TwinCity Marketing – Initial Notions Positioning of Vienna and Bratislava

TwinCity Marketing – Initial Notions Positioning of Vienna and Bratislava Potentials and Visions of City Marketing and Cooperation 2nd Workshop, Bratislava, 6th-7th April 2006 Mag. Matej Jaššo, PhD.

City Marketing • One of the key topics of social and economic discourse of the 90ties (influeced by German re-unification, process of globalisation, EU enlargement) • Struggling for competetive advantages of the particular town or city has been getting more and more significant in the development strategy and policy of each municipality • Marketing is nowadays perceived as a strategic and long-term concept of managing the product’s communication – city or region itself. • This product is developed by the inhabitants of the city, local authorities, local companies, universities, local institutes for various groups of target auditorium – investors, visitors, local residents. • Many of those groups are both the producers and the consumers (e.g. inhabitants of the City). • City marketing is a part of „marketing broadening“ process

City Marketing • …requires a precise work in product formation, its improvementand effective transmission to the receiver or the target audience • A direct participation of the inhabitants on this process is very important. The inhabitants are key players in this process – they are both co-creators of the product and also the key target group in the process of its acceptation and evaluation. • One of the most important conditions of the efficiency of the entire City marketing output is the authenticity of the message.

City Marketing • The city/region itself is being perceived and considered as unique „company“ or system, with various segments of target groups (visitors, investors, inhabitants), but also with its own „staff“ or stakeholders (citizens, companies, culture bodies, universities, communities). • The city strives to maintain its brand, to achieve ambitious goals, to secure new developmental impulses and perspectives. • The competitivness of such milieu is nowadays in many cases as high as that in commercial branch structures. Each city/region should develop its marketing strategy - its value profile, certain typical set of principles and beliefs, transformed into the behavioural preferences and communication patterns. • One of the most appreciated benefits is loyalty toward the city/region - stable, long-term and deeply profiled set of the attitudes of the public and other partners.

City Marketing • General idea of the City Marketing concept is to create and open a profile of a city as an “attractive, unique and competitive product”. • The specific situation of a City as a product enables to emphasise clearly some of its core features (e.g. uniqueness, openess, friendliness, hospitality), which make development of the emotional values and loyalty towards the “Brand of the City” easier (Brand Loyalty).

City Marketing • Unstable and diffuse exterior environment requires flexibility, innovative approach and anticipation in the process of managing the “Brand” of the City (Brand Management). • Some of those concepts have affected the attention of the broad public. Marburg (Study Marburg), Kiel (Take Direction Kiel) or Regensburg (Regensburg, the Peak of the Danube). • However, City marketing should be perceived as a process, which is open and transparent in each of its phases, avoiding the final and definitive completion, although requiring clear target orientation.

City Marketing Target groups (specific traits): • Uncertainity and difusse nature of target groups • Contradiction in aims of the particular groups • Permanent affection of the product • High persistence of the product hinder sudden and vigorous changes in its shape • Specific competition on the market (indirect competition)

TwinCity Marketing Concept Main dimensions: • Economy • Environmental issues • Culture • Social issues • Research and development • Infrastructure

TwinCity Marketing Concept Problem areas: Definition: fields of our research Examples: labour market, education, migration, housing.... Product: Definition: In general TwinCity itself, in particular its facettes Examples: qualified workforce, specific regional health care system, green public transport...

TwinCity Marketing Concept Activities: Definition: background procedures and measures aimed to create and shape product. Examples: establishing framework for daily mobility, transfer of know-how in terms of social networking etc. Target groups: Definition: group of stakeholders sharing a common interest Examples: employers, inhabitants, visitors, investors...

TwinCity Marketing Concept Implementation: Definition: Establishing an institutional and formal framework for transmitting the product toward target groups Example: Establishing „TwinCity Council“ with the representatives of employers from both cities... USP: Definition: Position of the TwinCity on the regional market Examples: TwinCity is a metropolitan region with highly „user- friendly“ services. TwinCity is a knowledge based metropolitan region. TwinCity is a green city/region, etc…

TwinCity Marketing Concept Claim (competition slogan) and visual style: Definition: USP in 1 sentence/picture. Examples: Together we grow. (CENTROPE) Never as good before as in the TwinCity... Shared responsibility. Communication tools: Definition: deliberate, aimed and flexible utilisation of the most effective channels and tools. Examples: advertising campaign in newspapers, TwinCity Events, bilboards, www campaign, direct marketing....

TwinCity Marketing Concept

TwinCity Marketing Concept Problem issues: Definition: fields of our research focus Examples: labour market, education, migration, housing.... Product: Definition: In general TwinCity itself, in particular its facettes Examples: qualiofied workforce, specific regional health care system Activities: Definition: procedures and measures aimed to create and shape product. Examples: establishing framework for daily commuting, transfer of know-how in term of social networking etc. Target groups: Definition: group of stakeholders sharing a common interest Examples: employers, inhabitants, visitors, investors... Implementation: Definition: Establishing an institutional framework for transmitting the product toward target groups Example: Establishing „TwinCity Council with the representatives of employers from both cities... USP: Definition: Position of the TwinCity on the regional market Examples: TwinCity is a metropolitan region with highly „user-friendly“ services. TwinCity is a knowledge based metropolitan region. Twin City is an open-minded city/region, etc… Claim (competition slogan): Definition: USP in one sentence Examples: Together we grow. (CENTROPE) Never as good as in the TwinCity... Shared responsibility. Communication tools: Definition: deliberate, aimed and flexible utilisation of the most effective channels and tools. Examples: advertising campaign in newspapers, TwinCity Events, bilboards, www campaign, direct marketing....

TwinCity Marketing – Initial Notions Positioning of Vienna and Bratislava