Place Brand Leaders Podcast

Welcome to the first episode of Season 3 and our 16th episode overall on the Place Brand Leaders Podcast. This time, we're celebrating The Place Brand Observer's 10th anniversary. Join Florian Kaefer, founder of TPBO, as he looks back over ten years of place branding and discusses what's coming next.

Join me on the latest episode (#15) of the Place Brand Leaders podcast,  where I had the pleasure of chatting with Adriana Acosta, the head of  international promotion at PROCOMER in Costa Rica, about the remarkable  success of the nation's country brand strategy - Essential Costa Rica.  In this captivating conversation, we delve into the 10-year journey of  Essential Costa Rica, exploring its achievements, challenges, and future  aspirations. Discover what makes Costa Rica's approach to place  branding so unique and effective, as we discuss the program's emphasis  on sustainability, innovation, and stakeholder collaboration. We also  explore how Essential Costa Rica has played a pivotal role in  establishing Costa Rica as a leading destination for tourism,  investment, and trade. So, whether you're a seasoned place branding  professional or simply fascinated by the world of destination marketing,  this is an episode you won't want to miss. Tune in now as we shine a Spotlight on Costa Rica!

A quick summer update on latest happenings at The Place Brand Observer. And we dive into the topic of World Expos, rediscovering insights shared by Magdalena Florek and Marta Hereźniak earlier on the opportunities and potential risks of hosting a World Expo. Happy listening!

How does sustainability impact place brands, soft power, location reputation? Tune in as Florian Kaefer shares insights from a recent expert panel session on sustainability and place branding, together with his thoughts and research findings on the perceived credibility and potential vulnerability of New Zealand's "clean, green" image and "100% Pure" brand positioning.

What are the key trends and priorities which will impact the work of place brand managers in 2022? We asked our panel of place brand specialists.

How to measure the success - effectiveness and impact - of place branding programs? Our panel of experts has some good ideas, which I share with you in this shortcast episode. You will also find this summary (starting on page 25) in An Insider's Guide to Place Branding: Shaping the Identity and Reputation of Cities, Regions and Countries (Springer, 2021).

To some extent, failure may seem inevitable, considering the ambitious goals which drive most place branding projects. In this shortcast I share a summary of the most frequent reasons why place branding initiatives fail. A summary of our expert panel's views on the topic, as shared in An Insider's Guide to Place Branding: Shaping the Identity and Reputation of Cities, Regions and Countries (Springer, 2021).

A short reflection on the question: why engage with place branding, how useful is it? With insights from the TPBO panel of experts, published in An Insider's Guide to Place Branding: Shaping the Identity and Reputation of Cities, Regions and Countries (Springer, 2021).

This shortcast episode of the Place Brand Leaders podcast is dedicated to Costa Rica and New Zealand, two of my favorite countries - one I know well, the other I am yet to explore. We recently published our interview with Costa Rica's Head of Country Branding, Daniel Valverde Bagnarello, and just completed (and published) our report on New Zealand, which includes the interview with Rebecca Smith, Director of the New Zealand Story. More about why I find those two countries so fascinating - and my favorite quote from the interviews - in this shortcast.

I also briefly introduce my new book, An Insider's Guide to Place Branding: what it is about and why I think you'll like it.