To ensure successful implementation, Place Branding must be acknowledged as a key element of government policy rather than as an optional add-on. When developing economic development policy, a strategic view of Place Branding needs to be integrated with trade, investment, tourism, and talent attraction goals. To achieve this, policy makers must establish governance structures that ensure collaboration and accountability as well as reliable, ongoing funding mechanisms that make it possible to develop sustainable long-term Place Brand strategy that supports the country’s economic development agenda.
The critical importance of establishing efficient governance structures and processes was highlighted by Bloom Consulting CEO José Filipe Torres and Bloom Consulting President Keith Dinnie in their presentation on ‘Developing better governance models for Nation and City Brands in the new era of Place Branding’ at City Nation Place Global 2025, the leading annual event for practitioners in the Place Branding sector. Key points covered in the presentation include the need for a robust Nation or City Brand governance model to ensure that all stakeholders are aligned and driving collective progress toward an objective; building a consistent image in the mind of target audiences; and, managing and enhancing perceptions to generate tangible returns for the country or the city.
However, many countries still lack the formal funding mechanisms and budgets to support an adequate governance structure and to optimize their Nation Branding strategies. Whilst national tourism organizations (NTOs) typically benefit from well establishment and sometimes generate budgets, the same cannot be said for the Nation Brand units that are tasked with a wider remit than just tourism promotion. The work of Nation Brand teams is hampered if budgets are allocated unpredictably or on a short-term annual basis that does not allow for long-term planning.
Political independence
Nation Brand units require a degree of political independence in order to develop consistent, sustainable, long-term strategies that are not derailed by changes of government or changes in individual government ministers. The tendency for incoming governments to throw out the policies of their predecessors is understandable – new governments do have a remit for change – yet there needs to be careful consideration of any positive contributions that have been made by previous Nation Brand strategies before they are discarded. The GREAT campaign is an example of Nation Branding that has survived a change of government. Although it was established by a previous Conservative government, the GREAT campaign has continued to be supported by the Labour government that took office after their success in the UK General Election of 4 July 2024. In terms of governance, the GREAT campaign benefits from being situated within the UK Government’s Cabinet Office. This provides proximity to UK government policymaking across all twenty-four Ministerial Departments, encompassing a wide and diverse array of stakeholders in the UK’s Nation Brand.
Implementing a functional brand success management system
A coherent policy perspective on Place Branding should be underpinned by a relevant set of KPIs which can provide an objective evaluation of the success or otherwise of existing Nation Branding strategies.
Stakeholder buy-in across multiple sectors
Effective policy development and implementation requires stakeholder buy-in across multiple sectors including trade, investment, tourism, talent attraction, and cultural diplomacy. To achieve this, the Place Brand team needs to clearly articulate the ways in which each stakeholder can participate in and contribute to the Place Brand strategy of the city or country. Stakeholders may be asked to ensure alignment of actions, activities and policies with the Country or City Brand; ensure synchrony of all communication and narrative about the Country or City; and implement common marketing initiatives and correctly apply the brand architecture.
The brand team’s role can be conceptualized across the following dimensions:
- Approve = Validate implemented procedures/policies
- Coordinate = Actively manage stakeholders
- Support = Provide on-demand assistance
- Oversee = Supervise stakeholder outputs
Long-term consistency in values and actions
A strong Nation Brand is built over years of behaviour that demonstrates consistency in values.
Cite article: Bloom Consulting (2026): A Policy Perspective on Place Branding. Bloom Consulting Journal, 4 March. Available at: https://www.bloom-consulting.com/journal/a-policy-perspective-on-place-branding
