BRANDING

LOCATION

2012

A PublicAffairsAsia report in conjunction with Ogilvy Public Relations

LOCATION BRANDING 2012: Page 1

LOCATION BRANDING 2012

BRANDING

LOCATION

2012

BRANDING

LOCATION

2012

BRANDING

LOCATION

2012

BRANDING

LOCATION

2012

A PublicAffairsAsia Report in conjunction with Ogilvy Public Relations This report is published by PublicAffairsAsia in conjunction with Ogilvy Public Relations. It follows a survey of senior corporate communications and public affairs practitioners operating in Asia Pacific or in roles connected to the region.
A PublicAffairsAsia report in conjunction with Ogilvy PR
LOCATION BRANDING 2012: PublicAffairsAsia in association with Ogilvy PR Ogilvy A PublicAffairsAsia report in conjunction with Page X PR LOCATION BRANDING 2012: PublicAffairsAsia in association with Ogilvy PR Ogilvy A PublicAffairsAsia report in conjunction with Page X PR LOCATION BRANDING report in conjunction with Ogilvy A PublicAffairsAsia2012: PublicAffairsAsia in association with Ogilvy PR Page X PR LOCATION BRANDING 2012: PublicAffairsAsia in association with Ogilvy PR Page X

The research was conducted using online self-completion between the dates of June 20 and August 21, 2012 and in total 300 completed surveys were submitted during active data collection. Respondents were drawn from a range of communications disciplines including corporate communications, corporate affairs, public affairs, government affairs, marketing and public relations. A plurality of respondents were working in in-house roles (41 per cent) and one third were in agency roles (34 per cent). It is important to note the seniority of the respondents in this survey; 76 per cent of respondents had more than 10 years of professional experience and well over half (59 per cent) of all respondents were in senior management positions. There are over 3,000 years of collective professional experience across the respondents to this survey.
Survey participants roles within their organisation
EMPLOYMENT SENIORITY OF THE 300 PARTICIPANTS

The total sample size of the survey was n=300. The margin of error for this sample is 5.6 per cent at the 95 per cent confidence level which means that for a result found in the survey of 50 per cent the actual result will 19 times out of 20 be somewhere between 44.4 per cent and 55.6 per cent. The survey was promoted by PublicAffairsAsia and Ogilvy Public Relations, although the views contained within this report are not necessarily those of PublicAffairsAsia, its subscribers nor Ogilvy Public Relations or its clients.
For more information, or to request a data set, please contact craighoy@publicaffairsasia.com

In a junior role In a middle ranking role In a management role In senior management Other Junior role JUNIOR ROLE:

3%

Middle ranking 9% MIDDLE RANK:

MANAGEMENT: Management 22%

Senior management SENIOR MANAGEMENT: 59%

OTHER: Other 6%

Prefer not to say

Cover Shot:

Guangzhou, a modern city and one of mainland Chinas 13 emerging mega-cities

BRANDING

LOCATION

2012

Anyone who has recently turned on a TV, opened a newspaper, or driven by a highway billboard in the Asia Pacific region knows just how much investment is being poured into location branding. As one of the worlds major growth regions, Asia Pacific is becoming increasingly competitive for investment, talent, tourism, and other drivers of economic growth. In these still-emerging economies, FDI plays a critical role in local growth, while the burgeoning middle class of the region is becoming a potentially lucrative opportunity as tourism takes flight, and city-brands benefit from the influx of cash-rich consumers. In a part of the world where names are new and impressions arent fully formed, location branding aimed at business decision-makers and curious travellers is setting a new standard to differentiate cities from their regional competition, and leave a lasting positive image that will strengthen the economic and social fabric of fast-growing cities. Public policymakers across Asia are starting to recognise the value of strategically shaping their image A PublicAffairsAsia report in conjunction with Ogilvy PR to give their city, country, or region a competitive advantage over others. Investors, travellers, and skilled workers have many options to choose from, and are shopping for locations that will not only give them a leg-up on their competition, but will become a part of their own story and experience. Beyond simple value for money calculations, locations have unique values, sites, experiences, and trajectories, each of which forms a part of a decision to invest, visit, or relocate.

LOCATION BRANDING 2012: PublicAffairsAsia in association with Ogilvy PR Page X

Why do we choose certain vacation destinations and experiences over seemingly glossier ones? Why do investors flock to some cities, but avoid others? What sort of character does a city embody, and who are the people who define, represent, and communicate that character? Understanding how these questions are asked, and how these decisions are made is essential for governments at all levels to compete effectively to attract visitors and residents, and of course investors. People want to make a good brand a part of who they are. They want to talk about it with their friends, tweet it to their social networks, and recommend it to their colleagues. So what can a location do to create a brand story that people want to associate with? How can a location create a positive experience for an investor or a tourist that he or she will want to tell and re-tell? Our research strongly suggests that for cities looking to attract business investment and tourists, a focussed location-branding strategy is a must. This report discusses the general findings of a survey among communications experts in the region and offers recommendations to location branding professionals who wish to make their locale stand out as prominently as any great brand should. Steve Dahllof President & CEO Asia Pacific Ogilvy Public Relations

LOCATION BRANDING 2012: Page 3

FOREWORD

Steve Dahllof

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Location Branding 2012: Executive Summary

Over the last two decades Asia has been urbanising at a faster rate than any other part of the world. Nearly half of the worlds city dwellers are now in this region and over the next decade 20 of the worlds 37 megacities will be in Asia. In China, scores of second and third tier cities are jockeying for position hoping to join iconic locations such as Singapore, Sydney and Shanghai as global city brands. The statistics are staggering, but so too are the challenges. This rapid shift towards urban living is resulting in severe pressures on the environment, infrastructure and, potentially, quality of life. The future of these locations rests with policymakers, business people, scientists and engineers. But this report underlines that branding is vitally important to economic, and therefore social, development and that communications and corporate affairs professionals will be responsible for building and promoting the brand values which will be critical in determining ultimate success. At a time of increasingly mobile investment patterns, and rapidly growing tourism numbers, effective location branding is vital for the future economic development of the regions towns, cities and nations. But branding is not just important in building locations. This report concludes that branding plays a vital role in affecting how quickly these locations can recover from the crises and natural disasters which all too regularly afflict this region. This report, based on research among the leading corporate communicators in Asia Pacific, identifies fundamental trends, challenges and opportunities for those engaged in location branding. On pages 12-13 we offer a brand position ranking of 16 leading cities. The research contained in the coming pages is given added weight by the nature of the survey participant group: representing a broad cross-spectrum of the communications, government relations and corporate affairs industry in Asia Pacific; with nearly six in 10 of the 300-strong respondent base employed in senior management roles, offering the benefit of over 3,000 years of aggregated professional experience. The first of its kind among professional communicators and public affairs professionals in Asia Pacific, this study offers data on the impact branding can have on cities and nations, along with best practice advice from our partner Ogilvy PR on building, and redeveloping, effective location branding. We look forward to your comments and questions. Craig Hoy Executive Director PublicAffairsAsia

Bangkok: Ranks 9th out of 16 cities in brand position, see more on pages 12 and 13

SECTION 1: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Key findings
Branding is important
The scale of the location branding challenge in the fast-changing economies of Asia Pacific is clear. Some 57 per cent of respondents believe brand position is very important to the economic development of a country and 54 per cent to cities. Furthermore 57 per cent believe brand positioning is very important in attracting business from foreign companies and investors, and 61 per cent for attracting tourists.

TABLE 1.2: Should locations do more to develop their brand?

THE CHALLENGE FOR CITIES AND COUNTRIES: DO MORE

Yes No Can't say

Branding is hard

YES: 88% Yes NO: 3% No CANTsay 9% Can't SAY:

But the challenge for communications and corporate affairs professionals engaged in the industry is also underlined throughout this study. Over threequarters of those surveyed believe that rebranding a city, region or country is harder than rebranding a product. These difficulties demand a more strategic process of engagement by location branding experts, whose efforts are increasingly crowded out by the competitive culture which is developing between cities and nations across Asia Pacific. The complexity of the location branding challenge is illustrated by the impact different mediums have on a city or countrys brand position. Word of mouth tops the rank as being viewed as very important to brand reputation, with PR and news reporting and social and digital media also having a significant impact on reputation, according to our findings. Advertising and marketing rank lower, highlighting that location branding is becoming increasingly sophisticated and less focused solely on traditional approaches.

More branding is needed

As competition for investment and tourism grows, the vast majority (88 per cent) of respondents believe that cities and countries in the region should be doing more to become actively engaged in developing their brand reputations. This underscores the need for governments to create and empower trade promotion and tourism-related agencies to take the lead in winning the battle of the brands in this fast-developing region. The report also highlights how a positive brand value can be of huge importance in helping cities and nations recover from disasters and crises, such as the 2011 Japanese earthquake and tsunami. Over 36 per cent of those surveyed said that brand reputation is very important in assisting a city or country to recover from a crisis or natural disaster.

TABLE 1.1: What is harder, product or location rebranding?

REBRANDING LOCATION VERSUS PRODUCT

The central finding

LOCATION ISis harder Location HARDER: 77% Location is harder PRODUCT ISis harder Product HARDER: 7% Product is harder ABOUT THE SAME: 12% The same same The

Don't know NO VIEW: 4% Don't

know

The central finding of this research is that location branding is both challenging and multi-faceted. But in this increasingly competitive region, getting branding right is central to economic success, both for todays iconic cities as well as for those seeking to emulate locations which have already established global brand recognition.

LOCATION BRANDING 2012: Page 5

SECTION 2: BRANDING IS IMPORTANT

its important

Chart Title

IMPORTANCE TO LOCATION TYPE Chart Title Country

COUNTRY Country Region
Region City Country CITY City Region .0% .0%
0%

Chart Title

57% 54%

Why Branding Matters

A REGION CHANGING RAPIDLY Asia Pacific is at a crossroads. A region once largely viewed as the worlds factory is fast becoming the engine of global growth. With huge shifts towards urbanisation, hundreds of emerging cities are quickly becoming booming consumer markets. As these locations develop, towns, cities and countries are in open competition for investment, jobs, tourists and students not just within the region, but also globally. The success of these efforts is highly influenced by brand values and brand perception. Location branding rests on creating a clear image of what your city or country offers, what it stands for, and what makes it unique among its target investor or visitor groups. This report concludes that effective branding among cities and nations is likely to prove fundamental to their own development and to the future prosperity of the Asia Pacific region.

REGION
City

10.0% 10.0%
10%

27%
20.0% 20.0%
20%

30.0% Series1 30% 30.0% Series1 30.0% Series1

40.0% 40.0%
40%

50.0% 50.0%
50%

60.0% 60.0%
60%

Numbers citing branding as very important

.0% 10.0% 20.0% 40.0% 50.0% 60.0%

TABLE 2.1: Economic importance of branding by location type

1s ei r eS Series1

Educational visitors TOURISTS Companies/investors BUSINESS/INVESTORS s rots evni/s einapmoC

EDUCATION Tourists
0% .0%

Numbers citing branding as very important

TABLE 2.2: Importance of branding to different groups

Asked how important brand position is to economic development of a given location, 57 per cent concluded branding to be very important to countries and 54 per cent to cities. Branding appeared less important to regions, with fewer than one in three (27 per cent) citing it as very important. A locations brand position is seen as extremely significant in attracting business from foreign companies and investors, with more than half of the respondents (57 per cent) believing it to be very important.

% 0. 0 7 % 0. 0 6 % 0. 0 5 % 0. 0 4 % 0. 0 3 % 0. 0 2 % 0. 0 1

IMPORTANCE BY TARGET GROUP Chart Title

% 0.

61% 57% 28%

10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0% 50.0% 60.0% 70.0%

eltiT trahC

stsi ruoT

s rotisiv lanoita cudE

SECTION 2: BRANDING IS IMPORTANT

An even higher number, some 61 per cent of those polled, said branding was very important in attracting tourists to locations in the region. The importance of branding is thought to be less impactful in determining the choice of location among the student population, with less than one third (28 per cent) believing it to be an extremely important factor. CLARITY CALL Effective location branding requires clarity in terms of what you are trying to market, to whom and why. Like its counterparts in Europe and North America, Asia Pacific has fastdeveloping industrial cities, towns and cities offering arts, culture and heritage, and urban environments offering young, skilled labour. In each instance communications professionals believe brand position can have a significant impact, especially for countries and cities, even if branding remains less important to regional blocs or groups.
The Location Branding 2012 research finds that a citys brand reputation can be highly effective in helping a location bounce back after a man-made crisis or a natural disaster

BEIJING BOUNCE? See page 12 to find out how the Chinese capital ranks in terms of brand values among other cities

FAST FACTS ABOUT URBAN ASIA Urban population will rise by 700 million in 10 years Urban areas account for 80 per cent of GDP Asia is the 2nd least urbanised continent globally 50 per cent of residents will live in urban areas by 2026 Asia is still home to 500 million slum dwellers The average age in Asia will reach 40 by 2050

NORIYUKI SHIKATA externalcomment

eyond Japans shores, we have witnessed changing perceptions from abroad since the 3/11 tragedy. The outpouring of grief and solidarity, as well as outspoken admiration for the dignified conduct of the Japanese people, represented something quite unprecedented in recent times. First-year anniversary stories in the international media showed that Japan continues to be portrayed in a new and positive light. To maintain this a policy of openness is vital. As well as building trust with local residents, it also makes Japan a better bet for potential international investors. The Reconstruction Agency has been seeking creative advice from the private sector in order to establish Tohoku as an attractive and competitive destination for investment. Leading Japanese business groups are working closely with the government to create a new service unit to provide technical support and promote collaboration with the private sector. Supportive government policy, such as the creation of ecofuture cities and special reconstruction zones, are also playing a part. Transparent and open relations between private and public sectors, and a commitment to sustainability and technological innovation, are the seeds that have been planted for the future. It may still be too soon for these to have fully borne fruit, but our green shoots are evident and growth is moving in the right direction.
Noriyuki Shikata is Political Minister at the Japanese Embassy in London. Until recently he served as Deputy Cabinet Secretary for Public Affairs (Global Communications) at The Prime Ministers office in Japan. He writes The View from Japan column in PublicAffairsAsia magazine.

after 3/11

However as ASEAN emulates the European Union in opening a wide-ranging single market in goods and services across South East Asia, the importance of regional branding is likely to rise accordingly.

WHEN DISASTER STRIKES But brand position is not just important in building towns and cities. The survey findings illustrate that location branding can be powerful in assisting a city or country in the recovery phase after a crisis or national emergency. In a region where natural disasters are common, the importance of branding is highlighted by the finding that 36 per cent believe it to be extremely important in the aftermath of these headline-generating events.
TABLE 2.3: The importance of branding to crisis recovery

78 per cent of those surveyed believe branding is important in recovering from a crisis or a disaster. 36 per cent believe it is very important

LOCATION BRANDING 2012: Page 7

SECTION 3: THE BRANDING CHALLENGE

TABLE 3.1: Branding a location and branding a product

Sydney: Ranks joint-second in the branding stakes, according to Location Branding 2012

REBRANDING LOCATION VERSUS PRODUCT

Rebranding a location is much harder

52%

Rebranding a location is harder

25%

They are about as hard as each other

12%
Series1

Rebranding a product is harder 4%

Rebranding a product is much harder 3%

Can't Say 4%
0% 0% 10% 10% 20% 20% 30% 30% 40% 40% 50% 50% 60% 60%

WHY BRANDING IS HARD

ACCORDING to our research, location branding is significantly harder than branding a product. Over three quarters of respondents believe that it is harder to brand a location than a product, with a total of over 52 per cent saying it is much harder. Unlike many new products, a location is never a blank slate. To would-be travellers and investment decision makers, all locations come with a history, a population, and an environment that are largely unchangeable. The branding challenge that cities face is two-fold; first in selecting which elements of a location to highlight and share, and second in deciding how to shape perception around those assets. There are a limited set of factors that define the image of a product, but for a location, the number of inputs contributing to reputation are almost limitless both good and bad. As the number of potential experience-shaping factors grows, controlling user experience in a location becomes exponentially harder than controlling user experience with a consumer product. The stories that make the news, both good and bad, are also largely out of the control of location branding professionals. One event a natural disaster, a famous trial, a popular movie, can define a locations brand for many years.

Not Easy: But Essential

NOT AN EASY TASK While this report underlines the importance of branding, it also highlights the scale of the challenge confronting the communications professionals who are responsible for this vital aspect of the regions social and economic development. Building or rebuilding a brand position is no easy task. According to the research, 52 per cent say it is much harder to rebrand a city, region or country than it is a product. The fact that such a high percentage of communications practitioners believe that rebranding cities is more difficult than rebranding laundry powder or electronic goods highlights the need for more sophisticated engagement in this emerging practice arena. MORE TO DO IN THE BRANDING BATTLE Despite the apparent complexities involved in designing and developing a location brand, the communications and corporate affairs industry is clear in determining that cities, regions and countries must do more in order to address the branding battle which lies ahead.
TABLE 3.2: What should be done
SHOULD LOCATIONS DO MORE TO DEVELOP BRAND?

Yes No

Can't say

YES: 88% Yes NO: 3% No CANTsay 9% Can't SAY:

Some 88 per cent of the 300 communications and corporate affairs practitioners surveyed believe that local and central governments should be doing more to develop the brand reputation of the cities, regions and countries of Asia Pacific. This pressure is likely to result in an increased focus on, and investment in, the activities of provincial and national tourism and trade promotion agencies across this region.

SECTION 4: BRANDING BEST PRACTICE

India is suffering perpetual political stalemate: a damaging factor for investors, according to the findings of Location Branding 2012

What Factors are Important?

THE KEY ATTRIBUTES: BUSINESS
Clear trends emerge when we examine the attributes needed to frame a positive branding campaign seeking to win the hearts, minds and dollars of the investor community. The business operating environment ranks top, at 73 per cent, closely followed by the built environment and infrastructure. Ranking lower in the brand calculation confronting business is quality of life, with fewer than 40 per cent viewing it as very important, and the natural environment, with just one in five citing it as a major brand factor. In a region where politics often lacks transparency, and where political and business elites can be closely aligned, political stability nears the top of the list of required attributes among businesses seeking to invest significantly outstripping quality of life and the natural environment. Some 72 per cent believe that political stability is very important to branding campaigns.

THE KEY ATTRIBUTES: TOURISM

TOURISM: THE IMPORTANT ATTRIBUTES
Arts/culture/food/leisure/heritage

61% 50% 47% 44%

Series1

Hotel and leisure facilities

The natural environment

Transport

The built environment and infrastructure

37% 37% 36% 9%

10% 10% 20% 20% 30% 30% 40% 40% 50% 50% 60% 60% 70% 70%

Affordability

Retail/shopping

Sport
Numbers citing brand attribute as very important 0% 0%

INVESTMENT: THE IMPORTANT ATTRIBUTES

The business operating environment

TABLE 4.2: Attributes which impact tourism brand value

73% 72% 63% 49%

Series1

Political stability

However, among prospective tourists, the picture is different. Communications professionals surveyed believe that strong brand campaigns should focus on issues such as the arts, culture, food and heritage. In a market where many tourists have still to make their first overseas trips, the availability of hotel and leisure facilities is ranked as very important by half of our respondents, while the natural environment is rated similarly highly (see graph 4.2 above). Shopping facilities are seen as key to positive branding by over one third. Fewer than 10 per cent of all respondents saw sport as being very important to brand reputation in Asia Pacific.

The built environment and infrastructure

Availability and cost of qualified labour

Quality of life

37% 34% 18% 18%

0%
0%

Proximity to export markets

Conference and expo facilities

The natural environment

Numbers citing brand attribute as very important

10%

10%

20%

20%

30%

30%

40%

40%

50%

50%

60%

60%

70%

70%

80%

80%

TABLE 4.1: Attributes which impact investment brand value

LOCATION BRANDING 2012: Page 9

SECTION 5: BRANDING BEST PRACTICE

What Impacts a Location Brand?

Many of the negative issues which impact the brand reputation, and therefore the economic development, of locations are beyond the control of a single set of stakeholders. Governments alone cannot tackle environmental degradation: the public, private and third sectors need to engage to tackle the negative effects of rapid urbanisation. In general, the positive attributes people like to see in cities are the polar opposite of the negatives they want urban environments to be clean, not dirty and governments to be stable, rather than clinging to office by their fingertips. But building positive brand value involves more than simply overcoming negative perceptions about social and environmental issues. Building an iconic location brand needs a well-honed narrative which marries marketing and messaging with real-life experiences which reflect the brand position. A disconnect between the brand statement and the investor or visitor experience is likely to have negative effects on development. As this research confirms, word of mouth heavily influences brand reputation, so the real situation within locations has to live up to the branding. THE MEDIUM AND THE MESSAGE Once they have formed a set of brand values, those concepts must be effectively communicated. And in the social media age, anyone armed with a tablet and a point of view can become a travel writer and a locations branding can be rapidly cross-referenced with the on-the-ground reality. We asked our survey participants their views on the importance of different communications mediums to a city, region or countrys brand values. Word-of-mouth ranked highest, with nearly six in 10 respondents citing the views of their peers as very important. Next to this in terms of importance came PR and news reporting (51 per cent), social media (40 per cent) and advertising trailing at 30 per cent.
TABLE 5.1: The importance of mediums to a countrys brand position

WHAT THEY SAID:

Positive brand attributes

Transport, infrastructure, rule of law, political stability, pro-business, friendly people, low crime, good quality of life, culture, environment, skilled workforce, connectivity, accessibility, economic growth, good facilities, affordability, attractions, attractive landscape, good cuisine, tourist opportunities, air quality, location, sanitation, healthcare, good entertainment.

Negative brand attributes

Pollution, instability, corruption, poor governance, crime, bureaucracy, security, war, high cost of living, poor rule of law, terrorism, business unfriendly, cleanliness, censorship, high taxes, poor logistics, labour unrest, poor human rights, poor reputation, climate, poverty, violence, war, discrimination, inflation.
THE ABOVE ARE A SELECTION OF RESPONDENTS COMMENTS

What impacts location brand:

Word of mouth: 59% PR and news: 51% Social media: 40% Advertising: 30%
Percentages citing the medium/mode of communications as very important

SECTION 3: BEST PRACTICE

Making a Difference: Ogilvy PRs tips for Location Branding

The value of research knowing your target audience and your reputation The reputation of a location varies from market to market and from demographic to demographic; branding campaigns must be sensitive to this.
One of the findings of this report is that branding a location almost always involves some degree of re-branding. In a region rich with history, many of Asias cities come with a full set of connotations, images, and stereotypes. The only way for those leading branding campaigns to fully understand either their audiences or the reputation of the locations they are branding is to conduct systematic market research. Ogilvy regularly deploys qualitative and quantitative research to inform our location branding campaigns. Qualitative research in the form of focus groups, in-depth interviews, and observational studies allow marketers to understand how a location is perceived and most importantly to understand the opinions and biases that underpin that perception. People often form an opinion about a location by inference from other pieces of information they have available to them. For instance we may infer from a countrys recent history of economic dynamism a reputation for technological expertise (as is often the case with Japan and more recently South Korea). Similarly, we might infer a welcoming and tolerant culture from a citys reputation for multicultural dining as might be the case for Singapore or Kuala Lumpur. demographic profile of our target audiences and how do we apply this profile to our communications strategy? All of these questions can be answered by a well-designed piece of quantitative research.

Brands evolve and adapt over time

Brands are not built overnight. Especially for relatively unknown and emerging locations it is critical to commit to a long term strategy. Furthermore as brands emerge over time they must play to strengths, leveraging unique local features to their advantage. Location marketers should focus on what their location has to offer that is unique and of interest to their audience and use this to develop branding campaigns that create a competitive advantage. It is also important for location brands to present coherent narratives to their audiences presenting a tourism brand that jars with a business investment brand is destined for problems. Similarly presenting a facet of a locations brand that is out of keeping with other aspects of the brand will create cognitive dissonance and confusion. In our work for the Australian government, Ogilvy encountered this problem when it came to establishing the technology credentials for Brand Australia in China. Well known for its pristine environment and wide-open spaces, Chinese audiences were not aware of, or particularly receptive to, the idea of Australia as a technologically innovative nation. The solution: to leverage Australias strong reputation for a pristine environment to include the development and deployment of world-leading environmental technology. This approach was successful as it drew on an existing and strong facet of the Australia brand and evolved it in a way that intuitively made sense to consumers.

Qualitative research allows marketers to explore the inferences consumers make already and those that marketers might encourage them to make when they promote a location.
Quantitative research on the other hand allows marketers to understand the value of the insights they get from qualitative research. What proportion of the population is susceptible to a particular campaign approach, how big is the audience? What results might we expect from them? Quantitative research also allows marketers to target their communications what specific media channels are most effective to reach business investors and which are more effective to reach tourists? Where geographically are potential tourists most likely to be found? What is the

Direct and Diversified Engagement: How do location branding professionals make it fashionable to discuss, visit, and invest in their location? Through the creation of engaging content that not only triggers audiences curiosity but also stimulates their imagination causing them to actively consider an otherwise unknown location.

LOCATION BRANDING 2012: Page 11

SECTION 6: ASIAS BEST BRANDS

TABLE 6.1: Brand value ranking of 16 leading Asian cities

The City Brand Rankings

We asked 300 senior communicators to rate the brand value of a basket of 16 cities (where zero was very poor and 10 was excellent)

SINGAPORE HONG KONG SYDNEY TOKYO MELBOURNE SHANGHAI SEOUL OSAKA/KOBE BANGKOK BEIJING KUALA LUMPUR HO CHI MINH CITY MUMBAI DELHI JAKARTA MANILA

9.7 9.5 9.5 9.2 8.8 8.5 8.2 8.0 7.9 7.9 7.4 6.6 6.1 6.0 5.9 5.6

Singapore: Increasingly seen as an Asian hub attracting tourism, finance and regional corporate headquarters to its shores

SECTION 6: ASIAS BEST BRANDS

#1

The Brand Leaders

According to our research, Singapore tops the ranking in terms of brand value among a list of 16 leading cities in Asia Pacific with a positive brand value of 9.7 points out of 10. Cities were selected primarily on the basis of gross domestic product and include the capital cities of the regions leading nations. Ranking close behind are Hong Kong and Sydney (9.5 mean score). Hong Kong is a cosmopolitan, fast-paced, businessfriendly environment which marries East with West but which is facing environmental issues and a need to continually define itself in relation to the Chinese mainland. Also in close contention in the ranking stakes is Tokyo (9.2 mean score), which despite the 3/11 tragedy retains a leading position among Asia Pacifics communications and corporate affairs industry leaders. Scoring less well is Beijing, with a score of 7.9 points, putting it in 10th position. Despite the Olympic Games, the Chinese capital still grapples with pollution, a sense that the political, regulatory and business environment is difficult to navigate as well as language barriers which impact tourism. Towards the lower end are Jakarta and Manila (scoring 5.9 and 5.6 out of 10 respectively). The reputation of these two South East Asian nations is impeded by poor infrastructure, fears over safety, concern about corruption and regular word of mouth accounts of poor visitor experiences.

Singapore The City State

The gleaming city state embodies many of the positive brand attributes our survey identified: it is low-tax, clean, safe, politically stable and is developing a thriving arts, gaming and leisure scene. It tops the rank with top communicators giving its brand a score of 9.7 points out of 10. While criticised by some for issues such as press freedom and small c conservatism, the legendary South East Asian state is popular among business and tourists attracted by its combination of Asian flair fused with Western-style services and values. Singapore is promoted as a business and tourism hub by authorities including the powerful Economic Development Board, the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts and the Singapore Tourism Board.

OGILVY CASE STUDY: CHENGDU

n our work branding Chengdu as the hometown of giant pandas to London consumers, we learned that by giving consumers a sneak-peak special experience of what can be experienced in Chengdu, a direct link can be established and a brand idea implanted in the consumers mind. Some 108 costumed pandas, representing the total number of captive pandas at the Chengdu Panda Base, performed tai-chi in Trafalgar Square, toured iconic London taking the London Underground and riding a red double decker bus, stopping along the way to give panda bear hugs to pedestrians, take pictures, and provide information about pandas and the Chengdu Panda Base. Instead of just hugging costumed pandas and learning about the threats to this endangered species on the streets of London, they were asked to consider what it would be like to hug a real panda in its hometown Chengdu. Such an experience immediately connected individuals to a place, giving them a story to share with friends and family. Supported by many other channels, the word of mouth messages continued to ensure a successful development of the brand. On top of the conventional tasks of setting up a press bureau and instituting traditional public relations and advertising campaigns, location branding initiatives should also grab hold of new platforms and technologies that put brand champions right in front of their target audience. Planned wisely, celebrity endorsements, social media campaigns, and community engagement activities can all come together to reinforce the brand message, making a meaningful and memorable connection between the target audience and the location being branded.
LOCATION BRANDING 2012: Page 13

SECTION 7: RESPONDENT PROFILE

The survey fundamentals

Reflecting the PublicAffairsAsia network and readership, the participants whose views influenced this report work across a wide range of corporate affairs and communication disciplines. The majority of respondents (76 per cent) have over 10 years professional experience TABLE 7.1: Length of career and occupy senior management NUMBER OF YEARS SPENT IN INDUSTRY roles (59 per cent). The largest group (41 per cent) are employed in the in-house sector, with 34 per cent of 76% respondees working in the consul15% tancy or agency sphere. The seniority and spread of corporate, governmental and agency participants gives this report a unique perspective across the regions most senior communications and public affairs professionals.

GENDER SPLIT Male: 61% Female: 39%

Senior management: 59% Management: 22% Middle-ranking 9% Junior role: 3%

TABLE 7.2: Status of respondents

Less than a year One to two years Two to five years Five to ten years Over ten years

OVER 10 YEARS: Less than a year 76% FIVE TO 10 YEARS: One to two years 15%
Two toTO FIVE YEARS: 5% TWO five years Five to ten years ONE TO TWO YEARS: 3% Over ten yearsYEAR: 1% LESS THAN A

TABLE 7.3: Job categories of respondents

BREAKDOWN OF PARTICIPANTS BY SPECIALISM

TABLE 7.4: Sectoral status of respondents

THE IN-HOUSE AND AGENCY SPLIT

Corporate communications professional CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS: 21% Corporate communications Public affairs CORPORATE AFFAIRS: 11% Corporate affairs professional
GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS: 14% Government affairs MARKETING: 13% Marketing Government affairs professional PUBLIC AFFAIRS: 15% Public affairs

Corporate communications Corporate affairs Marketing

OTHER: Other16% Government affairs

PUBLIC RELATIONS: 11% Public relations Marketing professional

Public affairs Other

Prefer not to say

AGENCY: 34% Corporate

communications affairs

Corporate affairs Public relations professional

Prefer not to say

IN-HOUSE: 41% affairs Corporate OTHER: 25% Government

Marketing

Participating organisations included:

Public affairs Public relations

Other ACG, AES, Air India, AirAsia X, AIT, Al Jazeera Media Network, Allergan, Allianz China Life Insurance Co., Ltd, AmCham China, Amcham Shanghai, Prefer AMCHAM Thailand, Anchor PR, Andrew Leung International, ANZ, Aon, APCAC, APCO Worldwide, APEC Secretariat, AsiaMedia, Asiasetup, Australiannot to say Public Affairs, AVAYA, Avnet, BASF, Beijing Media Corporation, Brandstorm Asia, Cameron Cairns management, CARE International, CBI, CCG Group of Companies, CDPQ China, Center for Global Best Practices (CGBP), Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions, Center for Strategy, Enterprise and Intelligence, Centre for Risk Communications, CGP solutions Ltd, China Britain Business Council, City of London Corporation, CNC India Pvt. Ltd., Commensurate Consulting, Continental Automotive Holidng Co. Ltd, Copenhagen Capacity, Corporate Words, Cotton Council International, CSR Focus Co.,Ltd., Cummins China Investment Co., Ltd., Deloitte, Destination NSW, Development Academy of the Philippines, Double A Holding, Dow Chemical, Dynafresh Holdings, Eaton Corporation, Economic Development Board, Economist Group, Edelman India, EON The Stakeholder Relations Firm, Extra Excellence Pte Ltd, Fidelity Worldwide Investment, Forbes Magazine, Freshwater Advisers Pte Ltd, FTI Consulting, gestion comercial, Glide Strategic, GlobeCast Asia, Government Affairs (Services) Ltd., GR Japan, GreatWork Strategic Communications, H+K Strategies, Hamilton Advisors Limited, Harris & Moure, HCL Infosystems Ltd., Hill+Knowlton Strategies, HKGCC, Hong Kong Council of Social Service , Hong Kong Productivity Council, HP, ICTO, ILSA Consulting, ILSA Consulting Ltd, INCEIF, Indian Commodity Exchange, Ingersoll Rand, Institute of Southeast Asian Affairs, Interel Consulting India Pvt Ltd., International SOS, Invest Hong Kong, J.P. Morgan, Japan Local Government Centre, John Brown PR, Johnson Controls, Jones Lang LaSalle, JT International, Kadence International , Ketchum China, Kun Hang Group, La Croisette, Landmark Asia, Launch Group, Laykin Communications, LJ Consulting Pte Ltd, London Assembly, Madeira Promotion Bureau, Maersk Singapore Pte Ltd, Mahkota Research, MEDIA CONSULTA, MGA Communications, Mind Your Brand Sweden, Ministry of Economy, Minor, MPRC, MSACanberra, National University of Singapore , Nestle Greater China, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, North Head, NZCTA, Oakridge Communication Group, Ogilvy, Ogilvy Commonhealth, Oracle Added Value, Oxfam, Pfizer Nutrition, Prisma Public Relations, PT Eksekutif Sumberdaya Nusantara (ESN), Radio Thailand News (English Service), Red Agency, Red Bull, Red Links Limited, Regus, Rice Communications, RUSS Consulting, Schenker (Asia Pacific), SGX, Shire, Siemens, SimpliFlying, Singapore Press Holdings Ltd, Slovenian Tourist Board, SMIC Shanghai, Solutia , SRI, ST Telemedia, St.George Bank, Standard Chartered Korea, Stockland, Swissotel Merchant Court, Singapore, Syntax Communications, SYSTRA MVA Asia Ltd, Talent Q China, Taylor Group Limited, Text 100, Thailand Board of Investment, New York Office, Thomson Reuters, Total (China) Investment Co., Ltd., Tourism Australia, Tourism Queensland, Trade Commission of Mexico - PROMEXICO, Travers Communication, UBM Asia Ltd, University of Groningen, USASEAN Business Council, US-China Business Council, Victoria University, VOXCOMMS, Vriens & Partners, Weber Shandwick, West Indochina, William Jones Consulting, Wisebrand, WMC Public Relations Pty Limited,

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