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My city, my love: philanthropy and rebranding of a contested city image to improve sense of place and city pride

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Abstract

What are the motives for private businesses investment in city-branding.? A positive city image may attract new businesses while a contested image may limit the opportunities, also for existing businesses. Our data originates from the Danish city of Horsens. Horsens has over a 20-year period changed image from being nationally known as a prison city to become nationally known as a concert and event city. The key to success has been a private limited liability company in a cross-sectoral partnership between investors from private businesses, the city and third sector organizations. We analyzed business investors motives through a lens of philanthropy, human geography, and social sustainability. We find that investors see their investment as philanthropic, but that traditional motives behind philanthropy are insufficient to describe all motives behind the investment. Instead, we find that investors sense of place, place attachment and city pride was strongly affected by the contested city image in the outside world and a key to their involvement in the project. We believe that the key to change is to affect the perception of the external world, because only the resonance from the outside world can confirm citizens and businesses that a project is successful.

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Adapted from Jørgensen (2019)

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Funding

Funding was provided by Familien Hede Nielsens Fond and Engell Friis Fonden.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Business and Sustainable Development, VIA University College, Banegårdspladsen 2, 8700, Horsens, Denmark

    Ole Have Jørgensen

  2. Department of Marketing & Management, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230, Odense M, Denmark

    Martin Hannibal

Authors
  1. Ole Have Jørgensen
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  2. Martin Hannibal
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ole Have Jørgensen.

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Appendix (Questionnaire)

Appendix (Questionnaire)

Introduction: We are going to talk about Horsens. Have you experienced comments on the fact that you come from Horsens? Which ones?

  1. (1)

    Is it about the city, the municipality, the prison—or the whole thing?

  2. (2)

    Many people today use the expression "We work together in Horsens"

  3. (3)

    Do you recognize the expression?

  4. (4)

    Do you use it yourself?

  5. (5)

    What does it mean to you?

  6. (6)

    You or your company has invested in Horsens & Friends?

  7. (7)

    What does it mean for you to be an investor?

  8. (8)

    Did it matter to you who the other investors are?

  9. (9)

    Does the role of investor give you access to opportunities that non-investor companies are cut off from?

  10. (10)

    How do you use the opportunities in relation to customers?

  11. (11)

    How do you use the opportunities in relation to employees?

  12. (12)

    How do you use the opportunities in relation to suppliers?

  13. (13)

    Have you used the opportunities for others than the groups mentioned?

  14. (14)

    How do you cooperate with the other investors?

  15. (15)

    Have you participated in events yourself?

  16. (16)

    How did you experience them?

  17. (17)

    Have you yourself also talked about your experiences?

  18. (18)

    What did you say? Can you give 2–3 examples.

  19. (19)

    How do people react to the stories?

  20. (20)

    Have you been inspired by the project—have you started to do things differently?

  21. (21)

    If you were to describe what you think the citizens have gotten out of the investments, what would it sound like?

  22. (22)

    What are you building it on?

  23. (23)

    Can you illustrate it with some examples?

  24. (24)

    We are often inclined to think in systems and organizations, but frequently individuals or groups of individuals play a special role. Can you point to people or groups who play a special role for the project in Horsens?

  25. (25)

    In what way do they have a particular importance?

  26. (26)

    What do they contribute that cannot be obtained from others?

  27. (27)

    What do you think the project has meant in general for the city of Horsens?

  28. (28)

    What did I forget to ask you?

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Jørgensen, O.H., Hannibal, M. My city, my love: philanthropy and rebranding of a contested city image to improve sense of place and city pride. Place Brand Public Dipl 19, 514–524 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41254-022-00274-2

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