COVID-19 and the participatory place branding impasse: a study of actor agency

Reynolds, Laura 2023. COVID-19 and the participatory place branding impasse: a study of actor agency. Journal of Place Management and Development 16 (4) , pp. 561-576. 10.1108/JPMD-10-2022-0099

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Abstract

This paper investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on participatory place branding processes, and in particular, multiple actors’ ability to build agency. An in-depth qualitative inquiry of place branding processes in Cardiff (UK) was undertaken during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Semi-structured (online) interviews with 28 city representatives from the public, private, and voluntary sectors are analysed using three-stage conceptual coding. Five transitions in the meaning-making and engagement processes at the nexus of participatory place branding are identified: (1) heightening value of the local environment; (2) building and sharing local knowledge; (3) embedding a sense of community into relational networks; (4) innovating engagement channels; (5) and blurring of roles and responsibilities. Combined these demonstrate a cultivating place (brand) attachment and evolving logics around participation. Transitions in actor agency require monitoring over time, drawing on additional studies, wider samples and multidisciplinary frameworks. Local knowledge and multi-actor networks are increasingly viewed as valuable assets, providing legitimacy for those in possession of these resources and for the brand. Practitioners, policy makers and community representatives should support innovative ways to involve and learn from local actors, including those not currently active across the place brand web. Antecedents to actor agency are investigated, highlighting that during a period of disruption actors gained legitimacy for their participation by emphasising the value attached to localities, building place (brand) attachment and drawing on blurred place branding boundaries.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Business (Including Economics)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Participatory place branding; COVID-19; stakeholder participation; legitimacy; place (brand) attachment
Publisher:	Emerald
ISSN:	1753-8335
Funders:	Economic and Social Research Council
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	28 July 2023
Date of Acceptance:	10 July 2023
Last Modified:	24 Nov 2024 10:30
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/161339

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