By Laura Elizabeth Reynolds
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A Critical Approach to Place Branding Governance: From “ Holding Stakes ” to “ Holding Flags ” By Laura Elizabeth Reynolds Marketing and Strategy Section of Cardiff Business School, Cardiff University A Thesis Submitted in Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy of Cardiff University September 2018 ABSTRACT This thesis presents a critical account of place branding governance, questioning whether the decentralisation of ownership enables greater stakeholder participation. To do so, three overarching components are drawn upon from the extant literature, namely (place) brand meanings (Green et al., 2016; Merrilees et al., 2012), stakeholder engagement (Foo et al., 2011; Hankinson, 2009; Hanna and Rowley, 2015) and Bourdieu’s field -capital theory (Bourdieu, 1977, 1984, 1986). The holistic analysis responds to stakeholders continued hierarchical involvement, which operates in contradiction to academic claims that stakeholders should be partners, and not merely passive participants, in shaping the place branding process (Aitken and Campelo, 2011; Kavaratzis, 2012). This place branding conundrum is explored through two in-depth case studies of Bath and Bristol. The case studies utilise in-depth interviews with 60 salient stakeholders from the business community, local authority, local community and visitor economy (Mitchell et al., 1997). The thesis adopts elements from a moderate constructivist approach to grounded theory to augment the data collection, data analysis, and the abductive development of emergent theory (Charmaz, 2014; Gioia et al., 2013). This approach ensures a combination of flexibility, integrity, and depth to the research process. The abductive research establishes the 7Cs of a critical approach to place branding governance. These combine the three interconnected components ( claims, contributions, capacity ) and four supplementary and emergent outcomes ( competition, connectivity, chronology, cyclicality ). Together these themes show that stakeholders who possess the greatest economic, social and cultural resources, over a prolonged period of time and across the city, are best equipped to establish and maintain their strategic positions within the place branding process. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS It is hard to believe my PhD journey is coming to an end and what a journey it has been. The past four years hav e been a rollercoaster, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. Choosing to move to Cardiff to undertake a PhD at Cardiff University was one of my wiser decisions. In fact, it was probably the best decision I ever made. Cardiff University has become more than just my workplace; it feels like my academic home. Like any place, it is the people that make it so special. I feel very fortunate to have shared the Aberconway corridors with some of the smartest and kindest colleagues I could ever have ask for. The journey would not have been the same without you all! A heartfelt thank you goes out to all the staff at Cardiff Business School. I was fortunate to fall across two brilliant academic departments; both the Marketing and Strategy department and Management, Employment and Organisations (MEO). Thank you for always making me feel welcome, sharing your wealth of knowledge and for all the opportunities you helped me to create. A special thank you also goes to all those involved in supporting us PhDs during the good and bad times. We were an exceptionally lucky cohort to have Helen Walker fighting our corner; a massive thank you for all you did for us and for always caring about our wellbeing. Thank you to Elsie Phillips for your support and for putting up with my endless questions over the years. A big thank you to Kate Daunt for always offering your advice and kind words, often when they were needed the most. A special thank you goes to my supervisory team; Nicole Koenig-Lewis, Heike Doering and Ken Peattie. Thank you for your endless support, reassurance and motivation, especially during the final stages of the PhD. I would probably still be out collecting interviews if you hadn’t reigned me in! You have always encouraged me to have confidence in my own ideas and research. I couldn’t have done it without you all. Thank you also to Adam Lindgreen and Michael Beverland for helping me secure my place at Cardiff University and for your insights and guidance at the start of the PhD journey. People warn you that the PhD journey can be a lonely experience. I have been incredibly fortunate to share my journey with a PhD cohort who are not just colleagues, but also some of my closest friends. In particular, a heartfelt thank you goes to the B48a ladies; Cassie, Emma iv and Rachel. You have been there throughout; for the laughs and the tears. I knew from day one I’d hit the PhD cohort lottery when I met you all. We have shared so many wonderful memories over the past five years, including climbing actual mountains, travelling the world and winding down over one or two glasses of wine. Another set of thank you’s go to Anna, James, Lucy, Matt, Melissa, Richard, Sophie and Tim for your friendship and guidance over the years. No one quite understands the PhD like other PhDs. It’s hard to imagine the experience without all of your encouragement and wise words. I am also very lucky to have a fantastic support network outside of Cardiff. Thank you to Angie, Ashley, Becky, Charlotte, Francesca, Jane, Jo, Katie and Sinead for helping me to relax and escape the thesis. You’ve put up with my PhD rants and always encouraged me to stay focused and carry on. A special thank you goes to Andy for being my eyes and ears into the world of academia. You encouraged me to apply for a PhD and you’v e been there every step of the way since. Your mentoring and ongoing friendship has been instrumental in getting to where I am now, thank you! The biggest thank you goes to my incredible family. Thank you to Mom, Dad, Paul, Sarah, Dave, Amanda and Alfie, I couldn’t have done this without you all. Throughout the rollercoaster of emotions, you’ve offered your unconditional support, love and encouragement. It is a good job my mobile contract comes with unlimited minutes, or I’d have exceptionally large telep hone bills given all the hours we’ve clocked up over the past four years. No matter the time (sometimes quite literally), you are always just a phone call or a short train journey away. There really is no place like home; it has been my safe haven throughout this, at times, turbulent journey. A special thank you to Sarah for the effort and time of reading this thesis cover to cover and offering your excellent feedback on its formatting. I also think I won the sister jackpot! Thank you to the ESRC for funding this research and making my PhD possible. Thank you as well for the additional opportunities you provided. Most notably, the Overseas Institutional Visit to Curtin University in Perth, Australia. This was a truly unforgettable and academically enriching experience. A big thank you goes to the Marketing department at Curtin University for hosting me and making me feel like part of the team. Likewise, a special thank you goes to v Arch Woodside for being my academic mentor throughout my stay. I learnt a lot from your wealth of knowledge and academic experience. Thank you for sharing your wisdom with me. The PhD experience has led me to meet so many wonderful people. Thank you to Welsh Economy Research Unit at Cardiff Business School for welcoming me into your team over the past 12-months. A special mention to Cathy Parker, Heather Skinner and all the IPM team for showing me how rewarding academic work can be. A huge thank you goes to all my research participants, for sparing the time to share their knowledge about their cities. To go back to where I started, the real beauty of a place is its people and these 60 participants were no exception. My thesis could not have been possible without you, thank you! vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Declaration.................................................................................................................................ii Abstract.................................................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgements...................................................................................................................vi Table of Contents.....................................................................................................................vii Tables.....................................................................................................................................xvii Figures.................................................................................................................................. xviii Chapter 1 ...............................................................................................................................1 Introduction................................................................................................................................1 1.1 Moving toward a participatory approach to place branding ................................................1 1.2 Research Statement..............................................................................................................5 1.3 Research Objectives.............................................................................................................5 1.4 Research Rationale and Significance...................................................................................6