Defining and Managing City Brand Essence: A Case Study of Vranje
Definisanje i upravljanje suštinom brenda grada: Studija slučaja Vranja
Abstract
The paper highlights that in the process of identifying the brand essence, it is not enough to simply carry out quantitative research, but an in-depth study of the city’s history and culture is also necessary – language, customs, myths, legends, symbols, values, and lifestyle. Valid responses on specially designed questionnaire for this research were collected in the city of Vranje from 389 participants (195 valid responses by residents and 194 by the visitors) while 16 participants participated in qualitative research (focus groups and semi-structured in-depth interviews). Determining the city brand essence requires the application of different research methods and techniques to understand the overall city’s tradition and culture. A complete success in city branding can only be achieved if the brand essence is clearly defined, i.e. if this „core“ generates enough of the brand‘s internal energy. Proposed solutions should provide an easier „orientation“ in finding and managing the brand essence of the city. In this way, it is possible to discover the „heart and soul“ of cities and activate their hidden potentials for brand development.
Apstrakt
U radu je ukazano da u procesu identifikacije suštine brenda grada nije dovoljno samo kvantitativno istraživanje, već je neophodno dubinsko proučavanje istorije i kulture grada – jezika, običaja, mitova, legendi, simbola, vrednosti i stila života. U kvantitativnom istraživanju koje je sprovedeno primenom posebno dizajniranog upitnika u gradu Vranju učestvovalo je 389 učesnika (195 stanovnika i 194 posetilaca) dok je 16 učesnika učestvovalo u kvalitativnom istraživanju (fokus grupe i polustrukturirani dubinski intervjui). Utvrđivanje suštine brenda grada zahteva primenu različitih istraživačkih metoda i tehnika kako bi se razumela celokupna tradicija i kultura grada. Potpun uspeh u brendiranju grada može se postići samo ako je suština brenda jasno definisana. Ovaj rad proširuje postojeća istraživanja vezana za definisanje suštine brenda grada. Predloženi stavovi i rešenja predstavljaju značajan alat u pronalaženju suštine brenda grada. Na ovaj način je moguće otkriti „srce i dušu“ gradova i aktivirati sve njihove skrivene potencijale za razvoj brenda.
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