Innovation as a vital part of place branding

• Innovation in tourism is often considered incremental rather than radical (Sundbo, Sørensen & Fuglsang, 2013). Innovations grow gradually from the interactions between tourists, employees and partners. For instance, new ideas are tried out early and directly on the market (rapid application, e.g. Toivonen, Tuominen & Brax, 2007) to see what reactions and comments they cause and if they are worth continuing working on. Thus, new products, services and experiences are results of co-design and co-innovation (e.g. Hall & Williams, 2008). These bottom-up innovation processes are often cultivated in small-scale environments or online communities, of which place or destination brand authorities have little control or even interest. The authorities are accused of using top-down strategies, of limiting the number of stakeholders involved, and for being too focused on economic development. As such, place branding is merely about outlining a single identity and communicating it to specific audiences. If innovation is involved at all, it is about creating demand by supplying the ‘right’ type of products and services. Such view makes place (and destination) branding a monologic tool that downplays the multiple identities of the place and the interactive processes of co-creation and co-innovation. The aim with this paper is to highlight the value of place branding as a co-created innovation process. Place branding models seldom emphasise innovation capacity (Daspit & Zavattaro, 2014) even though innovative products and services create value for visitors and other stakeholders (Zach, 2016) and thereby affects the experience as well as the identity and image of the place. The paper discusses and reflects on emerging and established concepts such as service and experience logic, experience design, co-creation and experience innovation in relation to place branding. The purpose is to outline what innovation in a place branding context is, who the actors are and what forums are needed in order to provide opportunities for co-innovation. The conceptual paper concludes that innovation theories need to be integrated with the place branding domain to make it vital. Several stakeholders, including residents and tourists, are important creators of the place and must be recognized as co-innovators. It implies that other types of stakeholders should be included in the place branding process, and that established stakeholders’ roles, expectations and contributions must be reconsidered Furthermore, place brand authorities need to take the responsibility of aspects of social and environmental sustainability, not only the economical, and consider not only the outcomes but the social process as a main objective.

Subject headings

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Ekonomi och näringsliv -- Företagsekonomi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Economics and Business -- Business Administration (hsv//eng)

Keyword

place branding

innovation

tourism

Publication and Content Type

vet (subject category)

kon (subject category)