City Branding, Naming Rights, and the Neoliberalization of Dubai, UAE
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“Turn Your Brand into a Destination”: City Branding, Naming Rights, and the Neoliberalization of Dubai, UAE by Maral Sotoudehnia BA, University of Calgary, 2008 A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS in the Department of Geography Maral Sotoudehnia, 2013 University of Victoria All rights reserved. This thesis may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without the permission of the author. ii Supervisory Committee “Turn Your Brand into a Destination”: City Branding, Naming Rights, and the Neoliberalization of Dubai, UAE by Maral Sotoudehnia BA, University of Calgary, 2008 Supervisory Committee Dr. Reuben S. Rose-Redwood, (Department of Geography) Supervisor Dr. Pamela Moss, (Faculty of Human and Social Development) Outside Member iii Supervisory Committee Dr. Reuben S. Rose-Redwood, (Department of Geography) Supervisor Dr. Pamela Moss, (Faculty of Human and Social Development) Outside Member Abstract As cities continue to compete for regional and global primacy, governments around the world have drawn upon a series of entrepreneurial tactics to secure investment. Along with city branding initiatives aimed at producing positive images of the city, governments increasingly seek to generate revenue through the corporate sponsorship of public place names, or what I term toponymic branding. Drawing upon government documents and 15 semi-structured interviews, this study examines how the neoliberalization of place through city and toponymic branding is currently reshaping the geographies of urban governance in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), by considering two case studies: the naming of the Burj Khalifa (formerly Burj Dubai) and the Dubai Metro Naming Rights Initiative. In addition to semi-structured interviews conducted in situ, this research draws upon a variety of web-based marketing materials designed to promote the Burj Khalifa as an icon of Dubai and the Dubai Metro Naming Rights Initiative as a cutting- edge tool to increase revenue generation for the Government of Dubai. This thesis suggests that, despite efforts to maximize profits through city and toponymic branding campaigns, the renaming of the Burj Khalifa undercuts previous positive associations stakeholders held with the “tallest building in the world,” the city, and its brand. This study also demonstrates that, through the Dubai Metro Naming Rights Initiative, the Government of Dubai has used toponymic branding as a political tool to foster relationships with members of the business community. In doing so, the current research contributes to critical toponymic and urban geographic scholarship by examining the political economy of toponymic branding as a strategy of neoliberal urbanism in Dubai. iv Table of Contents Supervisory Committee ................................................................................................................ ii Abstract ......................................................................................................................................... iii Table of Contents ......................................................................................................................... iv List of Figures .............................................................................................................................. vii List of Tables .............................................................................................................................. viii Acknowledgments ........................................................................................................................ ix Dedication ...................................................................................................................................... x Preface ........................................................................................................................................... xi Old World, New Beginnings ........................................................................................................... 1 May 4, 2012 ................................................................................................................................ 1 Chapter 1: Introduction .............................................................................................................. 3 Dubai Site Visits ......................................................................................................................... 3 Introduction to the Thesis ........................................................................................................... 5 Research Goal and Objectives .................................................................................................... 8 Significance of Research ............................................................................................................. 9 Data Collection and Analysis ...................................................................................................... 9 Organization of Thesis .............................................................................................................. 10 We All Go Down Together ............................................................................................................ 13 May 8, 2012 .............................................................................................................................. 13 Chapter 2: Theorizing the Place of Branding in Neoliberal Urbanism ................................ 14 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 14 Chapter Outline ......................................................................................................................... 15 Trodding Down a New Path: Political Economy and a Neoliberal World Order ..................... 17 Situating Neoliberalism: from Marx to Foucault ...................................................................... 22 Risky Business: Entrepreneurial Urbanism and Branding the City .......................................... 24 Sell This City: Place Branding in Urban Contexts ............................................................... 30 The Good, the Bad, and the Brand: Unpacking Urban Entrepreneurialism ......................... 31 Consuming Brands ................................................................................................................ 33 Branding and the Politics of Place ........................................................................................ 37 The Naming Game: Legacy Gifts and Corporate Naming Programs ....................................... 39 Connecting the Dots: Political Toponymies and the Neoliberalization of Place ...................... 44 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 45 An Interview State of Mind ........................................................................................................... 47 May 6, 2012 .............................................................................................................................. 47 Chapter 3: Data Collection and Analysis .................................................................................. 49 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 49 You Say ‘Methodology,’ I Say ‘Method’: Defining Key Terms For Qualitative Research ..... 49 Case Study: Place and Toponymic Branding in Dubai, UAE .................................................. 51 Description of Case Study Area ................................................................................................ 52 Case Studies: The Construction and Re-Naming of The Burj Khalifa (Dubai), and The Dubai Metro Naming Rights Initiative ................................................................................................ 54 Discourse Analysis: A Critical Approach ................................................................................. 56 Research Process ....................................................................................................................... 59 v Methods: Semi-Structured Interviews ...................................................................................... 59 Methods: Coding ....................................................................................................................... 63 Ensuring Rigour ........................................................................................................................ 63 Limitations ................................................................................................................................ 65 Entering the Record Books ........................................................................................................... 68 May 29, 2012 ............................................................................................................................ 68 Chapter 4: The Name Saved The City: Raising and Renaming the “Tallest Building in the World” ........................................................................ 69 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 69 “The Tallest Building in The World”: The Burj Khalifa and Dubai