Building a Place Brand on Local Assets: The Case of the Pla de l'Estany District and its Rebranding

Abstract

The main objective of this article is to analyse whether the positioning of the Pla de l'Estany district, in Catalonia, can be redefined in a context of possible saturation of the sports brand that was structured thanks to the success of the 1992 Olympic Games. Furthermore, this article aims to analyse how to design and implement long-term public policies in place branding. The Pla de l'Estany district is one of the smallest in Catalonia and had its moment of splendour during the Barcelona Olympic Games, which positioned it as a place of natural beauty and sports tourism. However, twenty-five years later, we ask whether this positioning needs to be updated. This research deploys a methodological triangulation that combines in-depth interviews with opinion leaders, discussions in focus groups and an online survey open to citizens. This research presents three conclusions: it places the processes of citizen participation as a key element in the construction of territorial brands; refocuses the narrative of the territory of the Pla de l'Estany based on the concepts of 'sustainable nature' and 'traditional culture'; and conceptualises place branding not just from the perspective of promoting tourism, but also from that of fomenting sustainable governance.