City branding in Western Europe

John Heeley -City branding in Western Europe - concept, practice, pitfalls and value

Belfast City Council welcomed Dr John Heeley, Chief Executive of European Cities Marketing, to deliver a presentation focusing on city branding.

European Cities Marketing is an organisation that helps cities to perform better in their convention and tourism activities through the exchange of knowledge and best practice in city marketing.

Dr Heeley described the approach taken by international cities with successful city brands, citing Amsterdam as the most successful city. Amsterdam's success is based on a well resourced city brand team and 'buy-in' from partner organisations, including many international brands that incorporate the brand into their marketing activities.

Dr Heeley urged all organisations in Belfast to 'embrace the brand' in order to maximise its impact. He also suggested that for the Belfast brand to succeed we need to commit resources to it, and we need clear leadership in order to capitalise on opportunities.