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Region Branding is used to promote and shape the reputation of a specific region as a location that people can travel to or invest in. A good brand strategy can affect the performance of a region by differentiating it from others and helping it to attract a lot of inward investment and tourism receipts, thus increasing gross domestic product (GDP). Therefore, it is crucial that a region takes control of its brand and ensures that it is as strong as possible. This includes considering how the region is viewed by people inside it, as well as other people’s opinions of it, and promoting the unique selling points of the region, thus differentiating it from others. Many region brands use the same communication strategy when trying to attract investors. A large number of regions, regardless of their location, use messages based on their strategic location and the ease of setting up businesses there, thus these communication messages lack differentiation and this is not a successful form of Region Branding. Many regions also use very similar communication strategies when trying to attract tourists, as they believe that these messages encourage people to visit the region. However, this is not the case. Bloom Consulting uses Online Search Demand© (OSD©) to measure all global online searches carried out specifically for investment, in order to determine what potential investors or tourists look for when researching a destination. These are the factors that regions should focus on in their Region Branding strategy for investors and tourists, however unimportant messages are usually communicated to potential investors and tourists, thus not encouraging them to visit or invest in the region. In order to strengthen the region brand, regions should consider what unique factors are valuable to encourage tourists and investors to invest in the region, rather than promoting general factors that are present in a large number of countries.
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Country Branding, Strategic Development, City Branding, Place Branding, Region Branding,
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