CNP: How do you see the relationship between the perceived values of a city, region or nation and the place brand?

AC: The place brand should reflect and communicate the city, region or nation values. The brand is an artefact to communicate place values to all citizens and visitors.

CNP: What impact is the increase in “fake news” having on your own approach to place branding?

AC: The impact of fake news on place branding is that it can reinforce stereotypes. It might reinforce negative perceptions and create undesirable place experiences.

CNP: Do you think the job of place branding is easier or more challenging now than it was five years ago? And why?

AC: I believe people now understand better what place branding is more than years ago. Now there is a clear understanding that the place brand is not a logo, but an asset that includes your place’s values, reputation, experiences and how places adopt political positions regarding global issues.

CNP: How do you think an effective place branding strategy for a city, region or nation can contribute to that place’s economic resilience?

AC: The decision of a city to develop a resilience strategy - which is a long-term inclusive and comprehensive strategy - feeds the image and reputation of the city. An effective place branding strategy can communicate first what is resilient in the city context and its importance. Also, place branding can aggregate people around the resilience work.

CNP: What is the key to successful collaboration between stakeholder teams and departments engaged together in a place branding strategy?

AC: Transparency and communication are the key to collaboration between stakeholders to achieve successful place branding. The departments need to think and act in a transversal way. Place branding strategy should include co-creation by stakeholders, marketers, and citizens.

CNP: What is the key to maintaining the momentum of your place branding or place marketing strategy?

AC: A place brand is alive and it needs to evolve together with people and community. It is important to understand that as an artefact to communicate about a place and its people, a place brand will never stand still. It is always evolving.

CNP: How do you see the role of the private sector in an effective place branding strategy?

AC: The private sector is as important a stakeholder as is civil society. The buy-in of the private sector is as fundamental to creating the branding experience as is the community buy-in. In fact, the place branding experience is largely delivered by and through the private sector.

CNP: What do you believe will be the next great opportunity/ies for place marketing?

AC: There is a great opportunity for creating collaboration between cities … Because of the urbanization trend, cities will become physically closer to each other. This would create a good opportunity for place branding. 

The other trend is how cities are taking political positions on global themes. In fact, more people live in cities and this provides cities with the power to take decisions that affect nations. Important issues such as global warming and resilience strategies are discussed and requires actions within cities.

CNP: If you weren’t working for your own city, region or nation, which place would you like to work for?

AC: I would like to be working for organisations dedicated to resilience and climate change combined with place branding for cities.