Toulouse-Bordeaux cluster (France), a hub of aerospace engineering companies and research centres, describes itself as “Aerospace Valley,” while Durham Region’s “Clean Energy Capital of Canada” is another example of a brand based on industry and the knowledge, technology and innovation it concentrates. Places may also define themselves by their artisanal know-how and craft, and the specialised products that people in a place make or produce. This could be, for example, glassblowing in Murano (Italy); specialist coffee in the Colombian Coffee Region; or cheese in Gouda (the Netherlands).

Multiple dimensions of a place’s essence can also be drawn on together. Alongside its “digital society”, Brand Estonia captures the country’s “clean environment”, evidenced by its high urban air quality and vast forestland and its democratic values, which is supported by its high ranking on a free speech index (Brand Estonia, 2026[30]). The fourth pillar of its brand, “independent minds”, has been developed on the basis of its 1 500+ startups and 10 unicorns. Similarly, Scotland’s (United Kingdom) brand framework draws on multiple dimensions at once, combining a narrative of scientific and technological innovation with a commitment to environmental stewardship and the preservation of its natural landscape (Brand Scotland, n.d.[32]).

Research can help shape and legitimise unearthed narratives. Examples from the previous chapter illustrate how Brand Tasmania (Australia) began its brand journey by undertaking extensive qualitative research among the population. This research was distilled into brand values and used to unearth its place brand narrative: “Being Tasmania is the Quiet Pursuit of the Extraordinary” (Brand Tasmania, 2025[24]). The previous chapter also highlights how Invest Durham (Canada) scoured its economic and employment data to confirm that economically, it had moved away from its former identity as a “car town” and had a legitimate claim as the “clean energy capital of Canada” (Severs, 2025[33]) (Box 2.4).

Box 2.4. Using research to legitimise a brand narrative: Durham Region, Canada

The Durham Region in Canada supplies a major share of Ontario’s electricity – it hosts two nuclear generating stations, a mature supply chain and is home to the Ontario Power Generation corporate headquarters. Evidence on its generation capacity, supply-chain depth and its share of relevant institutional actors was translated by Invest Durham into a shared value-proposition that stakeholders could use and repeat with confidence: the “Clean Energy Capital of Canada.” This acts as both a descriptive label and an investment signal. Ultimately, Durham did not “wish” a new identity into being; it surfaced a large, under-recognised clean-energy complex and built a claim others could validate.

Source: (Invest Durham, 2023[34]; Invest Durham, 2022[35])

Throughout this process, governments can be attentive to who the brand adds value for. When carefully developed, place narratives can add value across a wide range of industries and occupations. For example, the Durham Region (Canada) frames clean energy as a platform that supports many sectors such as advanced manufacturing, digital, mobility and agritech, rather than a silo (Invest Durham, 2022[35]). Policy actors in Cali (Colombia) took care to attract investments in an industry that could benefit everyday residents, while the country’s Coffee Region adds value to local farmers and producers (Muñiz Martínez, 2019[3]; Muñiz Martínez, 2016[5]).

Tailor the narrative to specific audiences and sectors

Once an authentic place narrative has been unearthed, places can develop sector-specific stories. In this way, an overarching brand story can flexibly meet the needs of multiple audiences, without diluting its impact. The brand story can help a place better understand who its target audience is, and to sharpen the narrative accordingly. For example, Brand Tasmania (Australia) readily acknowledges that Tasmania “is not for everyone”, recognising that no one place will appeal to all (Brand Tasmania, 2020[25]). Rather, it has taken time to understand who its audience is, and to create tailored versions of its overarching story to target identified sectors and audiences (Box 2.5).

Places can look for early adopters who are eager to use the brand within their own work, such as trade and export promotion, destination marketing, or investment attraction. Place branding practitioners can co-ordinate international marketing and promotion across distinct audience-facing units. For example, in Estonia, the place branding strategy is leveraged by different stakeholders depending on the sector, such as investment, tourism, and education (Box 2.5).

Box 2.5. One brand story, many audiences: Tailoring a place narrative to particular sectors in Tasmania, Australia and Estonia

Creating sector stories: the experience of Brand Tasmania

Having unearthed and developed an overarching place narrative, Brand Tasmania (Australia) partnered with industry and business representatives to develop sector stories. This includes a Tasmanian Manufacturing Story, a Tasmanian Trade Story, a Tasmanian Creative Industries Story, and a Tasmanian Tech Story, which can be used by its partners and industry actors. Each sector story follows the same overarching narrative arc as the Tasmanian story, but is tailored to the particular audience, with a distinct value proposition.

Among its various sector stories, the Tasmanian Trade Story highlights the state’s culture of invention and enterprise, which focuses on “better, not more”, and is reflected in the taste of its food and beverages; the quality of its fine wool and hemp; and the innovation of its products, from catamarans to camera kits. In another example, the Tasmanian Manufacturing Story begins with the legacy of mills and factories and describes the obstacles stemming from Tasmania’s geographic isolation. The ‘turn’ in the story comes through co-operation and connectedness, which has seen Tasmanian manufacturing reinvented as “artisan manufacturing,” with a focus on quality craftmanship. In the Tasmanian Creative Industries Story, the sector is described as an inter-connecting thread that drives Tasmania's economy by attracting visitors, creating employment and contributing to quality of life by celebrating Tasmania’s ancient history, museums and galleries, and the vibrant and passionate makers, collectors and participants in the arts.

In this way, for Tasmanians, Brand Tasmania’s call to action “be Tasmanian” seeks to overcome feelings that things are impossible on the island – a theme repeatedly heard through its qualitative research – to convey the contemporary story that “someone just like you did it, and you can too.”

Co-ordinating across sectors to tell a consistent brand story: Brand Estonia

Brand Estonia, operating through the Country Promotion Department at Enterprise Estonia, co-ordinates international marketing and promotion across distinct audience-facing units including tourism, foreign direct investment, trade, talent attraction, Startup Estonia and e-Residency. Each targets a different segment while drawing on the same underlying national story.

What gives this coherence is that Estonia’s branding efforts are grounded in a deliberate industrial and digital policy choice. From the early 1990s, Estonia invested in digital infrastructure and e-governance as a development strategy. This became the foundation of the country's international identity as a digital society and gave each audience-facing unit a credible and consistent story to tell.

Estonia has tailored its content and messaging to specific audiences, from investors and entrepreneurs to tourists and international talent, while maintaining a consistent central idea rooted in digital leadership, openness and democratic values. The result is a brand with multiple threads that can serve investment, talent attraction, tourism and exports. Each strand reinforces the same underlying story.

Source: (Tasmania, 2023[36]; Brand Estonia, 2024[37]; Varblane, 2025[38]; Republic of Estonia Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, 2024[39]; Trade with Estonia, 2025[40]; Brand Tasmania, 2025[24]).

Communication: make everyone your ambassadors and equip them to stay “on brand”

Developing a place brand is more than just unearthing a story and direction of travel for a place – the story needs to be communicated in ways that feel organic and consistent. This can be achieved by drawing on a wide range of ambassadors – from everyday residents to highly visible public and private sector leaders – and providing resources to enable them to contribute to telling their place’s story in their own voice. It is through different actors communicating the narrative that core elements of a place’s identity can be highlighted and valorised to contribute to transformative change. The very process of uncovering a place narrative can contribute to this aim – as seen, for example, in Paisley’s (Scotland, United Kingdom) approach to creating future ambassadors (ThreeSixty Architecture, 2025[16]) (Box 2.3). However, even once a place’s brand narrative has been developed, local stakeholders can be encouraged to enrich it, and relevant guidance and tools can support a variety of actors to stay “on brand.”

One common approach is to create resources that can equip local actors to enrich and amplify a unified place story. Such resources can have a twofold purpose. They help to consolidate the brand narrative, by enabling entrepreneurs, artists, producers and innovators to narrate their existing ventures according to the brand narrative arc and employ its language and imagery in a unifying way. They also allow more individuals and organisations to benefit from the brand to add value to their enterprises (Brand Tasmania, 2019[41]). For example, Brand Scotland (United Kingdom) created the “Scotland Story Book”, a document designed to help diverse stakeholders “tell a consistent story about Scotland” and to inspire people to “share [their] own versions of Scotland’s brand story” (Brand Scotland, n.d.[32]) (Box 2.6). As described in more detail below, the document provides practical tips and examples to help people find and tell their own stories of Scotland, in ways that feel authentic and “on brand” (Ibid). Likewise, Brand Tasmania’s (Australia) Story Workbook helps people write their own “Tasmanian” story by offering a series of questions as prompts, and blank lines where they can respond, accompanied with communications advice and face-to-face workshops to help businesses craft their own story (Brand Tasmania, 2019[42]). Brand Estonia has taken a similar approach, but in doing so made use of its assets (and brand) as a digital society. Enterprise Estonia translated datasets into quick, adaptable data-backed messaging tools, including a custom-trained AI chatbot capable of tailoring context-rich talking points instantly (City Nation Place, 2025[43]).

Box 2.6. Developing resources to equip anybody to tell a consistent story about Scotland, UK

Brand Scotland's (United Kingdom) brand Story Book is a practical resource that helps diverse stakeholders tell a consistent but flexible story about the place. It translates what can be abstract concepts into compelling messages and enables users to be brand ambassadors. The document was developed in recognition that Scotland operates as a “challenger brand” and must work harder than other nation brands to attract talent, tourism and investment. It recognises that facts and proof points alone are rarely enough to generate attachment; emotional connection is what enables a place narrative to resonate. To ensure that this emotional core was rooted in truth rather than imposed from above, the document drew on extensive listening across residents, newcomers, diaspora communities, international audiences and stakeholders from different sectors. In this sense, the resource did not seek to invent a story for Scotland, but to distil and organise stories, values and patterns that people already associated with the country. This listening process gave rise to a unifying narrative framework built around “Head, Heart and Spirit”, intended to capture Scotland’s blend of innovation and creativity, generosity and fairness, and a determined, courageous spirit.

Crucially, the framework was not designed as a rigid script. Stakeholders are not expected to repeat the same phrases verbatim but are instead encouraged to find their own authentic expression of these themes. The Book supports this by offering practical language guidance, including what kinds of formulations to avoid – such as generic superlatives or clichéd expressions of warmth – and what to use instead to tell stories that feel more distinctive and grounded. It proposes a shared “quest” narrative structure, taken from the narrative pattern found in the way people already described Scottish stories. As brand ambassadors, people and organisations are thus encouraged to structure their stories using a narrative arc tracing how they are pursuing an ambitious goal through challenge, determination and meaningful outcomes. Because this structure emerged organically, it provided a flexible but recognisable device that different actors can adapt across a variety of formats and contexts.

What makes the resource particularly useful is that it is explicitly designed for actors well beyond government communications teams. Businesses, cultural organisations, entrepreneurs and community groups are all treated as legitimate carriers of the national story. Concrete examples from across Scottish society show how the framework can be used in practice, from social and cultural initiatives to entrepreneurial and community-based projects. This signals that the brand belongs to everyone rather than being centrally owned. Examples include the story of a commercial diver from Glasgow who, after witnessing the impact of ocean plastic on Scottish coastlines, taught himself manufacturing techniques from scratch to turn discarded fishing ropes and nets into plant pots. Combining environmental commitment with entrepreneurial determination, the pot plants are now manufactured on a commercial scale. Another example is Smart Green Shipping, a Scottish startup that uses wind power to decarbonise the shipping industry. The startup has pioneered innovative technology while honouring Scotland’s shipbuilding heritage. Its founder assembled a team of technologists, academics, entrepreneurs, engineers and shipping and wind specialists, who collectively developed the first lightweight, data-driven, wing-sail solution, which can be retrofitted to existing commercial vessels.

More broadly, the document reflects an important principle for place branding: the role of public institutions is not to manufacture stories from scratch, but to identify, support and amplify those that already exist in a community. By doing so, they can help diverse stakeholders become compelling ambassadors, capable of telling stories that are both individually authentic and collectively recognisable as part of an overarching place narrative.

Source: (Brand Scotland, n.d.[32]).

Another approach is drawing on high-profile local figures to get the story out in a way that feels organic. This was the novel approach that the regional government took in Durham Region (Canada). Having unearthed the economic narrative, “the Clean Energy Capital of Canada,” Invest Durham prepared accessible research summaries and talking points for high-level speeches, which equipped local policy and industry leaders to become credible messengers (Severs, 2025[44]) (Box 2.7).

Box 2.7. Preparing leaders to reframe the economic narrative of the Durham Region, Canada

Having already translated its research into a concise and repeatable value proposition – the Clean Energy Capital of Canada – Invest Durham poured its efforts into creating accessible research summaries and preparing talking points for high-level speeches as opposed to a splashy brand launch. A four-pillar value-proposition pack was circulated to mayors, Chief Administrative Officers and economic development teams, and paired with training so that key phrases and proof points appeared consistently in speeches of high-ranking local officials at ceremonies, as well as in press releases, investor decks and recruitment materials. Invest Durham encouraged nuclear sector leaders to spread the message at industry events and shared its data with a local university’s clean energy researchers, so they could use it too.

This equipped political leaders, agency heads, researchers and industry partners to become credible messengers – to repeat the line in their own words. Having the story told through their voices provided authenticity and led to it taking on a life of its own. The phrase was picked up at the province level in discussions on a major local nuclear refurbishment project and was then used by large corporations. For example, Ontario Power Generation – one of the largest employers in the area – began employing similar phrases in its recruitment and supplier communications. This movement from local to provincial to corporate created a virtuous circle – repetition by credible third parties validated the claim, which in turn made it easier for partners and the media to use the same language. Consistent, well-supported repetition across speeches, media and recruitment accumulated into social proof.

In parallel, Invest Durham reinforced the new brand identity by acquiring relevant web domains and social media handles and consistently publishing content that featured the claim to increase online visibility and credibility. This way, anyone searching for information about clean energy or Durham is directed to Invest Durham’s official channels.

This example highlights how unearthing and using a place narrative is an interactive process. The more the narrative was used by ministers, employers and residents, the more legitimate it became, less a slogan than a collectively owned identity. Shared language and repeated proof points in diverse contexts made “clean energy capital” feel true, valuable and locally relevant. Identifying a place’s most compelling ambassadors and preparing them adequately behind the scenes to confidently take on this role is thus an important step in using and consolidating a brand narrative. The tangible effects of this process on attracting investment and talent in the Durham Region are explored in more detail in the next chapter.

Source: (Invest Durham, 2022[35]; Severs, 2025[33]; Severs, 2025[44])

Conclusion

This chapter has explored how places can unearth unifying brand narratives in ways that are authentic, widely owned, and capable of contributing to transformation. It has shown that unearthing a narrative is best understood as a long-term, iterative process of building legitimacy, aligning actors and reinforcing a new direction of travel through both words and actions. For policymakers, the challenge is not simply to tell a visionary story about a place, but to help build the conditions under which that story can become believable, shared and materially felt. It also needs to lend itself to application: it is not about creating an ambitious but unattainable future vision – so-called “castles in the desert.” A new vision needs to be viable and salient.

The credibility of a place narrative rests as much on how it is built as what it says. Narratives rooted in local assets, values and identity are more likely to take hold; those perceived as imposed from outside, or disconnected from everyday life, rarely do. The process of unearthing a narrative can be as important as the narrative itself. Who is involved matters too. Engaging a wide range of stakeholders early, including residents, SMEs, cultural actors, and young people, with deliberate effort to reach marginalised groups, helps ensure the narrative reflects the aspirations of the wider community rather than a select few. It is too late to wait until the narrative is utilised to inform plans, economic strategies, investment choices and policies to think about the distribution of any associated benefits as the story itself can open certain possibilities while closing off others. Creative and participatory methods strengthen this further: they can surface deeper values, overcome strategy fatigue, reawaken affection for a place, and help people imagine a transformed future rather than dwell on loss. Varied engagement tools also make it easier for less heard voices to contribute meaningfully and for collective ambition to grow.

The process may uncover multiple strands of a place brand narrative that all reinforce the same underlying story. Consultations with specific sectors can enrich this process and ensure the brand story resonates with designated audiences. This could, for example, be an economic narrative that articulates why a place represents a distinct value proposition for a sector. It could be a story that conveys to potential residents what makes it a good place to live, or a vision for prospective visitors that opens new opportunities for tourism and related employment. It could equally be a hopeful and grounded narrative that captures a place’s identity in a way that can rebuild a sense of pride and belonging among local communities.

Finally, a narrative gains force when many can use it. A place’s story becomes powerful when it is taken up by residents, businesses, public leaders and institutions and repeated in credible and consistent ways across settings. Shared language, evidence packs, talking points, story books and examples can help actors stay broadly aligned while speaking in their own voice. Governments can support this by investing in equipping ambassadors and partners, as well as the broader community, to play this role, not just in launching the brand itself. The next chapter will consider how a place narrative can be weaved into economic strategies, ranging from talent attraction and tourism development, to creating umbrella brands for locally-made products; embodied in the physical regeneration and improved liveability of a place; and integrated into policies for social development and well-being.

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