Genova: a new logo
for new perspectives
GENOA´S LOCAL ACTION PLAN IN THE FRAME OF URBACT-CITYLOGO
Aarhus | Alba Iulia | Coimbra | Dundee | Genoa | Oslo | Utrecht | Vilnius | Warsaw | Zaragoza
Report by City Logo Operative Team: Raffaella Cecconi, Sergio Di Paolo, Marisa Gardella, Chiara Martorana, Gianluca Saba, Cesare Torre.
Municipality of Genova, Deputy Major for Tourism and Culture Department, Communication and City Promotion Division, Communication Office, International Affairs Office.
Genova, March 2015
Table of content
MAYOR’S SPEECH Creuza de Ma 1.1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2. FRAMEWORK 2.1. Genoa: History, Changes and Perspectives 2.2. Belonging to the URBACT-CityLogo Project 2.3. The Genoa Local Support Group 3. PROBLEM ANALYSIS 3.1. New narrative for a city in transition 3.2. The need to attract visitors, investments, intelligence 3.3. The need for a new territorial marketing approach 4. LONG TERMS GOALS 4.1. Increase Genoa’s ability to attract 4.2. Develop coherent marketing strategy 4.3. Involving citizens in conveying their creative energies to welcoming strategies 5. SHORT/MEDIUM TERM OBJECTIVES 5.1. A new and effective visual identity for the city 5.1.1. A long history of circumstantial logos 5.2. Shared marketing plan 5.3. Providing ad-hoc governance, ensuring financing 6. ACTIVITIES IMPLEMETED AND COLLABORATIVE METHOD 6.1. LSG, focus groups, workshops and local media awareness 6.2. The City narrated by focus groups 6.3. Unveiling city’s truths in a collaborative way 6.4. From “focus groups” to workshops 6.5. Competition of ideas and urban visual identity 6.6. Organization of a memorable event for presentation of new city brand 6.7. Setting the basis for a permanent collaborative model 7. KEY ACTIVITIES 2014 - 2017 7.1. New visual identity 7.2. Standard promotion 7.3. Unique events with big impact 7.4. Expo Milano 2015 7.5. Socializing the new visual identity 7.6. Emergency Communication 7.7. Social Media 7.8. Promotional material, websites and press releases 7.9. Exchanges between Italian and European cities 8. APPENDIX - ATTACHMENTS
In the incomplete letters that spell its name, Genoa declares that it is a city in constant transformation, with a multifaceted and complex identity. ‘More than this’ alludes to the discovery of what is hidden at first sight, or even at further glances, because Genoa is much more than what is generally known about it from the outside; it is very modest and austere in exposing itself to visitors.
The logo the city has chosen is very ‘Genovese.’ The decision came only after a long and participatory process that was already in and of itself a way of presenting the brand to Italy and abroad, by thinking about itself and reflecting on the path taken and the horizon toward which it is headed.
If we want to fix a date that this long path was undertaken, we must certainly go back to 1992, the year of the 500th anniversary of Columbus’ discovery of the Americas. At that time, thanks to Renzo Piano’s project, the old part of our port was opened for the city’s use and for tourism. The center of town got back its direct relationship with the sea, changing the perception of space and the imagination for a significant portion of our territory. Little by little, the city developed a commitment to tourism, with its wealth of artistic sites, a rich cultural patrimony and a first-rate landscape, with the largest medieval historical center in Europe, the Rolli palaces of the Renaissance, the Seventeenth century fortifications, the villas and the parks.
Industrial Genoa, the Genoa of the port, is today committed to growing the potential of the port and to emerging as a place of research and high tech. It has stopped considering itself in the area of tourism as “the city near Portofino,” and has become the direct destination of a constant flow of Italian and foreign visitors who are attracted by its beauty, by the Aquarium, by the cultural events at Palazzo Ducale and its theatres.
On the horizon, Genoa is planning to complete its waterfront, from the Porto Antico to the docks of the Fairgrounds. Once again, it will give shape to the pencil lines of Renzo Piano, to strengthen the relationship with the sea, to offer new possibilities to the industry of naval repair and to enhance the fairground space.
In the so-called ‘Century of the Genovese’ as the era of the rich aristocracy of bankers who financed even the Court of Spain was defined, Genoa looked out on the world as it has always done in its age-old history of maritime and business traffic. Today it has to look toward the world to make itself known and to let itself be discovered. There are many Genovese among us who come from distant lands. Other times in history Genoa has known how to treasure and make the best of new arrivals, just as it suffered the pain of emigration.
The brand of the city is not simply contained in a logo. In those incomplete letters and on that promise of ‘something more’ that the city has to offer, Genoa must know how to spread the message of hospitality and welcome, a pleasant invitation.
Marco Doria Mayor of Genoa
Ph: Facebook page: tutti quelli innamorati di Genova
“Creuza de Ma” (The Mule Path to the Sea) What is (or maybe ‘who is’) Genoa? What is it hiding deep in its soul, what does it have to say in order to catch our attention and make us fall in love? What does it have, of the Mediterranean and of Europe together, that other cities don’t have? What story can it tell travelers and cultural nomads, and those seekers of professional and life experiences, what can it tell those inventors of innovation and the future, what can it tell those sailors on the seas of life?
Ombre di facce, facce di marinai Shadows of faces, faces of sailors da dove venite, dov’è che andate Where are you coming from, where you are going. da un posto dove la luna si mostra nuda from a place where the moon shows itself naked e la notte ci ha puntato il coltello alla gola And night pointed the knife at our throats. e a montare l’asino c’è rimasto Dio Only God is left, to mount the donkey il Diavolo è in cielo e ci si è fatto il nido And the Devil is in heaven, and he built a nest there usciamo dal mare per asciugare le ossa da Let’s get out of the sea to dry ourselves at Andrea Andrea’s house alla fontana dei colombi nella casa di pietra. At the doves’ fountain at the stone house. E nella casa di pietra chi ci sarà And in the stone house who will be there? nella casa di Andrea che non è marinaio People like Andrea, who is not a sailor Gente di Lugano facce da tagliaborse People from Lugano, with pickpocket faces quelli che della spigola preferiscono l’ala People whose favorite part of the sea bass is the wing ragazze di famiglia, odore di buono Girls from good families who smell good che puoi guardarle senza preservativo. And you can look at them without needing a condom. E a queste pance vuote cosa gli darà And what to give these empty bellies? cose da bere, cose da mangiare Things to drink, things to eat frittura di pesciolini, bianco di Portofino Fried fish, white wine from Portofino cervelli di agnello nello stesso vino Lamb’s brains cooked in the same wine lasagne da tagliare ai quattro sughi Lasagna in a heavy meat sauce pasticcio in agrodolce di lepre di tegole. Sweet and sour sauce and rabbit from the roof. E nella barca del vino ci navigheremo sugli And in the boat of wine, we will sail onto the scogli rocks emigranti della risata con i chiodi negli occhi Immigrants of laughter with nails in our eyes Finché il mattino crescerà da poterlo Until morning will dawn, and you can gather it raccogliere fratello dei garofani e delle ragazze brother of carnations and girls padrone della corda marcia d’acqua e di sale Owner of the rope rotten with water and salt che ci lega e ci porta in una mulattiera di mare. That binds us together and brings us to the mule path that leads to the sea.
1.1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The creuze are the old little stone pathways bordered by bricks that still exist and that crisscross Genoa, connecting it to the sea. They are the dark alleyways of the Historical Center with the hills and mountains at their back. The Genovese creuze as steep and hard to climb as they are, let you touch the immense sky and breathtaking views.
Fabrizio De Andrè, the famous Italian singer-songwriter from Genoa, wrote and sang “Creuza de Ma” in the local dialect, a mix of sounds and words absorbed from the sailors and Genoa’s merchants. “Creuza de Ma” is a metaphor for the whole city of Genoa and its identity which can often be difficult and uncomfortable, but is also bright and rich in opportunities.
Through the CityLogo project, the city that once linked the Orient to the West, and in more recent times the Americas to Europe, the city that was the protagonist of the movement for Italian Unification and the Liberation from Fascism, has found new tools for revealing itself and for offering cultural and economic opportunities to travelers seeking alternatives.
Today, the contemporary economic crisis and the critical level of territorial competitiveness have increased the urgency for finding new communication strategies both internal and external to the city. It is more and more necessary to consolidate relationships and work on the overall image of the city using all possible assets for attracting visitors, investments and new intelligence - researchers, professionals, students.
The CityLogo project set the goal of finding a new and efficient approach to territorial marketing after the enormous effort of the city in 2004 (European Capital of Culture) and recognition on the part of UNESCO in 2006 of its System of Rolli Palaces and Strade Nuove. From this came the need for a new city´s visual identity, without which communication would not have had sufficient impact, and the need for a coherent branding strategy.
In any case, all efforts might have proven unrealistic had there not been an effective methodology for involving the major stakeholders and the largest number of citizens in the debate. For these reasons, taking the URBACT method as basic guidelines, a Local Support Group was created, with several formats core and extended. In fact, the latter was a Panel, also named as City Logo panel, with more than 60 opinion leaders who, through a number of focus groups and workshops, worked locally on “Identity and Brand,” “Positioning and Branding,” “Image and Communication,” involving the city in the process from the very start, up to the definition of a roadmap on strategic communication for the city. The range of knowledge and insights accumulated by the CityLogo partnership at a network level, through a number of relevant transnational activities from thematic workshops to study visits, was duly transferred to this process at a local level.
Operative Local Support Team Group
City Logo Panel
FOCUS GROUPS WORKSHOPS
City narrative Communication strategy
BRAND & BRANDING
National and Unique Urban Emergency international events comunication comunication promotion
In brief, new city brand strategy should give more strength to the traditional activity of promoting the city and its hinterland by better exploiting techniques of place-based communication & marketing. Of course, the expected final goal is to improve the number of visitors, investors and
scientific and professional intelligence coming to the city. Through placebranding activities, coherently laid out around both new city narrative and new visual identity or logo, it will be easier to take advantage of the opportunities for the city and realize the city project that we, the Municipality and a pool of local stakeholders, have in mind. That is, integrated city branding as an accelerator, as cohesive force in the city. The present Local Action Plan represents the first attempt in Genoa (local city government, agencies and promotional organizations and main stakeholders) to jointly discuss about city´ strategic communication in order to better coordinate the organizational efforts and the budget available to enhance promotion of the city nationally and internationally. From now onwards, the process that we plan to follow includes in the short term: - Continuous revision of this version of the LAP by a dedicated Local Support Group (core format); - Subsequent pro-positive critical enrichment by consultation to the so-called City Logo Panel (enlarged format of the LSG) and other main stakeholders; - In-depth analysis of the funding sources at local, national and European levels. - Dissemination of highlights through local media and other communication channels.
Perhaps, the most important challenge for a successful city brand process over the long term is the ability to play as a team on the part of the various protagonists in the city, under the leadership on the local government. Historical and often bureaucratic reasons that prevented creating synergies among the different institutional players must be overcome. The Local Support Group widened the functions of the existing “Board for City Promotion”, created in 2002 to exchange information among the city government, the Chamber of Commerce and the Province of Genoa, and inviting from time to time other stakeholders like the Porto Antico, the Foundation for Culture at Palazzo Ducale and the Association of Hoteliers. The URBACT framework has allowed us not only greater efficiency on the part of the LSG that was specifically created, but also a constant broadening to the main stakeholders and citywide opinion groups through the extended version of that LSG. Moreover, throughout social media and in agreement with the main daily newspaper in Genoa, citizen participation was further broadened and an interactive stimulus was started up among the City government, leaders in the City Logo project and other agencies and institutes, main stakeholders and the rest of private operators in the hospitality sector, small and large alike. Awareness on the need to more strategic communication for Genoa has risen dramatically in the past month. Definitively it has been fresh air, a new way of addressing city promotion, which has been fed by the new knowledge we have taken from the CityLogo project and its innovative approach to city branding & marketing.
Finally we feel that one single, shared city brand strategy is a very valuable dimension to economic development in Genoa, since branding is not just portraying but creating a concrete path for the future and aligning all the communication efforts in the same towards the same direction. Sharing
this goal can also guarantee better use of available resources (Regional, National and Local like the tourism tax) and bring together even small sponsors and activities of local participation for the final goal rather than spread those energies in many different directions, even contradictory between some of them. Anyhow, it has been decided the creation of a stable fundraising team able to explore all funding opportunities, public and private, that are promoted by the National Government and the European Union. Moreover, sharing allows the Operative Team that works at the City Office of Culture and Tourism to receive support from other structures and associations that may be cultural or professional. In Genoa this sector is particularly strong and willing, with about 600 associations and groups. The participation of young people in particular is useful for reaching objectives and the spread of ideas through social networks, thus contributing to increase both legitimacy and credibility in what respect city branding activities. Last but not least, an important aspect to be considered is that of training or capacity reinforcement of city officers, relevant stakeholders and private operators in what respect territorial branding & marketing. Certainly, the CityLogo project has been a first step to raise awareness and find a path, but knowledge transfer should not be stopped at the project deadline.
In this Local Action Plan, we will describe the main initiatives of integrated city marketing of the city of Genoa, that we summarize in this 8 main macro-actions: - The new visual identity: the process which led the city to the creation of a new logo and payoff and to a renovated visual identity - Standard promotion: the tourism promotion and press office activities that the Municipality activates every year - Unique events: the main events in town which have been identified as relevant for the city branding - Expo Milano 2015: a set of extraordinary communication and promotion activities generated by the world famous Milanese event - Socialization of the new visual identity: The dissemination activities activated with the different subjects of the city to share and spread the new visual identity - Emergency communication: the marketing and communication activities that the city promoted after the flood events of Autumn 2014 and the consequent image damages - Creation of the Social Media Team Genova: the working group created to boost and optimize the communication opportunities offered by the social media channels, including the social media managers of all the main subjects of culture, tourism and events in the city - International projects: Genova takes part to international projects connected to city branding, marketing and communication, to keep on learning by matching and sharing experiences with other cities and territories
LAP: SUMMARY OF INITIATIVES
Initiatives Promoters Main result Indicators
NEW VISUAL IDENTITY Local Support Group, City Catalyst and ice-breaking Level of usability of the Logo Panel, others factor on a new way of new logo communicating the city locally and internationally
STANDARD PROMOTION Region of Liguria, ENIT, Coherent and efficient Improvement of image Italian government, CCIAA, presence in the main and increase in number of cultural foundations events visitors
UNIQUE EVENTS CCIAA, fairgrounds, stake Key communication Improvement of image holders, cultural and actions delivering Genoa´s and increase in number of business associations, values and core messages visitors others
EXPO MILANO 2015 Region of Liguria, CCIAA, High international Number of visitors coming Federporti, provinces, resonance of Genoa´s core from new countries and ANCI Liguria, others messages new business
SOCIALIZATION OF THE LSG, CLP, cultural and More impact and more City narrative also fed by NEW VISUAL IDENTITY work associations alignment stakeholders and the citizenship
EMERGENCY Local Support Group Restoring the image of the A new rise in hotel COMMUNICATION city as vital and enjoyable, reservations and presence after the damage to the of visitors city’s image, due to the floods of October and November 2014 Rise of the traffic on the SOCIAL MEDIA TEAM Local Support Group Integrating and sharing main social channels of GENOVA the communication the city; improvement of strategies on the social the destination reputation media
INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS Genoa and other Better positioning of Number of partnerships European cities Genoa internationally and and forums peer-learning opportunities
Ph: Stefano Goldberg @Publifoto; Comune di Genova; Enrico Facco
2. FRAMEWORK
2.1. Genoa: History, Change and Perspectives Genoa is a city of 600,000 inhabitants (800,000 if the inland areas are considered) with thousands of years of history. An important city and port on the Mediterranean, it was a part of the Roman Empire and then a free city-state, and finally a Republic, independently guided by a noble oligarchy headed by a Doge. A wealthy city from the Middle Ages to the Industrial Revolution, Genoa influenced the history of Italy and Europe up through the 17th Century. It is the birthplace of illustrious figures such as Christopher Columbus, Nicolò Paganini, Giuseppe Mazzini, Renzo Piano and many others from all walks of life. It was an important city for the Unification of Italy. Thanks to its port and related activities, and Genoa is still today the main port in Italy, the city experienced a new dimension of development through the Industrial Revolution from 1800 up to the crisis that began at the end of the 1900s, even if it is still the headquarters of important industries and research centers. The role of the port and industry in the city has always relegated its historical and cultural soul to second place, and the economic potential offered by tourism is of the medium-high level. What is not secondary, on the other hand, is its ability to attract investments and people, thanks to services and the high quality of life, due in part to the vicinity of the two Rivieras. This summary underscores Genoa’s potential that is still dormant today. It is not by chance that in 2004, during the events of the Capital of Culture, Genoa was defined “The last art city in Europe still to be discovered.” In the final analysis, there is still a deep-seated well of emotions, cultural and life experiences and economic and professional potential that has not been completely exploited. In recent years, and through the CityLogo project the city has discovered the need to better communicate its own assets. Furthermore, the recent floods due to climate change that is out of control, and the excessive urbanization of some areas of the city near the Bisagno River have caused, in addition to victims and great damage, serious image problems for the city, as if coming to live in Genoa while it is raining were of great danger. Reporting information correctly, emphasizing all the time that Genoa is a great and positive city and that it is ‘much more than it appears to be’ (the new slogan for the city), and that after the emergency everything has returned to being even more beautiful than before, represents a goal of primary importance in the branding strategies of the near future.
2.2. Belonging to the URBACT-CityLogo Project CityLogo is about innovative city brand management in Europe. Decision by the city government to join this URBACT project was motivated on the need to review the branding strategy pursued in the past years, starting with getting a new visual identity for the city that best captures the new ambition and style of positioning Genoa nationally and internationally. The opportunity to conduct a European debate with other cities facing the same communication challenges had already been
identified by participating in several workshops of the Eurocities Working Group on “City Branding & Attractiveness.” In that context, they were starting to analyze the state of the art of the theme of city branding & marketing at a European level, through exchanges of experiences and case study analysis. Genoa then became the President of this Working Group starting at the end of 2012. But it was just after the explosion of the most acute phase of the international economic crisis, between 2011 and 2012, that awareness of the need to work on the theme of placebranding at transnational level reached maturity. The primary objective that the cities belonging to the CityLogo project posed for themselves was that of working to reposition the cities on the international scene right after the crisis and to reinforce policies of strategic communication in the framework of new style of local governance, now more relational.
Ph: Coimbra at CityLogo With the coordination of Utrecht, a consortium of medium-large sized cities was created, taking in as much as possible the geographic arc of all of Europe. In addition to Genoa, there were Zaragoza (Spain), Coimbra (Portugal), Aarhus (Denmark), Warsaw (Poland), Oslo (Norway), Dundee (Scotland), Alba Iulia (Romania) and Vilnius (Lithuania). What we have much appreciated from CityLogo is a very clear and coherent thematic structure covering the whole cycle of city branding and including management and new organizational models in city branding; city narratives and politics of city representation; channels & communication tools, with a focus on the impact of the digital shift; and new segmentation strategies around visitors, businesses, talent and local population. In addition, it is remarkable the project ambition for tackling and overcoming the most common gaps in the field. Actually the project was conceived as an attempt to re-learning city branding, which is often under the influence of a too conventional marketing approach. The best framework for such a peer-learning experience was undoubtedly URBACT, the only European program with direct access entirely reserved for the cities, characterized by a method
with a strong hallmark of participation. CityLogo thematic network thus developed a strategy based on sharing, exchange and cooperation among the various local players and stakeholders (Local Support Group), with the ambition of creating a best practice model for integrated management of city branding processes. With the aim of broadening as much as possible the range of excellent examples to be taken as benchmarks and to make known just how much was learned and promote it throughout Europe, it was decided to plan some project meetings together with the EUROCITIES network’s Working Group meetings, as Genoa is the President of this network. This allowed for comparing on the part of the Communication and Promotion of the City sector with other representatives of European cities. From 2013 to 2014, the following thematic workshops were held in alliance with the Eurocities WG: Oslo on governance and management (April 2013), Utrecht on city narratives and placebrand toolkits (October 2013) and Zaragoza on segmentation and target groups (October 2014). In 2014 Genoa also became President of the Economic Development Forum of the above- mentioned network of cities, thus it is the intention of the City Councilor for Economic Development to promote once again the image of Genoa and of the other cities belonging to the CityLogo project through the diverse communication channels of the Forum, such as newsletters, social media and publications.
2.3. The Genoa Local Support Group The Local Support Group (LSG) was created to support the activities of the Operative Team in the City Government in all related to the CityLogo project. An analogous experience already existed, the so-called Board for the City Promotion, which was created in 2002 to enhance information exchange for the reciprocal promotional initiatives of the City, Chamber of Commerce and the Province of Genoa. But with the LSG operating since 2013, the attempt to involve principal citywide stakeholders was made, to make a real, true platform aimed at co-marketing. In particular, the LSG performed a fundamental role in meetings with the City Councilor for Tourism and Culture after producing the new city´s visual identity and right before its presentation to the public. On that occasion, the single participants reaffirmed their collaboration in the launch and spreading of the new logo, and what it is most important, their willingness to promote a sound city brand strategy in the long term. This is simply an example of a virtuous habit to meet and work together that was reinforced little by little as the CityLogo project progressed. The core of the Genoa’s Local Support Group is made up of the City of Genoa (Office for Promotion of the City and Office for Economic Development), the Chamber of Commerce, Porto Antico (a public company in charge of the management of Porto Antico, the most iconic place in the city devoted to smart leisure and cultural activities mainly), the Aquarium of Genoa (one of the biggest tourist attractions in the city with over 1.3 million visitors a year) and the Foundation of Palazzo Ducale (a cultural foundation belonging to the City of Genoa with headquarters in the historical Doges’ Palace).
The second most important group linked to the CityLogo experience in Genoa is the Operative Team, made up of managers and executives of the Local Government Offices, in particular the Office for Communications and Promotion of the City, the Office for Communications and the Office for International Relations in charge of organizing and performing all the initiatives decided upon, coordinating the players and the agencies involved in Genoa and Liguria and keeping up the relationships and developing the exchange activities as well as formal compliance with the European context of the project. The third group is the enlarged format of the Local Support Group, made up of about 60 people of all ages, experiences and professional roles involved throughout focus-groups, workshops and other events on the principal themes having to do with the new city brand and placebranding activities.
LOCAL SUPPORT GROUP OPERATIVE TEAM LOCAL SUPPORT GROUP Core format Extended format
As we shall see further ahead, involving a panel of people selected according to qualitative criteria from the very start of the CityLogo project, represented a methodological solution for obtaining ideas, sharing orientation and achieving consensus.
Ph: Comune di Genova
3. PROBLEM ANALYSIS
3.1. New narrative for a city in transition Genoa has changed dramatically in recent years. To combat the industrial crisis, a new identity as a cultural city of tourism emerged, culminating in the recognition as a World Heritage Site on the part of UNESCO in 2006. It became an attractive place for research and industrial innovation and potential headquarters of a more differentiated service-based economy, in particular in logistics and port-related activities. This development was not casual, but rather the outcome of a strategic vision and economic, human and professional commitment, both in the public and private sectors that has no rivals in Italy. Today, the current economic crisis and the critical level of territorial competitiveness have raised the bar. The urgency for new internal and external communication strategies for the city to consolidate relationships and re-work the overall Genoa´s image needs to take into consideration new urban assets and values.
In other words, Genoa is successfully completing a non-easy transition from the industrial city to a knowledge-driven model, giving now more room to advanced services and tourism as well. This transformation, which physically can be represented by the Porto Antico re- development project designed by Renzo Piano, needs for a new city narrative and related communication strategy, outward and inward. Genoa´s new visual identity, launched in 2014, has been smartly addressed as momentum to raise awareness on this. But it is just a beginning. Therefore, besides programming a number of promotional materials, activities and events, Genoa should seek a more fresh, updated and compelling city storytelling.
In another scale, besides the opportunity for a sound communication strategy of the city able to give more visibility to the new city´s dynamics, it is the need to perform emergency communication due to the disastrous aftermath of the flood of November 2014. At the time, national media generalized the critical situation of some parts of the city that were hit by the rapid and unpredicted swelling of creeks and little rivers that normally handle small quantities of water, as if all of Genoa had been inundated by floods.
Genoa has been represented as a dangerous city that was brought to its knees, an impotent victim of catastrophic events, with the immediate consequence of a drop in the number of tourists coming to the city and the cancelation of conventions and congresses as well as hotel reservations. Inevitably, we must take into account this unpredicted emergency, adding new initiatives of counter-information with rapid impact to the strategies of long- term city branding.
3.2. The need to attract visitors, investments and intelligence The repositioning of Genoa is a goal that the City Government, through its office of Communication and Promotion, has been pursuing for some time in a national and international economic and social context that is rapidly changing. Whether in the past the city could count on its port and industry, today this approach is no longer viable by itself. Today, cities need to find and run their own paths connected to rising values such as sustainability and creativity in order to get attention and empathy from different audiences, including their own residents.
Ph: IIT – Italian Institute of Technology - Genova
In Genoa’s case, this no longer means the ability to attract heavy industry, which is now incompatible with new patterns of territorial development, but industry linked to a group of
various factors such as technology, advanced services, tourism and culture. For instance, only 10 years ago, tourism industry was an insignificant aspect in Genoa’s GDP. Now it is called to be a relevant activity within our local economy. Today, the configuration of the Genoa´s new economic urban landscape will be fed by three main drivers:
The ability to attract visitors - the flow of tourists is constantly growing with respect to other big Italian cities; The ability to attract headquarters, research laboratories and investment in general to capitalize over the city´s industrial culture; The ability to attract intelligence - good level of schooling and higher education, professionals from the world of shipping and logistics.
Big investments in infrastructures that despite a thousand contradictions forge ahead (train exchange, third alternative road system, new port system…) represent proof of the city’s renaissance that, if it does not change direction, risks decline.
3.3. The need for a new territorial marketing approach
Ph: Comune di Genova The CityLogo project, strongly desired by Genoa’s local City Government (Office of Tourism and Culture, and Office of Economic Development) and financed by the European Union, set a goal of finding a new and more efficient territorial marketing approach after the enormous effort of the city in 2004 (European Capital of Culture) and the recognition on the part of UNESCO in 2006 of its
System of Rolli Palaces and Strade Nuove www.rolliestradenuoveit. The main tool able to start up the virtuous process of promoting the city was a new visual identity for Genoa without which communication would not have had sufficient strength. As it is known, there are three axioms for marketing a territory: Defend diversity/identity Guarantee accessibility/hospitality Communicate diversity/opportunity Over the last decades, the city has made great strides in all those three areas, with great leaps and bounds ahead on the first two, but with still unsatisfactory results with respect to the potential for communication and promotion. New city logo could become not only the flag of communication that the city has been lacking since 2004, but also a stimulus for the various stakeholders interested in promoting Genoa and collaborating on concrete goals. The work of identifying a compelling visual identity would also be an occasion for the Genovese people to: Reflect on their own future, Sustain the activity of branding, Improve the quality of hospitality. A technical aspect that was not secondary was the knowledge that a good logo for an area is an expression of culture and the ability to tell one’s own story, and at the same time is an advertisement that nurtures itself.
4. LONG TERMS GOALS
4.1. Increase Genoa’s ability to attract Genoa continues to confirm its identity as the last art city that has yet to be discovered by both Italians and the rest of the Europeans. It is a multifaceted city full of contradictions, but this is part of its charm and its potential for development - immaterial and defined, touchy and open, classic and alternative. Until a few years ago, Genoa was in the shadows because it was in fact unknown and considered above all a port city, an industrial city. Today, there are many tangible and intangible reference points, e.g. charm for tourism of every kind, spaces for management centers and industrial research, range of assets and events to attract young people and professionals. Yet it is no use having potential if this is not communicated with coherence and insistence.
4.2. Develop a coherent marketing strategy To realize the goal from above, Genoa needs a sound strategic communication plan for the medium and long term (2014-2017). Key words around which the Local Support Group started building the city’s marketing strategy were Identity, Positioning and Brand. In any case, due to Genoa’s multifaceted nature (tourism and industry, port and inland areas, sea and mountains, conventional and disruptive ways… Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde) it was not easy to reach a conclusion on these topics. For this reason, trying to unveil the different Genoa’ stories through different techniques (focus-groups and workshops) for then assembling them into a coherent and attractive way, was very important. At the end, to give coherence to the marketing strategy, choosing a city logo able to underscore diversity was necessary, a unified sign that paradoxically could promote the ‘fragmentation’ that Genoa uses to reveal itself.
4.3. Involving citizens in conveying their creative energies to welcoming strategies Involvement of the city, both for stakeholders and as broad a group as possible, is of fundamental importance for developing new creative energies and for building an advantage over the long term, especially in terms of hospitality. In line with this principle, which was strongly suggested by the CityLogo project, the LSG felt it should start involving the city right from the very start of the process. In the initial phase, this strategy developed through the creation of a panel of about 60 people (LSG extended format) made up of opinion leaders of varying ages, belonging mostly to cultural and entrepreneurial associations with special attention to the presence of young people. Little by little as the project developed, the audience grew, involving the main city newspaper and the use of social networks.
LONG TERM GOALS
GOALS LEAD PARTNER RESULTS TIMING RESOURCES
INCREASE ABILITY TO LSG Core, Region, Tourism + 3% year 2014/20 City of Genoa * ATTRACT CCIAA, Stakeholders Business attract. CCIAA, Stakeholders University attract.
COHERENT MARKETING LSG Core, REGIONE, Strategic 2014/17 City of Genoa STRATEGY Stakeholders Communication plan Region of Liguria and Italy, Stakeholders
CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT LSG Core, LSG Involvement of 2014/15 City of Genoa Extended format, opinion leaders and LSG, Stakeholders stakeholders the local population media and new media with the city brand: creation of the city logo panel
*City of Genoa, in particular, the Office of Tourism and Culture and the Office of Economic Activities
Ph: Comune di Genova
5. SHORT/MEDIUM TERM OBJECTIVES 5.1. A new and effective visual identity for the city A coherent territorial marketing plan cannot overlook a strong and representative image of the city. Genoa has never had an institutional logo for promotion of the city nor a coordinated image able to become its visual identity, because aside from the historical, traditional symbol, it has always used temporary logos basically linked to specific events (the Columbus celebrations in 1992, the G8 Summit in 2001, European Capital of Culture in 2004 and other minor events) or thematic fields of work (Smart City, Genova Turismo…). To increase its ability to attract, Genoa first of all had to develop its marketing ability by communicating the variety of the city´s values (history, art, sea, science, innovation, services) and parallel to this, the temporary offering (exhibits, events, shows, animation) and the excellent qualities (quality of life, proximity to the Rivieras, products and wine & food). It was thought that the ‘arrowhead’ of this need should be a unique new visual identity for the city.
A long history of circumstantial logos
The official coat of arms for Genoa has ancient origins and its heart is in the two griffons, the mythological warrior animals that hold up the shield marked with a cross. The shield with the Cross of Saint George became the symbol of the city in 1099. In 1139 the two griffons were added, while in 1580 it assumed the form it has today, except for modest changes over the course of the centuries.
The city, like many cities, was never worried about having a symbol that was different from its historical and official symbol. On the other hand, it never felt the need to market itself until the Columbus celebrations in 1992, which celebrated the 500th anniversary of the discovery of America on the part of Christopher Columbus, that illustrious Genovese citizen. On that occasion, two trademarks were presented. The first with the indication “500” which was the official, institutional one for historical events. The second one, “Puss in Boots,” had a more commercial intention for the production of gadgets and other private promotional initiatives. Neither one was used very much and once the events of that year were over, they simply disappeared.
The need to have a logo came up again in order to represent the city for another very important event that involved the city: the G8 meeting in 2001. In this case it was the first involvement of the city’s professional graphic studios, but in the end the logo for the event was chosen by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Rome. Once the event was over, the logo was also forgotten, also due to the upsetting events linked to that
experience (clashes, illegal behavior on the part of the police, destruction of buildings and roads, many wounded people and a young man who was killed), the Genovese people wanted only to forget.
Once again, another important event required the need for a promotional logo when in 2004 Genoa became the Capital of Culture. It was the year of the rebirth of the city that symbolically went from being a gray industrial, port city that pulled out all its cultural and artistic heritage with its Roman, medieval, Renaissance and Baroque treasures that still today cohabit in a Historical Center that is one of the biggest in Europe. But this includes the events, exhibits, museums and all the architecture and art of a particularly fertile 20th century.
The logo was produced on commission by a well-known graphic studio of Milan and ended up being rather effective. The city administration made a great effort communicating it to the city, and it was successful. Once the event was over, there were some attempts to have the trademark live on for other objectives (for example, tourism), but this was not successful.
In 2007/8 a new administration was elected that expressed important goals for renewing the city through the creation of a ‘laboratory’ for redesigning the city (“Genova Urban Lab”). This was taken as an occasion to study and design a new city logo. The intention was not shared however and was considered elitist. The logo was refused and totally forgotten in short time.
In order to face the lack of a representative graphic element, the Office for Promotion and Tourism of the City of Genoa invented a new one and tried to make it circulate, but the strictly sectorial logic related to tourism relegated it to a simple label that passed unobserved, as it lacked the fundamental goals of every logo, and that is to build identity and position.
The same fate awaited the Genova Smart City logo, which was ‘technical’ and sophisticated, but too elite for the message it wanted to send. These experiences proved to be important for the design of the new brand of Genoa along with the CityLogo methodology.
5.2. Shared marketing plan City brand strategy for Genoa is based on the need to share with all the agencies and stakeholders involved a common working agenda. Sharing and integrated marketing represent two important aspects of the URBACT method, with the goal of overcoming fragmentation and lack of alignment in the way the various players are marketing the city to a range of different audiences. The promotion and communication plan, in fact the shared marketing plan, is aimed at national (55% of tourism attendance) and international markets. Participation in the nearby Milan Expo 2015 is a very important occasion for business and worldwide communication that needs to be seized in the short term. To be effective, this occasion requires putting into play the principle of sharing among all local agencies and public and private stakeholders in the city. In other words, Milan Expo represents a test of the ability to do branding & marketing in a new and efficient way.
5.3. Providing ad-hoc governance, ensuring financing City brand building and the subsequent marketing plan represent an experience of shared action among the main public agencies and the cultural structures in the city, as well as public and private hospitality structures. In pursuing this path it is necessary to guarantee achieving the long- term goals to increase the ability to attract Visitors, Investment and Intelligence. The Local Support Group and the Operative Team at the city’s Office of Promotion proved to be an efficient and effective organizational solution for managing the process, while the extended forma of the Local Support Group a precious tool to promote new ideas and alternatives. The financing aspects were taken care of on the local side by the Office of Promotion for the City, while on a national and international side markedly linked to financing from the European Union from the International Activities Office.
SHORT/MEDIUM TERM OBJECTIVES
ACTIVITY LEAD PARTNER RESULTS TIMING RESOURCES
GETTING AND SPREADING LSG Core + LSG Use of new 2013/14 Urbact NEW VISUAL IDENTITY Extended format coordinated city Self-financed image
LSG Core + LSG SHARED MARKETING PLAN Standard promotion, 2014/17 Tourism and regional and Extended format Expo 2015 and big national tax *
events (boat show, Region of Liguria etc)
LSG Core + LSG Brand platform PROVIDING AD-HOC 2014/17 Self-financed Extended format GOVERNANCE, ENSURING
FINANCING City of Genoa Region of Liguria and other institutional agencies *Tourism tax: about 1 million Euros per year. Regional Funds: especially for participation in the Milan Expo 2015 and for supporting of promotional initiatives that involve more than one regional territory (Ligurian Rivieras, etc.)
6. ACTIVITIES IMPLEMENTED AND COLLABORATIVE WORK METHODS
Ph: Comune di Genova
6.1. LSG, focus-group, workshops and local media awareness
Building up of a city brand and sound activities marketing Genoa nationally and internationally is a sign of the attempt to change and experiment with something new. The method used provides for massive involvement on the part of the institutions, stakeholders and significant groups of active citizens in such a way as to have big narrative and detailed stories of the city emerge. Other benefits are the suggestions that will help the LSG and Operative Team so that the city brand can be recognized and shared, becoming the flag of the territory and to do so in such a way so that the branding activity becomes efficient and effective.
On the basis of this vision, a methodological proposal was worked out that may be summed up in four key words:
1. sharing and involvement of all the institutions, principal stakeholders and citizens interested in promoting the city, e.g. focus-groups, workshops, local media;
2. development of the subjects underlying the collective culture that is behind the recognition of the new brand (narrative). 3. synthesis of the work, subjects, opinions and various interests of the public and targets to concretely create the brand and start up the branding strategies. 4. mobilization of the institutions, companies, tour operators and individual citizens for use of the brand and the shared marketing plan of the city.
______surfing period ______acceleration ______
New city´s visual identity
“SHARING” “DEVELOPMENT” “SYNTHESIS” “MOBILIZATION”
______brand ______to ______branding ___
6.2. The city as narrated through the focus-groups The Panel of approximately 60 people that was created (LSG extended format) was divided into three focus-groups. By means of professional facilitation, the methodology allowed that contradictions, agreements and varying points of view flourished. People were divided according to three criteria: Young People (students, young people in associations, volunteer groups, owners of start-ups, etc.); World of Business (entrepreneurs of various sectors, representatives of business associations); and the World of the Visitor Economy and Culture (tour operators, hospitality industry, foundations and cultural centers). Each group had the same 7 subjects to discuss about, which sometimes was a lively or contradictory debate where different opinions emerged, sometimes contradictory visions of Genoa and therefore the essence of a city narrative. Because Genoa is historically a city of contrasts and antagonism, and at the same time of synthesis and change. It is a city of passages and transformations that are opposed and desired. Not by chance, according to ancient mythology, the city was protected by the god Janus, the two-faced god who is
looking in opposite directions: tradition or innovation, the Mediterranean or Europe, the port or industry, commerce or tourism.
LSG EXTENDED
WORLD OF WORLD OF VISITOR YOUNG PEOPLE BUSINESS ECONOMY AND CULTURE
POSITIONING THE CITY
INDUSTRIAL AND MANUFACTURING GENOA
PORT AND CONNECTED SERVICES
TOURISM
YOUNG PEOPLE
GENOA AND THE NEAR FUTURE THE GENOVESE PEOPLE AND CITY BRAND
TELLING THE CITY’S STORY
IDEAS AND OPERATIVE SUGGESTIONS
SHARING AND CONSENSUS
6.3. Unveiling city´s truths in a collective way
The focus-groups in fact started up an unusual in-depth look at Genoa, how it is and how it would like to be. The group’s way of working and the individual contributions that were sent even subsequently bear witness to the interest, passion and strength of the contradictions that the city must live with (some would say “for better or worse”). The contents of this work made it possible to construct a common language within the panels and furnish stakeholders and communications agencies useful material for defining the logo and the branding strategies.
It’s beautiful and makes a good Genoa is Genoa is for impression wonder, angry young discovery, people (Doctor Jekill) It has a strong, marvel irresistible dark Genoa is Genoa is a calm city with good side business quality of life (Mr Hyde)
Incredible The image of Genoa food as a port needs to The image of recuperated the port must be distinct from GENOA the city Crossroad of cultures Genoa is big industry and aristocracy of work
Genoa is more and more Visual identity immaterial production needs to be and research completely redone Genoa is material and Genoa is defined emotional and fleeting Genoa is solid tradition and it needs to be seen
.
6.4. From focus-groups to the workshops After the focus-groups, the workshops aimed at defining concrete objectives for the branding activity. To this end, three workshops were held where it was possible to participate on the basis of personal interest on the part of the Panel volunteers. The methodology as is known, contrary to the focus-groups which had the goal of focusing ideas and opinions, was aimed at finding solutions for reaching shared goals.
LSG EXTENDED
WORK SHOP 1 WORK SHOP 2 WORK SHOP 3
Opportunities and City’s strengths Brand & branding threats for Genoa and weaknesses for Genoa
Workshop 1 – opportunities and threats. During the workshop the idea was formed that the opportunities for Genoa reside primarily in its geographic position, climate and strong identity and personality (sea, port, culture even industrial, history). The threats in any case are many, and vary from strategic ability to the infrastructure hub, to the slowness in decision making, and so on, while the rest of the world, the other cities in competition with us, go ahead quickly.
Workshop 2 – strengths and weaknesses. Three words that sum up Genoa’s strengths and on which to base the city’s strategic communication are Culture, Sea, Innovation. In this group, the subject of innovation was particularly controversial. Genoa today is objectively a city that produces innovation (research, some university departments, robotics and new entrepreneurial activity, the Aquarium, development of tourism, Erzelli Technology Park) but it is not perceived as such. The ways out that emerged were two: unify current skills for promoting the city and improve communication inside the city.
Workshop 3 – brand and branding. According to the group, the new brand of Genoa must: A) give the “sense of direction” for promoting the city; B) be a “promise” for its visitors and other target groyps; C) tell the story of “tradition and innovation” together, avoiding the “same old soup”. Moreover a completely new brand is preferable to recuperating an old one. As regards branding and strategic communication, it would be suitable to operate along three guidelines: initiatives for internal city communication, promotion and external national and international communication, and co-marketing strategies and activities in collaboration with public and private stakeholders.
6.5. Competition of ideas and new city´s visual identity A competition notice was made for an International Ideas Competition in order to create the new logo and claim, which was on the one hand very attentive to technical and professional aspects implicit in a sign of such great strategic importance for the city, and which was on the other hand enriched and informed by the intense work of reflection about Genoa, the territorial marketing goals and its image, that was done within the focus-groups and workshops (LSG extended format). This is why it was felt that, in creating the new “trademark” for the city, the creative choice of the professional and his team was important, but only if inspired by the profound vision of who actually lives in the city.
It was thus decided that the brief would be made available to the participants containing all the documentation that emerged from the workshops and focus-groups, to give the creative team the entire panorama of opinions and images that came forth about the city, even when contradictory.
To give greatest exposure to the Competition which was open not only to companies but also students and graduates in the area of graphics and design, capillary action was done to spread the news to universities and design schools, professional associations, and Italian and foreign magazines in the sector. To guarantee maximum impartiality and objectivity in the choice, a jury of international experts was nominated that could be constituted thanks to the collaboration of the two principal associations of the sector, that is to say the AIAP, Italian Association for Design of Visual Communication and TP advertising professionals, in addition to Eurocities. The members of the Jury are:
Mario Piazza, past president of AIAP, professor of Visual Communication at the School of Design at the Milan Polytechnic, past creative director for Domus and today the editor of Abitare
Andrea Rauch, graphic designer and designer, whose works are in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Musée de la Publicité at the Louvre in Paris and at the MuseumfürGestaltung in Zurich.
Giuseppe Lamarca, national board member at TP, Art Director and Creative Director for many important national and international communications agencies
Sinead Mullins, senior coordinator of communication for Eurocities, superintendent for corporate branding of the association, for which she does the international events and edits the publications
Cesare Torre, Director of the Office of Communications and Promotion for the City of Genoa, who presided the Jury
Gianluca Saba, Head of the Office of International Relations for the City of Genoa, who followed all phases of the Urbact CityLogo project
373 companies and professionals from the sector from 10 European countries responded. The Competition was won by Valeria Morando and Anna Giudice – Studio 7vicocrema
(Savona/Reykjavík), specialized in graphic design, art direction, corporate identity, publishing, exhibition layouts, interior design and design. The logo and its slogan were chosen because they bring together great quality and graphic strength, and the ability to sum up the sense of a multifaceted city. The logo is able to express the various souls that cannot be summed up by only one symbol or the representation of only one iconic place. But it is also a simple, sober city, not inclined to be frivolous, reserved, that needs to be discovered over time, by living here and moving through the city. As was stated during the jury’s work, the logo does not tell a fairy tale of a beautiful vacation spot, but is the affirmation of a strong and proud city.
Citing the rationale that the winning firm supplied with their proposal: “We thought of not identifying the city with a place that recalled a monument or one aspect only, and thus showing what was already known and visible, but rather simply writing its name without revealing it completely, leaving some parts hidden, that only a sensitive view of who is looking can complete. Because Genoa reveals itself in small steps, and when it does, it is always more than you can imagine.. Genova is MORE THAN THIS.“
The presentation of the new logo of Genoa done by the winning agency is available on www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfDAaQnBCqY. With the coordination of the Office of Communication of the City of Genoa, the day of the presentation of the new logo, all the social network and pages of the city were active identifying the new logo (Facebook, Città di Genova, Genova Turismo, Genova Eventi, Vivere Genova, Musei di Genova; Twitter GenovaEventi). The Office of Communication distributed the images done with the new logo on the morning of March 19, 2014 for the cover pages of Facebook of subjects such as the agency In Liguria, the Porto Antico, the Airport of Genoa, the Aquarium of Genoa, that used it for the following days. All these subjects, to which should be added the IIT and Costa Cruise Lines, dedicated posts and tweets to the event that presented the logo. “Il Secolo XIX” newspaper in the days following the launch personalized the logo of its Facebook page and Twitter profile, and moreover from March 19 on, the logo is used to identify the Genovese edition of the paper.
6.6. Organization of a memorable event for presentation of a new city brand
Ph: Comune di Genova
The new visual identity was presented by the Mayor of Genoa and the City Councilor for Tourism and Culture on March 19, 2014 in a crowded conference with the participation of opinion leaders, stakeholders, entrepreneurs from the hospitality sector and main industrial and service companies of the city, employment and professional associations, cultural groups, and young people’s associations. During the event, Haye Folkertsma who represented the city of Utrecht, the leader in the project, gave a talk in which he presented the URBACT-CityLogo project.
The goal of always involving the population as much as possible was not ignored on the day of the presentation. This happened in synergy with Genoa’s main and deeply rooted daily newspaper “Il Secolo XIX,” which during the 15 days preceding the launch of the logo hosted the coming out of a teaser campaign and presented the new logo on March 19 on the front page, adopting it in that moment as an identifying graphic mark of the Genoa edition of the daily masthead. To involve Genoese people of a younger age group, more tightly connected to the world of social networks, the new logo was used to sign the cover pages of the City of Genoa’s Facebook page along with the Facebook pages of the main promotional, cultural, performing arts and entertainment agencies of the city. Alongside this, an Instagram photo competition was launched Instagram #genovamorethanthis (about 1200 photos have come in).
The response from the city was varied and not homogeneous but much stronger than what could have been imagined. Among the most original and important experiences we cite a group of creative young people who built a satirical site, uleugo.it, inviting visitors to intervene on the newly created logo by playing with the slogan, with the result that 2000 new fun and involving claims were created: 265,000 pages consulted, 10,600 sharings on Facebook in the first three weeks.
Following April 10 and 11, 2014, one of the meetings of the Eurocities Working Group on City Branding was held in Genoa and focused on the presentation and spread of Genoa’s new logo. Representatives from Barcelona, Bologna, Ghent, Lausanne, Nantes, Rotterdam, Warsaw and Vienna were present, in addition to the head of Communication and Culture for Eurocities, Julie Hervé and the lead expert of the CityLogo project Miguel Rivas.
6.7. Setting the basis for a permanent collaboration model Collaboration with the stakeholders was developed from the beginning by the CityLogo project in 2012/2013. The main representatives were inserted in the Local Support Group-core format and many more were involved in the extended format. Once the city logo had been defined, four meetings were held with the principal stakeholders, about 20 of them among institutions, professional associations and representatives from the business world and the world of tourism and producers of large cultural events. On that occasion, the foundations were laid for the use of the new visual identity in communications from single stakeholders and for shared activities of national and international promotion of the city. During the meetings, it was reiterated that the new brand had to be an occasion of unified intent and work for everyone, and that its widespread use throughout the city should be encouraged, especially at businesses and hospitality structures. The model for spreading the logo was understood to extend to external communication of the single large stakeholders and social networks.
Another re-launching of the collaboration with the system of the stakeholders and supporters of the new logo happened with the presentation of the branding project organized for May 12, 2014. On this occasion, the LSG presented: 1) a balance sheet of the spread of the logo throughout the city and discussion it generated on social networks, 2) the ways to use the new logo both institutionally and for merchandising, and above all, 3) the branding project, as a shared marketing plan, divided at first into six categories, which subsequently became seven due to the serious events linked to the flood that damaged the image of the city as tourist destination; - “Standard” promotional initiatives in Italy and abroad - Key actions, basically big/unique events with strong international appeal - Expo Milan 2015 - Involvement of civil society and stakeholders in branding the city - Brand toolkit: website, etc. - International networking: Eurocities, other EU networks, etc. - Emergency communication due to the flood in Genoa -November 2014. During the presentation and in the debate following, it appeared evident that a virtuous circle had established itself among the small and large stakeholders of the CityLogo project, enhancing collaboration and integration for the benefit of the branding that was proposed. Above all, co- marketing initiatives and new ideas for spreading the brand were set out that will considerably raise the chances of success in marketing Genoa.
Ph: Comune di Genova
Ph: Comune di Genova
7. KEY ACTIVITIES 2014-2017
7.1. New visual identity The goal for the creation of the new logo was to become the “arrowhead” of the city’s promotional initiatives so that Genoa could be easily identified and therefore better positioned for current and potential visitors and those who might have interest such as entrepreneurs, navigation companies, professionals, young students, etc. On the tactical level, a first set of communication and marketing initiatives will deliver city´s new values and key messages, like the following: The city’s promotional initiatives in Italy and abroad that are part of a “standard” program – professional fairs and other annual appointments. The city’s most important events with a significant cultural, tourism or business impact - boat show, festival of science, big cultural exhibits, etc. Expo Milano 2015 - Genoa’s and Liguria’s present in the Italy Pavilion and possibility of attracting tourists on the occasion of this event. Emergency communication, put out in the field to contrast the excessively negative image coming from the flood. In almost all the cases, the communication plan provides for a policy of territorial alliances and integrated marketing with institutions and associations, as well as big tourism companies who in turn perform promotional initiatives in Italy and abroad.
7.2. Standard promotion
As regards the promotion of Genoa as a tourist destination, the city has been using a Marketing and Communication plan for several years now, which is reworked annually starting with the analysis of the tourism data, of Italian and foreign markets of reference, of the tourism products the city intends to launch or consolidate. Most of the activities of the plan are financed with part of the income from the tourism tax, and are agreed upon by a technical board that involves the associations from the categories of hotels and business and shopkeepers, and the Chamber of Commerce. Since they are mainstream, periodical actions, we refer to them as “standard promotion.” We report the data for 2014 as an example of the areas and strategies chosen for intervention that are usually the subject of the plan. The “standard” promotion of the city regards two areas of interest: the national market (55% of presence of tourists, it´s priority 1) especially the nearby regions, those with direct air connections and day visitors (900,000 per year); and the international market. In particular, and in order of importance: France, Germany, Russia, the United States, Great Britain, Switzerland, Benelux and Spain (priority 1), China, Turkey and Brazil (priority 2) and Japan and Canada (priority 3).
The products offered vary from the city of art (UNESCO world heritage and the historical center, to the museum network, to architectural features, to big exhibits in Palazzo Ducale) to the historical shops and typical products, to the city of music and theatres, to opportunities for shopping, to water sports and the outdoors, to the MICE sector and study tourism. Integrated activities with the Riviera and inland areas should not be forgotten (sea, castles, regional and national parks). Moreover, in 2014 the City of Genoa commissioned an analysis of the Destination Reputation, that is to say an exploration of the image and opinions about the city (as a destination) that can be found on the web. The analysis was at the origin of a strategy for communication on social media and the creation in the last month of a Social Media Team within the City Council.
MAIN STANDARD ACTIVITIES 2014 AND FORECAST FOR 2015/2017
ACTIVITY LEAD PARTNER RESULTS TIMING RESOURCES TRADE Italy - 4 Fairs and 3 Tourism Promotion Region of Liguria 2014/17 Tourism Tax workshop
TRADE France - 1 Fair and 1 Region of Liguria Tourism Promotion 2014/17 Tourism Tax workshop
Chamber of Promotion UNESCO TRADE Italy – UNESCO sites 2014/17 Tourism Tax Commerce World Heritage Chamber of Promotion of image 3 educational press and 2014/17 Tourism Tax Commerce and other and qualified national and international institutions and information about press office activities private subjects cultural offering of the city Advertising campaign Tour Operator, Summer tourism 2014/17 Tourism Tax destination Genoa + tourism associations of packages packages, for foreign professionals, cultural markets: Russia, United agencies and tourism Kingdom, Belgium,
Switzerland, Turkey structures Trade Germania– 2 fairs Region of Liguria Tourism Promotion 2014/17 Tourism Tax
Trade Russia: Summer e Region of Liguria Tourism Promotion 2014/17 Tourism Tax Expotravel, fairs in Ekaterimburg Region of Liguria, Enit Tourism Promotion 2014/17 TRADE Workshop USA Tourism Tax Italia TRADE WTM – England Tourism Promotion 2014/17 Region of Liguria Tourism Tax London Fairgrounds TRADE Belgium - 2 fairs and Tourism Promotion 2014/17 Region of Liguria Tourism Tax 1 workshop
TRADE ABAV – Brazil Tourism Promotion 2014/17 Region of Liguria Tourism Tax Fairground in Sao Paulo TRADE EMITT –Turkey Tourism Promotion 2014/17 Region of Liguria Tourism Tax Fair in Istanbul TRADE Educational Turkey, Region of Liguria Tour Tourism Promotion 2014/17 Tourism Tax Japan Canada operator
Ph: Palazzo Ducale Genova
7.3. Unique events with big impact Some events are particularly important for promoting the city. The defining nature is to bring many visitors who can then be the recipients of a strong activity of communication and promotion of the brand. On the one hand, it is the occasion for the new logo to be presented, on the other,
the more the logo is reinforced, the more it will be able to support the event in the future. There are 9 key activities where the brand values can be delivered with an impact: the Boat Show, Euroflora, the Festival of Science, Slow Fish, the World Championship of Pesto, the big cultural events at Palazzo Ducale and events linked to the UNESCO World Heritage. Moreover thinking about local citywide audiences (urban marketing), the Festival and other summer events, Fiera Primavera (Spring Fair) and Storia in Piazza (a conference cycle at Palazzo Ducale). There are many other events but they are of minor impact for now.
UNIQUE EVENTS
ACTIVITY LEAD PARTNER TARGETS TIMING RESOURCES
Boat Show Genoa Fairgrounds Business, Annual Genoa Fairgrounds, and UCINA international and UCINA, contributions national visitors local agencies
Euroflora Genoa Fairgrounds Business, 2016 Genoa Fairgrounds, international and contributions local national visitors agencies
Festival of Science Association of Visitors, school Annual Association of Festival of Festival of Science tourism and Science, contributions promotion of Genoa, local agencies city of innovation
Pesto World Championship Association Palatifini, Visitors, 2016/2018 Association Palatifini, Chamber of international and Chamber of Commerce Commerce national visitors, promotion of Genoa and food & wine
Annual big exhibits at Palazzo Foundation for Visitors, , school Annual Foundation for Culture at Ducale Culture at Palazzo tourism and Palazzo Ducale, City of Ducale promotion of Genoa, Genoa, Tourism Tax, city of art Private partners, sponsor
UNESCO World Heritage Foundation for Visitors, school Annual City of Genoa, Chamber Culture at Palazzo tourism and of Commerce, Ducale, Chamber of promotion of Genoa, Foundation for Culture at Commerce and city of art Palazzo Ducale, Private private actors partners, sponsor
Summer Festivals, Fiera Foundation for Citizens, Visitors Annual City of Genoa, Genoa Primavera and Storia in piazza Culture at Palazzo Fairgrounds, Tourism Tax, Ducale, Genoa Porto Antico Foundation, Fairgrounds, Porto Foundation for Culture at Antico and Palazzo Ducale, Società organizers of per Cornigliano, Private festivals and events partners, sponsors
7.4. Expo Milano 2015
The International Milan Expo of 2015 represents a magnificent scenario to showcase and disseminate contents and messages connected to Genoa-More than This. Furthermore, the chance of attracting many visitors to Genoa is not secondary. Liguria and Genoa are located just an hour and a half away from the site of the Expo and this could be a good chance to visit. The promotional initiatives are being organized by a committee made up of various players in the city: City of Genoa, Costa Edutainment (the company which runs the Aquarium), Genoa Port Authority, Porto Antico Genoa, Palazzo Ducale, Genoa Fairgrounds, Chamber of Commerce, Teatro Stabile (repertory theater), Foundation of Carlo Felice Opera House The level of shared responsibility is extended to all of Liguria: the other three county seats (La Spezia, Savona e Imperia), ANCI (association of all the towns in Liguria), Ligurian Ports, the Union of Chambers of Commerce and various recognized cultural associations. The Region of Liguria has made its official presence at Expo 2015 both through a temporary exhibit dedicated to Ligurian excellence inspired by ‘knowing how’ inside the Italian Pavilion, as well as through a week of dedicated events from September 11 to 16. The week will be open to moments of seminars, dinners, shows, encounters with the international delegations and B2B. Through collaborations with the company Explora (handling the ticketing) and specific events of marketing coordinated by the agency InLiguria, we are aiming to bring 15% of the tourists expected for the Expo to our territory (presumably 4.4 million visitors) and thus establishing additional value for the Expo that goes beyond 2015. Finally, the Region sent the company Expo 2015 and the Ministry of Culture the list of events that will take place in Liguria next year, during the Expo in Milan, and linked thematically to the Expo: these events will have the support of the Expo 2015 and use its logo, benefitting from the impact that this can have on their overall promotion. The definitive calendar was built around the following macro themes:
Food
Sea Cultural food for the mind and soul Sports Traditions; Handicrafts and old professions.
7.5. Socializing the new visual identity
Consistent with what has been done for creating a new visual identity for Genoa and in the spirit of the URBACT method, there are initiatives for increasing use of the new visual identity on the part of the local stakeholders in a wide range of sectors, as well as its appropriation on the part of all citizens. Here we need to distinguish conceding the logo’s use for free for all those who want to participate in the city’s branding strategy, from commercial use for creating and selling products of the line ‘Genoa More than This’ for which the city has a royalty.
The brand strategy outlined foresees the involvement day after day of the various players who with various responsibilities create events and initiatives in town, and invites them to ‘sign’ their product also with the new city logo. This commitment is aimed at building and reinforcing a codified visual identity of Genoa through the use of a visual, and subsequently, Genoa’s positioning.
In the first nine months of use of the logo, capillary work was performed to contact principal players in the world of tourism and culture in the city, so that they adopt the new visual identity in their own institutional communication. Organizers of events, big and small, as well as summer festivals were contacted. “Genova More Than This” was adopted by a large number of associations both professional and by category, as well as social and cultural groups. The same day as the presentation of the new logo, a new set-up was done for the IAT office in Via Garibaldi, re- designed with the new coordinated image. Today, the logo identifies all information points throughout the city. At the moment of the presentation, a series of gadgets with the logo were presented (folders, pens, USB keys, canvas and paper shopping bags, postcards, pins) that are today used in
institutional activities to represent the city. The graphic sign inspired a total revision of the internal communication instruments at the City Government level; it is on the city’s internet site, letterhead, email signature, etc. Moreover, the logo is used by all the city government administrative offices to create their communication materials.
Among the principal events in the city that are using “Genova More Than This” we list at least:
- World Championship for Pesto 2014 - The Regatta of the Ancient Maritime Republics (June, 2014) - All the festivals and events that were held in the city, and above all in the area of the Porto Antico, during summer 2014 - The 19° Special meeting of the Commission ICCAT (November, 2014) - The rugby match Italia–Argentina (11/2014) and the soccer match Italia–Albania (11/2014)
In addition to being inserted on the official website, the new visual identity was presented within the spaces at the Airport of Genoa, through a video clip that is projected on 70 screens present in the airport and through the installation of panels in the external spaces. For 2015, a further series of installations is planned inside the terminal. From the moment of its presentation, “Genova More Than This” has been adopted by the Convention Bureau of Genoa, both in its own institutional communication materials as well as through presentations inserted in all congress activities. In collaboration with the associations of the category and the CIV, 5000 glass adhesives with the logo have been distributed, with destination all the principal tourist and cultural sites of the city, all hotels and shops in the center of town. AMIU, the agency that takes care of the city waste disposal, has paid a lot of attention to using the logo, creating a rich set of gadgets and using its own logo together with the city logo, and it has used it with good graphic results in its own communication campaigns.
Dialogue has been started with the school system and the University. The new graphic sign and the idea of the city that defines it were presented to the Assembly of the City Conference of Autonomous Schools, a board that brings together all the principals, with the invitation to imagine educational projects and projects of awareness about the city and its history, inspired by the concept of Genova More Than This.
Ph: Y.E.A.S.T. Genova As regards the University, Genoa presented itself with its new visual identity at the Welcome Erasmus Day (16/10/2014), the day for welcoming foreign students who have come to Genoa, with gadgets created for the occasion and with the presentation of services for young people and students who are not at their home institutions, and not only. The event, which is episodic, represents an opening of a channel of communication between the City and the University that could become more concrete in the future with integrated marketing.
PROMOTING USABILITY OF THE NEW VISUAL IDENTITY
ACTIVITY LEAD PARTNER RESULTS TIMING RESOURCES
Teaser campaign, press office City of Genoa Launch of the city’s 2014 City government and presentation of the logo new logo Urbact
Merchandising City of Genoa and Spreading new city 2014 City government private companies logo Private developments
Fiera primavera Genoa Fairgrounds Spreading new city 2014/2015 City government and logo to artisans and partners population Foundation at City government and Culture Foundation Targeting cultural 2014/2015 Palazzo Ducale partners sector
Genoa’s repertory Genoa’s Theaters Targeting cultural 2014/2015 City government and theatre sector partners
Work-related associations Confindustria, CNA, Use of the new logo 2014/2017 City government and Confartigianato, for companies partners others Commercial businesses CIV (“malls di via”) Spreading new city 2014/2017 City government and logo partners
Social network Young people and Targeting local 2014/2017 City government and student associations population partners Press Office Media partner News items 2014/2017 City government connected to the city brand
7.6. Emergency Communication Regarding this circumstantial but important issue, it was decided to work principally on the Italian audience, where the impact of the images and daily news of the days of the flood was more
profound. A campaign was done through press releases to the main Italian daily papers, based on three concepts: Genoa is great, Genoa is genius, Genoa is taste. The campaign was done in 2014.
At the same time, on all the social profiles of the member subjects of the LSG posts were published on themes linked by the hashtag #Genovaè, that was used for a call to action of the users so that they published contents and photos (especially on Instagram) with the same hashtag. 5000 bookmarks with the hashtag and the campaign’s graphic were distributed at the IAT, hotels and principal tourist attractions of the city.
An Italian press conference already on the program for some time, and that should have been devoted to Christmas traditions in Genoa, instead focused on restoring the image of a beautiful city that is able to offer tourists its culture intact. Following the educational press conference and in the following mornings, Genoa was the subject of services, interviews, video services on the part of three national TV stations (TG2, TG3, Canale 5), two public radio stations (Radio 2 and Isoradio), as well as articles in the principal Italian daily papers, both paper and online.
7.7. Social media
The launch of the new visual identity coincided with renewed attention on the part of the City for the use of social media in promoting the image of the city. In addition to actions already mentioned on the occasion of the launch of the new logo, an Instagram profile was opened @genovamorethanthis, that in addition to hosting the photo contest mentioned, was rapidly consolidated as an important channel of communication for the city. Attention for promotion through images culminated in two events: the Instatour “#GenovAmore”, done in September 2014 in collaboration with Instagram Italia and the Aquarium of Genoa, with the presence of 10 Igers coming from all over Europe. And a presentation of the Genovese experience using Instagram as a promotional tool that was done during the BTO Borsa del Turismo Online 2014 (Florence, December 2, 2014), still using Instagram.
Considering the importance of the social media in communication and promotion of the area that is more and more important, and the need to coordinate and integrate so many voices present on the web, the City of Genoa decided to start a Social Media Team (constituted by a decision made by the City Council – the composition is attached), that is to say a board for shared working, coordinating and planning that will allow various players in the city to move using precise strategies and linking messages and common values in the area of social communication.
The City of Genoa put at the disposal of the city’s Social Media Team the opportunity to do a training course to reinforce technical knowledge. And it has begun a program of meetings to compare strategies and actions, share hashtags and campaigns for promoting together the image of the city. The Team proved particularly effective and important in the days immediately following the flood in November 2014, when the city put out an important and large action of re- launching its image.
7.8. Promotional material, websites and press releases
The new visual identity will allow for re-ordering in a sort of ‘visual cleaning’ the many logos and signs that have been used by the city so far, often creating confusion. As first activity, the Offices of Information and Tourism have undergone a restyling signed with the new logo that is progressively substituting all the material and information that was distributed at these offices. Communication will be broken down on the web and an increase in the activity of social network communication will be pursued, already started up on the occasion of the official presentation of the new visual identity.
PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL
ACTIVITY LEAD PARTNER OUTPUT TIMING RESOURCES
Gadget City of Genoa Shopper, pens, pins, 2014 € 15,000 Tourism Tax postcards, USB, folders, etc.
Web site City of Genoa Graphic restyling of 2014 No Budget www.comune.genova.it the site inserting the new logo Web site visitgenoa City of Genoa Graphic restyling of 2014 No Budget the site inserting the http://www.visitgenoa.it new logo
Social network City of Genoa, Porto Inserting new logo 2014 No Budget Antico, Palazzo on covers and Ducale, Agency In images of profile on Liguria, Airport of pages of social media Genoa, Aquarium of Genoa PR and Press Office City of Genoa Press releases for 2014 No budget launching new logo
7.9. Exchanges between Italian and European cities In the Implementation Phase of the CityLogo project, two key study visits were organized to Barcelona and Zurich, along with four international workshops that really worked as the project´s cornerstone: the first in Oslo on governance and management in integrated city branding (April 2013), second one in Utrecht on city brand contents (October 2013), next in Dundee on the topic of communication channels and actions for the city (June 2014) and the last one in Zaragoza (October 2014) . The meeting in Utrecht hosted an interesting debate on the process of city branding, to be understood more and more as a policy that goes beyond the narrow marketing approach, to become correlated to strategic planning of the cities. Both meetings were conducted in partnership with the Eurocities Working Group, creating the conditions for another participation of about 30-35 cities. In addition to the main theme discussed on both occasions case histories were presented on topics of visual communication, and a panel discussion on “branding Europe” was also broached. In Dundee, new channels of communication were talked about (and about formulas that already exist but should be revisited) to support the cities in developing integrated strategies of city branding: opportunities offered by new technologies, social media, the formula of the “Ambassadors of the city” and big international events, whether they are cultural, sports or
musical. Genoa participated in this discussion bringing its own experience to the session on PR campaigns that had been done in the city to promote and socialize the use of the new logo. In the workshop in Zaragoza (also organized in collaboration with the Working Group of Eurocities), on the other hand, the theme of segmentation in urban marketing was dealt with, underscoring how sectorial approaches referred to various target groups can come from profitable synergies with respect to an integrated branding strategy that is inter-sectorial and the goal of having a narrative of the city that is richer and more complete: work groups were dedicated to the sectors of tourism, conventions and events, the University and the world of knowledge, business and investments. Genoa contributed with two interventions from stakeholders already very active in the LSG, the Port Authority and Porto Antico S.p.a. (respectively Dr. Silvio Ferrando and Dr. Alberto Cappato). In the framework of the process of creating respective logos, there were intense and profitable contacts with the cities of Florence and Bologna. In particular, Genoa participated in the Smart City Exhibition, in the framework of Forum P.A., presenting its own positive experience of the CityLogo project (October 16 – 18, 2013). Finally, April 10-11, 2014 Genoa hosted a meeting of the Eurocities Working Group in which the cities of Barcelona, Bologna, Ghent, Lausanne, Nantes, Rotterdam, Warsaw and Vienna participated with Genoa presiding. The topic of the two days was “The brand as a tool of economic development” and experiences of creating new logos were presented on the part of Genoa, Bologna and Barcelona, hosting some contributions and speeches on the part of stakeholders and representatives of the Local Support Group. From June 25 – 27, 2014, finally, Genoa participated in the meeting of the AT Brand project in Liverpool, coordinated by the City of Dublin and financed by the European program for territorial cooperation “Atlantic Area,” bringing its direct evidence of the experience developed in the CityLogo area, which was appreciated, with respect to an integrated strategy for city branding.
With respect to financing from Europe, the City of Genoa matured significant experience over the years and has other important projects ongoing that contribute to promoting the new image of Genoa in its various forms. The most important ongoing project, financed in the area of the ENPI-CBC programme by the European Union is called “Marakanda” and it aims to protect historical markets and promote typical agricultural and handicraft products through cooperation between the northern and the southern shores of the Mediterranean. The city of Genoa is one of the partners in the project with another ten European cities and the southern shore of the Mediterranean. Another great project currently ongoing is “Urban Empathy,” financed in the framework of activities for capitalization of the MED program. These activities aim at promoting and communicating in a specific way the results of preceding projects, and in such a case, for the City of Genoa, the “Cat-MED” project, an initiative for creating and consolidating a network of sustainable Euro-Mediterranean cities. The cities involved, practically all the big cities of the northern shore of the Mediterranean, have developed a methodology based on indicators of
environmental impact, to work out a model for sustainable urban development applied to neighborhoods, called “green apples.” Genoa has become vice president of the “Cat-MED” platform, accrediting its own image as a sustainable city with greater and greater force, attentive to themes of the environment. It will host next June 9th the 2nd Forum of “Cat-MED” Mayors. With respect to the new planning for European funding, the idea of working on some specific project ideas that can follow up and give continuity to the positive and innovative experience of CityLogo. In particular, priority will be given programs of financing that can support concrete actions for implementation in the field of city branding, and not only methodology and cross- learning, which has already been fully developed within CityLogo.
CROSS-LEARINING
ACTIVITY LEAD PARTNER OUTPUT TIMING RESOURCES Meeting Genoa City Logo Presentation 2012 City Logo results phase 1 development Meeting Genoa Eurocities: In-depth look and 2012 City of Genoa Working Group exchange about City Branding and experiences on city Attractiveness branding Meeting Oslo City Logo+ In-depth look and 2013 City Logo Eurocities: exchange about Working Group experiences on city City Branding and branding Attractiveness Study visit Barcelona City Logo In-depth look and 2014 City Logo exchange about experiences on city branding Meeting Genoa Eurocities: In-depth look and 2014 City of Genoa Working Group exchange about City Branding and experiences on city Attractiveness branding Meeting Dundee City Logo In-depth look and 2014 City Logo exchange about experiences on city branding Meeting Saragoza City Logo+ In-depth look and 2014 City Logo Eurocities: exchange about Working Group experiences on city City Branding and branding Attractiveness Study visit Zurich City Logo In-depth look and 2015 City Logo exchange about experiences on city branding Event Liverpool Municipality of In-depth look and 2014 Atlantic Area Dublin – AT.Brand exchange about programme (EU funds
project experiences on city for territorial branding cooperation) MARAKANDA City of Florence Network of 2013- € 125,000 historical markets; 2015 events for promotion of the city in markets and typical products URBAN EMPATHY Ayuntamiento de Capitalization of 2014- € 95,000 Malaga Euro- 2015 Mediterranean results on urban sustainability
Ph: Marco Senatore per Comune di Genova
Ph: Studio Leoni; Comune di Genova
APPENDIX
8.1. Genova Brief 8.1.1. Focus-Group on setting a narrative for Genoa 8.1.2. Workshops on opportunities and threats for Genoa 8.1.3. Competition notice for a new visual identity 8.2. Press releases 8.3. Rationale for the city´s new visual identity (in Italian) 8.4. Expo Milan 2015: scheduled events (in Italian) 8.5. Commercial granting of the logo 8.6. New Social media team Genova at the City Government 8.7. Images