I thought about answers to these questions yesterday. I drove by the new IKEA store that is going up near a large mall in the southern sector of my city. Following my drive, I read about the new H&M store that is replacing Nike Town in a downtown mall in my city. In both cases, these are the first stores for both brands in Denver. I am happy they are here and hopefully they will help in my struggles to describe my city when others ask.
You might recall that a while back I posted some thoughts about the lack of a brand strategy for my city. I am not sure there is an effective narrative out there. I am a native of Colorado by the way. As a result of this lack of a story to tell, I think that sometimes the city loses business and in other cases it takes forever for companies like IKEA and H&M to see value in being a part of the city brand. Or in this case, helping shape the city brand. It is almost like the tail wagging the dog.
Cities, just like other organizations should develop brand strategies based on their mission, core values, stakeholder engagement, location, history and other factors. Many cities have done this or are in the process of doing so. When that is accomplished, it is much easier for relationships to be built. In other words for brand champions to be recruited and retained. Retail should be champions of the city brands, not the reverse.
Nice topic and post, as we were just talking about what things can happen in the medicine industry.
Posted by: MBT Online | August 02, 2011 at 05:33 AM