Place Branding and Public Diplomacy

, Volume 10, Issue 2, pp 145–157 | Cite as

How to capture place brand equity? The case of Sud de France

Original Article
First Online:
Received:
Revised:

Abstract

Within a globalized and highly competitive economy, the development of place brands has become important for cities, regions and countries. However, there is still little evidence about the conceptualization and measurement of their performance. In order to contribute to the current discussion of place brand equity, we analyse the effects of a branding initiative in the South of France. According to the collective aspects of the place brand concept, we propose a multidimensional approach through qualitative interviews with various stakeholders and review of secondary, mainly statistical data. Findings indicate that several factors are crucial for capturing equity of place brands. First, their collective character, involving different stakeholders; second, the fact that they generate economic and non-economic outcomes; third, their dependence on a socio-political and macro-economic context; and fourth, the time they need to establish. All these constituents require a more holistic approach to capture place brand equity than usual brand equity definitions for companies. Results also suggest that if place brands aim at long-term development of places, estimating their overall value can be based on evaluation logics for public development interventions, which are easily feasible, time and cost saving and fulfil the need for accountability for governmental institutions.

Keywords

regional branding place brand equity development strategy case study Sud de France 
This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

Notes

Acknowledgements

The authors highly appreciate the financial support provided by the European Commission via the Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctorates (EMJDs) programme AgTraIn (Agricultural Transformation by Innovation, www.agtrain.eu). Furthermore, we like to thank all persons from Sud de France for spending their time for interviews and for sharing information and opinions, notably Chantal Passat from Sud de France Development.

References

  1. Aaker, D.A. (1996) Managing brand equity across products and markets. California Management Review 38 (3): 102–120.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  2. Anholt, S. (2004) Brands and Branding. New York: Bloomberg Press.Google Scholar
  3. Anholt, S. (2008) Place branding: Is it marketing, or isn’t it? Place Branding and Public Diplomacy 4 (1): 1–6.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  4. Berry, L.L. (2000) Cultivating service brand equity. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science 28 (1): 128–137.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  5. Braun, E. and Zenker, S. (2010) Towards an Integrated Approach for Place Brand Management. Paper presented at the 50th European Regional Science Association Congress; 19–23 August, Jönköping, Sweden.Google Scholar
  6. De Chernatony, L. and Segal-Horn, S. (2003) The criteria for successful services brands. European Journal of Marketing 37 (7/8): 1095–1118.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  7. Dinnie, K. (2004) Country-of-origin 1965–2004: A literature review. Journal of Customer Behaviour 3 (2): 165–213.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  8. Freeman, R.E. (1984) Strategic Management: A Stakeholder Approach. Boston, MA: Pitman.Google Scholar
  9. Giesbert, F.O. (2012) Frêche. “Je vous l’avais bien dit”. Perpignan: Talaia.Google Scholar
  10. Grönroos, C. (2001) Service Management and Marketing. New York: Wiley.Google Scholar
  11. Hakinson, G. (2004) Academic papers relational network brands: Towards a conceptual model of place brands. Journal of Vacation Marketing 10 (2): 109–121.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  12. Iversen, N.M. and Hem, L.E. (2008) Provenance associations as core values of place umbrella brands: A framework of characteristics. European Journal of Marketing 42 (5/6): 603–626.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  13. Jones, R. (2005) Finding sources of brand value: Developing a stakeholder model of brand equity. The Journal of Brand Management 13 (1): 10–32.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  14. Kapferer, J.N. (2008) The New Strategic Brand Management: Creating and Sustaining Brand Equity Long Term. 4th edn. London: Kogan Page.Google Scholar
  15. Kavaratzis, M. (2005) Place branding: A review of trends and conceptual models. The Marketing Review 5 (4): 329–342.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  16. Keller, K.L. (1993) Conceptualizing, measuring, and managing customer-based brand equity. The Journal of Marketing 59 (1): 1–22.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  17. Kotler, P. and Gertner, D. (2002) Country as brand, product, and beyond: A place marketing and brand management perspective. The Journal of Brand Management 9 (4/5): 249–261.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  18. Moilanen, T. and Rainisto, S. (2009) How to Brand Nations, Cities and Destinations: A Planning Book for Place Branding. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  19. Morgan, N.J., Pritchard, A. and Pigott, R. (2003) Destination branding and the role of the stakeholders: The case of New Zealand. Journal of Vacation Marketing 9 (3): 285–299.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  20. Papadopoulos, N. and Heslop, L. (2002) Country equity and country branding: Problems and prospects. The Journal of Brand Management 9 (4/5): 294–314.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  21. Rainisto, S.K. (2003) Success Factors of Place Marketing: A Study of Place Marketing Practices in Northern Europe and the United States. Espoo: Helsinki University of Technology.Google Scholar
  22. Roques, G. (2010) Paradoxes en Languedoc-Roussillon: Une Région Surfaite. Pau, France: Cairn.Google Scholar
  23. Simon, C.J. and Sullivan, M.W. (1993) The measurement and determinants of brand equity: A financial approach. Marketing Science 12 (1): 28–52.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  24. Ton, G. (2012) The mixing of methods: A three-step process for improving rigour in impact evaluations. Evaluation 18 (1): 5–25.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  25. Ton, G., Vellema, S. and De Ruyter de Wildt, M. (2011) Development impacts of value chain interventions: How to collect credible evidence and draw valid conclusions in impact evaluations? Journal on Chain and Network Science 11 (1): 69–84.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  26. Van Ham, P. (2008) Place branding: The state of the art. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 616 (1): 126–149.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  27. Verlegh, P.W. and Steenkamp, J.B. (1999) A review and meta-analysis of country-of-origin research. Journal of Economic Psychology 20 (5): 521–546.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  28. Wood, L. (2000) Brands and brand equity: Definition and management. Management Decision 38 (9): 662–669.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

Online references

  1. http://www.sud-de-france.com, accessed 1 July 2013.
  3. http://www.qualite-suddefrance.com, accessed 20 May 2013.
  4. http://www.lalettrem.fr (2009) Campagne des produits Sud de France en GD, accessed 18 January 2012.
  5. http://www.lalettrem.fr (2011) La campagne d’été Sud de France a fait fort, accessed 25 November 2012.
  6. http://www.lalettrem.fr (2012) Sud de France en Grande Distribution, accessed 25 November 2012.
  7. http://www.laregion.fr: Délibération du Conseil Régional. Schéma régional de développement touristique. Politique régionale du tourisme. Repenser le tourisme en Languedoc-Roussillon. http://www.laregion.fr/uploads/Deliberations/ConseilRegional/2011/01/28/DELIBERATION/D0JOM.pdf, accessed 10 May 2013.
  8. http://draaf.languedoc-roussillon.agriculture.gouv.fr/Tourisme-rural, Tourisme rural. Quelles perspectives pour le tourisme rural au Languedoc-Roussillon?, accessed 10 April 2013.
  9. http://www.observatoiredessubventions.com: Comment Georges Frêche dépense l’argent de vos impôts (3 February 2010) Georges Frêche roi de la dépense (4 February 2010), accessed 15 March 2013.
  10. Agreste document. (2011) Booster le « made in Languedoc-Roussillon » avec la marque Sud de France. http://www.regionsmagazine.com/site/articles/languedoc-roussillon/2010/06/2010-06-29/Sud%20de%20france%202010.pdf, accessed 22 November 2012.
  11. Ballout, J.-M. (2010) Discussion of the book written by Georges Roques, Paradoxes en Languedoc-Roussillon: Une région surfaite?, 17 May 2011, 19h30 at Café Riche http://www.cafe-geo.net/article.php3?id_article=2181, accessed 15 November 2012.
  12. De Caix, C., Domergue, M. and Couderc, J.-P. (2011) État des lieux et évolutions de la sphère agroalimentaire du Languedoc-Roussillon de 1997 à 2009. http://www.agreste.agriculture.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf_R9111A16.pdf, accessed 20 November 2012.
  13. Dominé, A. (2012) Sud de France – Eine wahre Revolution. In: Pressemappe 2012 – Sud de France, http://www.festival-suddefrance.com/fileadmin/fichiers/Logo_All/EXE_DPSDF_All.pdf, accessed 15 December 2012.
  14. Fritsch, I. (2011) La marque Sud de France fête ses 5 ans, http://www.objectif-lr.com/languedoc-roussillon/Actualites/La-marque-Sud-de-France-fete-ses-5-ans_1295.html, accessed 12 February 2013.
  15. Galbrun, C. (2012) Sud de France, entre identité individuelle et identité collective pour les vins du Langudoc-Roussillon, http://www.pleinchamp.com/viticulture/actualites/sud-de-france-entre-identite-individuelle-et-identite-collective-pour-les-vins-du-languedoc-roussilon, accessed 10 March 2013.
  16. Manceau, Jean-Jacques (2010) Bretagne contre Languedoc : le duel des labels régionaux, http://lexpansion.lexpress.fr/entreprise/bretagne-contre-languedoc-le-duel-des-labels-regionaux_239678.html?p=2, accessed 20 January 2013.
  17. McGinty, C. (2008) Sud de France to highlight Languedoc Roussillon wines, http://www.thisfrenchlife.com/thisfrenchlife/2008/05/sud-de-france-t.html, accessed 13 March 2013.
  18. Molénat, J. (2005) Le recul de Frêche l’intraitable, http://www.lexpress.fr/informations/le-recul-de-freche-l-intraitable_668491.html, accessed 14 February 2013.
  19. Panayoty, L. and Bouchindhomme, J. (2012) Conférence de presse sur les chiffres de la marque Sud de France à l’international 2006–2011, http://www.medium-message.com/presseSDFD/DP_confpresse_vinisud2012.pdf, accessed 25 January 2013.
  20. Percq, Y. (2012) La réussite des vins Sud de France à l’export se confirme, http://www.objectif-lr.com/languedoc-roussillon/Actualites/La-reussite-des-vins-Sud-de-France-a-l-export-se-confirme_1573.html, accessed 20 January 2013.
  21. Peyral-Bon, D. Sud de France. Languedoc-Roussillon’s Finest, http://www.sommeliers-international.com/en/world/sud-de-france-_-languedoc-roussillon_s-finest.aspx, accessed 22 November 2012.
  22. TNS Sofres. (2007) Les perceptions des réalisations et projets de la Région Languedoc-Roussillon. 7–La marque Sud de France.Google Scholar

Copyright information

© Palgrave Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2014

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Campus Montpellier SupAgroMontpellierFrance

Personalised recommendations