It’s the end of the summer – in the Northern Hemisphere at least – and the kids are going back to school. With everyone gearing up to hit the ground running in September, we wanted to share some essential reading with you to inspire your strategies, challenge your way of thinking, and ensure you’re putting the best foot forward.

Here are ten recommendations from our Expert partners to sink your teeth into that are sure to get ideas sparking…

Bloom Consulting Conversations – for insights for place branders, by place branders

I highly recommend diving into the Bloom Consulting Conversations podcast this summer. In each episode, Clare Dewhirst, Director of City Nation Place, welcomes an expert from Bloom Consulting and a guest representing a place brand from around the world. As a place leader, immersing yourself in this podcast will provide invaluable insights into nation branding and place branding, as well as place analytics. Each episode offers a deep dive into the 14 steps to Nation Branding guidebook, offering a unique perspective to improve your nation or place brand Strategy. By listening to engaging conversations and enlightening narratives, featuring successful examples from around the world, you will be equipped with practical knowledge and inspiration to shape the future of your own place branding strategy.

Jose Filipe Torres, CEO, Bloom Consulting

Building a StoryBrand – for Hollywood storytelling techniques and expert marketing advice

For place marketers looking to craft messaging that resonates with prospective visitors, executives and talent, I highly recommend Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller. This book blends Hollywood storytelling techniques with expert marketing advice as it shares fresh perspectives around creating brand narratives that connect emotionally with your audience. Through guided exercises and actionable tips, Miller helps you shape your communications to position your audience as the hero and your place brand as the trusted guide helping them achieve their goals. It’s a great read for anyone aiming to build more meaningful and impactful place marketing strategies.

Brianna Vetrano, Digital Marketing Consultant, Vetrano Digital Marketing

Common Ground – for a global perspective on pioneering urbanism

I may be biased but this summer I would genuinely recommend diving into Common Ground by TOPOSOPHY. We are incredibly proud of our own podcast series which takes a fresh look at the future of our cities and the people redefining them. Each episode offers a global perspective on pioneering urbanism and showcases individuals who are making a transformative impact on their cities and local communities.

The series delves into current urban challenges such as sustainable food systems, the night economy, community-led tourism, disaster impact reduction and the effects of remote work on city planning and development. Featuring insights from chefs, musicians, activists, architects, and entrepreneurs, Common Ground provides invaluable perspectives for city planners and sustainability advocates. Discover more at TOPOSOPHY Podcasts.

Chris Armstrong, Senior Project Specialist, Placemaking, TOPOSOPHY

Disability Visibility – for first-person stories from the 21^st century

As travel brands look for ways to make their destinations and offerings more inclusive, travellers with disabilities should not be left behind. Disability is a spectrum; no two experiences are the same. Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century is a collection of essays edited by Alice Wong. Reading it exposed me to new perspectives in the disabled community and shed light on hurdles and inaccessible practices I’d never thought about.

At MMGY, our recent Portrait of Family Travel™: Autism, ADHD and Neurodiversity study aims to better understand how families with neurodiverse children approach travel and highlight ways to make travel experiences more inclusive for this audience. Continuing to expose myself to the stories of people across the disability spectrum allows me to be a more inclusive marketer and reach a wider travelling audience.

Caroline Slavin, Senior Strategic Planner, MMGY

The Future of Tourism – for candid conversations with tourism luminaries

I have to recommend The Future of Tourism podcast. I’m fortunate to be able to sit down with industry leaders and visionaries and ask them to weigh in on the challenges we face right now and to get their take on what the future of tourism will look like. Each episode features a different titan of the tourism sector, but if you’re looking for somewhere to start, I suggest listening in to my conversation with Anthony Everett, CEO at 4VI. 4VI restructuring in July 2024 represents one of the most significant shifts in destination management models in a decade and sets the stage for the future of tourism on Vancouver Island and around the world for decades to come, and is definitely one to listen to if you’re interested in ensuring that tourism is a resilient force for good.

David Peacock, Senior Advisor, The Future Tourism Group, Simpleview

How I Built This – for inspiration on building iconic brands by successful entrepreneurs

My favourite podcast in NPR’s How I Built This. For me this is about finding inspiration from innovators, entrepreneurs, idealists, and their stories about the movements they built. Also gives me an opportunity to listen to others and often I gain insight that I apply to my own businesses and work in place making and destination branding. Definitely one not to be missed!

Charlotte Prouse, Director, Destination Marketing Store

Invisible Cities – for a heartfelt exploration of why place matters

My pick is Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino. This short novel is framed as memories of the many cities visited by Marco Polo. It illustrates that a sense of place is always entwined with a sense of mind and will always be unique to the individual, the time, the emotion, etc. In short, a place can hold a lifetime of meaning and memories—far beyond marketing accolades and proof points. It’s a reminder to all of us in the tourism marketing and place branding industries of what we're really selling.

Sigvard Alarcon, Director of Digital Campaigns, Trove Tourism Development Advisors

On Brand – for learnings from Wally Olins, the father of place branding

Wally Olins can justifiably be called a brand guru and the father of place branding, he and one of his colleagues Aidan Kirby (sadly, both no longer with us) were my mentors and heroes. Wally was the first to champion the idea of taking the principles of corporate branding and looking at how they could apply to the complexity and emotion of places by influencing not just how they presented themselves but how their experience developed. He pioneered nation branding and he inspired many place leaders to embrace this journey. He was of course a genius in the world of branding full stop and all his thinking and words are worth considering. I recommend On Brand where there is a chapter on nation branding, though the book itself is great and on YouTube you can see and hear him speak on the Branding of Nations. Wally was a one off, an inspiration and in many ways, he transferred belief and confidence to places which is half the battle in effective place branding.

John Till, Director, thinkingplace

The Systems Innovation Network – for an exploration of the dynamics of systems

In my experience, you can’t really understand or influences places until you can recognize them as fluid, living systems. And systems – whether they are found in nature or human constructions – have a language and taxonomy that every place leader will recognize even if you didn’t know how to frame your experiences. Where can you learn about the dynamics of systems? There are many good books, but the most immediate way is to dive into the rich resources, discussions, and connections of the Systems Innovation Network. The learning toolkit has something for everyone – quick video overviews of key concepts, in-depth explorations concepts like emergence, tipping points, and how systems evolve. The network is global and it's easy to find like-minded folk exploring the nature of systems in cities, healthcare, energy and so much more. Here’s where to get started.

Jeannette Hanna, Chief Strategist, Trajectory

Think Fast. Talk Smart – for tools, techniques, and best practice to communicate effectively

Inspiration from outside our industry is always helpful. That’s why Think Fast. Talk Smart. from the Stanford Graduate School of Business is on my regular podcast rotation, focusing on clear and effective communication. The topics are as beneficial from a personal leadership perspective as they are for those acting as the face of a destination. Communicating well can never be taken for granted in the place branding and marketing industry, given all of the stakeholders there are to manage. From hard conversations and conflict to the importance of simplicity and structure in high-priority situations, the guests are insightful with plenty of practical takeaways to apply. They also do a nice job of having an international perspective.

Steve Duncan, Managing Director, C Studios

Disclaimer: All these recommendations provided in this article were provided independently by our Expert partners, and CNP is not receiving any compensation for promoting them. These recommendations are for inspirational purposes – any increased knowledge or improved skills that occur as a result of reading or listening is entirely accidental. Side effects may include a sudden urge to impress your colleagues with your newfound expertise.