Destination Branding for Small Cities: The Essentials for Successful Place Branding

by Bill Baker

Branding is one of todays hottest and most misunderstood destination management and marketing concepts. Destination Branding for Small Cities takes readers on a fascinating journey and shows how to orchestrate a successful brand for tourism and economic development. This must-read primer demystifies branding, shows how to uncover a Destination Promise, and provides real world examples, as well as affordable, proven tools, templates and checklists to help breathe life into a small city brand. Destination Branding for Small Cities

191 pages, Paperback

First published September 22, 2007

About the author

Bill Baker is one of the thought-leaders and pioneers of place branding. He has had a stellar career working for airlines, tour operators, national and regional tourism organizations, all levels of government, and as a place branding consultant and author.

Decades of experience, in hundreds of locations around the world, constant research and refinement have led him to recognize what works, what doesn’t, how to avoid pitfalls, and what gets the best results.

Bill has a very pragmatic edge and brings vast experience, creativity, passion – and humor to his work. He is recognized internationally as a best-selling author, presenter, and place branding coach. Bill grew up in Australia and now lives in Portland, Oregon (USA).

Reviews

[Ally Brunette · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book for work at the suggestion of a colleague who went through a comprehensive branding effort a few years ago. The book was a short one and has proved to be invaluable as we select a consultant to work on our rebranding initiative in 2020. I highly recommend this book to individuals working in tourism, community development or local government.

[Tara Brabazon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a practical guide to thinking through and applying place branding for cities that are often competing with larger cities (and marketing budgets). There is good attention to community stakeholders and evaluative mechanisms to assess the effectiveness of the branding campaign.