• Describe and to discuss the assumptions that underlie the various marketing concepts from marketing, branding, communication, as well as from the presented consumer behaviour studies.
• Identify and analyze the relationship between relevant models, concepts and theories from the curriculum.
• Analyse and explain the differenses between the profit, non-profit and non-traditional marketing sectors (i.e., tourism and city marketing).
• Evaluate different place branding strategies and place brand management approaches for their usability in the area – especially for meausuring place brands and success.
• Apply these models and concepts, singly or combined to fit a concrete case situation under study and critically assess the value and relevance of models, concepts and theories presented throughout the course in relation to their practical application in a relevant case.
• To follow academic conventions in the written presentation.

Today cities are in strong competition for talents (residents), companies and investments, as well as tourists. Therefore, places are more and more run like ‘businesses’ and for ‘businesses’. In order to differentiate one place from another, city marketers increasingly focus on establishing the city as a brand and adopt other marketing techniques in order to better promote and ‘sell’ their place to its existing and potential target groups. Unfortunately, city marketers and consultants often underestimate the complexity – due to the fact that places are complex products themselves and that the needs and wants of the different customer groups regarding a place vary widely.

In the course we will explore the impact of city marketing activities for companies – talking in particular about the creative industries and tourism – and on other business fields. At the same time we will also discuss the social problems we create by making a place ‘too much’ of a business. By this means, studentd should not only be able understand and use strategies in city marketing and tourism at the end, but also see the benefits for companies and citizens in using city marketing in this regards.

This master course is a cross-disciplinary and research-based course, integrating findings from marketing, urban planning and management, public administration and the field of tourism. The aim is to introduce the service-dominant logic of marketing to cities and translate carefully different marketing and branding concepts. Furthermore, the differences between city marketing (general marketing activities for all place target groups) and destination marketing (tourism oriented city marketing) will be elaborated and the idea of an integrated approach will be presented.

The master course requires no previous knowledge (but an undergraduate-level knowledge of the basic principles of marketing is expected) and is open to different disciplines. To each lecture the reading of one or two scientific articles is mandatory (reading list will be given).

More exam-relevant reading will be enrolled during the course:

1. Avraham, E. (2000). Cities and their news media images. Cities, 17(5), 363-370
2. Boisen, M., Terlouw, K., and van Gorp, B. (2011). The selective nature of place branding and the layering of spatial identities. Journal of Place Management and Development, 4(2), 135-147.
3. Braun, E., Eshuis, J., & Klijn, E.-H. (2014). The effectiveness of place brand communication. Cities, 41(1), 64-70.
4. Connell, J. (2012). Film tourism – evolution, progress and prospects. Tourism Management, 33(5), 1007-1029.
5. Hanna, S. and Rowley, J. (2015). Towards a model of the Place Brand Web. Tourism Management, 48, 100-112.
6. Jørgensen, O. H. (2015). Developing a city brand balance sheet – Using the case of Horsens, Denmark. Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, 11(2), 148-160.
7. Medway, D., Swanson, K., Delpy Neirotti, L., Pasquinelli, C., and Zenker, S. (2015). Place branding: Are we wasting our time? Report of an AMA special session. Journal of Place Management and Development, 8(1), 63-68.
8. Zenker, S. (2011). How to catch a city? The concept and measurement of place brands. Journal of Place Management and Development, 4(1), 40-52.
9. Zenker, S. and Erfgen, C. (2014). Let them do the work: a participatory place branding approach. Journal of Place Management and Development, 7(3), 225-234.
10. Zenker, S. and Martin, N. (2011). Measuring success in place marketing and branding. Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, 7(1), 32-41.