THE INVOLVEMENT OF PRIMARY STAKEHOLDERS IN INTERNATIONAL PLACE BRANDING
Hertnagel, Gabriela (2012)
Hertnagel, Gabriela
2012
Kuvaus
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Tiivistelmä
Place branding has become a hot topic during recent years, and research has addressed the importance of involving stakeholders. However, little has been written about how stakeholders should be involved in place branding. Therefore, the aim of this research was to find out how to involve primary stakeholders in the international place branding process. The first objective of the study was to identify and analyse stakeholder involvement methods, and the second objective was to create a simple step-model that will, after being empirical examined, be implemented into the developed place branding framework.
The theoretical framework about stakeholders in place branding as well as expert interviews was the groundwork for the simplified step model for place branding. Based on this model and a case study, the practical framework on stakeholder involvement was created. The empirical part of this study helped to acquire a better understanding on how stakeholders have been involved during the different stages of the process and, hence, answered the research question.
The findings of this study show that stakeholders should be involved during all stags of the place branding process. In addition, the term “procedural justice” was introduced, and communication between stakeholders and place branding organisation should be a two-way symmetric, meaning that keeping dialog is not enough, but change should also flow between both parties. There is no “one-only” solution for the involvement methods, but they are dependent on the purpose of the place branding process. The methods, therefore, should be tailored to each action. Despite this, the developed stakeholder involvement framework gives suggestion in how stakeholders can be involved during the different stages of place branding.
The theoretical framework about stakeholders in place branding as well as expert interviews was the groundwork for the simplified step model for place branding. Based on this model and a case study, the practical framework on stakeholder involvement was created. The empirical part of this study helped to acquire a better understanding on how stakeholders have been involved during the different stages of the process and, hence, answered the research question.
The findings of this study show that stakeholders should be involved during all stags of the place branding process. In addition, the term “procedural justice” was introduced, and communication between stakeholders and place branding organisation should be a two-way symmetric, meaning that keeping dialog is not enough, but change should also flow between both parties. There is no “one-only” solution for the involvement methods, but they are dependent on the purpose of the place branding process. The methods, therefore, should be tailored to each action. Despite this, the developed stakeholder involvement framework gives suggestion in how stakeholders can be involved during the different stages of place branding.