We talked last week about the importance of having reputational resilience as a place brand or marketing organisation, but of course, this is only one facet of the solution. You have to be able to secure the future of your own organisation to be able to continue delivering on your place brand and place marketing success.

What is the most important factor for a smart city  project or organisation to be successful in the long-run?

Research shows that once a visitor does decide to come to The Hague they are positively surprised. It was this gap between image and actual experience that launched the international campaign 'Dive into The Hague'.

The spotlight is on Glasgow as the hosts of COP26. What role do cities play in addressing global challenges such as climate change? Susan Aitken, Council Leader for Glasgow City Council, shares how can cities can leverage their events to grow their international reputation, engage citizens in key areas, and generate equitable development.

Whilst the impact of the pandemic is ongoing, the 2021 Survey has been able to look back on the past year and forward to the next, to explore the longer-term changes this is bringing to the practice of place branding and marketing for cities, regions, and nations around the world. There are a few key issues that places were grappling with that we’d like to highlight and explore…

What role does sound play in recreating the experience of another location? How are places leveraging the uniqueness of their soundscapes to drive their place marketing and place branding?

How can tourism destinations develop regenerative tourism solutions after COVID-19? Aradhana Khowala, the Chair of the Red Sea Development Company's advisory board, shares why it's so important for luxury tourism to bounce back greener, and what learnings there are for smaller destinations looking to improve their own sustainable approaches.

How do you market a destination to people who are not allowed to visit and keep an industry alive when it is not allowed to operate? The answer: You get them to keep dreaming of the one day that they can. Discover more about the Western Cape's award-winning strategy here.

Vilnius caught the attention of the world with their innovative strategies to support their citizens and businesses throughout the pandemic. We reached out to the Director of Go Vilnius, Inga Romanovskiene, to understand more about their place branding strategy - and to discover the secret to using humour successfully in your marketing.

International relations are at a crossroad. With so much upheaval comes an intense international scrutiny on how countries are managing their reputations.

Are you currently working to attract international students to your destination? If the answer is no, then the chances are that you’re missing a trick. We reached out to three destinations who have been incorporating their study proposition into their broader place brand strategy to understand how they have leveraged their international student attraction to deliver back on their city’s values.

The downward trend of nearly all the world’s most valuable nation brands is not entirely surprising. With COVID-19 contributing to the rise of protectionism, we may see a reversal of the economic growth brought about by globalisation. Nevertheless, with analysts’ forecasts looking less dire than initially predicted, and with a working vaccine in place, the future is certainly looking brighter.

As the discussions began on how to ‘build back better,’ a key question remains on how a regenerative future can be funded. Could well-designed tourism taxes be part of the answer?

The potential reputational risks involved in communicating about and during COVID-19 are many. But here are a few things that should be considered when deciding how to handle communications in a world turned upside down by this crisis.

Nine months on from the start of a global lockdown, the path for recovery is still very much unclear. But many places are making strong headway into their recovery strategies. Laurence Garino, Head of Monaco’s Welcome Office, shared how the Principality is adapting to support their residents and businesses during the crisis.