Branding of Aarhus 2015 - 2018 Local Action Plan Aarhus, March 2015 Innovative place-brand management _Aarhus With a population of 320,000, Aarhus Approximately 20 per cent of all is Denmark’s second largest city and trips in Aarhus are made by bike and the fastest growing in the country. In the city is working hard to support the past 10 years, the city has received healthy lifestyles and protect the en- 15,000 new residents and created vironment. The city aims to be CO2 20,000 new jobs, the majority within neutral by 2030. the knowledge, service and innovation industries. The greater Aarhus area is organised into Business Region Aarhus to coor- A strong university – in the top 100 dinate the synergies between the City of the world’s 17,000 universities – of Aarhus and the surrounding 11 makes Aarhus a driver for growth municipalities, with approximately for the entire region, with more than 2.1 million inhabitants. 50,000 students. The university, along with the waterfront and the so-called The City of Aarhus has extensive Latin Quarter, gives the city a young experience in promoting growth and vibrant feel. In 2017 Aarhus will through targeted investments and be the European Capital of Culture. work in close cooperation with the local business life, the university and other knowledge institutions. Internationalise with Aarhus 2015 Authors: Line Gerstrand Knive, [email protected], Stinne Bille, [email protected], Mayor’s Department City of Aarhus Graphic design and layout: Stine Sandahl, www.sandahls.net City branding toolbox: www.citybrandaarhus.dk All reproduction must be approved beforehand. © 2015 City of Aarhus. All rights reserved Make a future with Aarhus Yearly growth in inhabitants 4-5.000 INTERNATIONALISE WITH AARHUS 6 7 INDEX Foreword by Mayor Jacob Bundsgaard 8 Excutive Summary 13 Offset for city branding in Aarhus 16 Aarhus’ brand DNA 21 City wide innovation – The brand proposition 22 Brand governance – The local support group 24 International qualification – Taking part in the Urbact CityLogo project 29 Target groups 31 Business clusters as positioning tools 37 Strategic initiatives undertaken by the municipality 43 Must win battles 56 City branding team activities 2015–2018 58 INTERNATIONALISE WITH AARHUS 8 9 FOREWORD _ Foreword by Mayor Jacob Bundsgaard Aarhus has a fantastic location by the we create the conditions that attract a vital aim of our branding strategy sea and next to ancient forests - a dy- good jobs and capable employees. In which is linked to a longer-term effort namic urban environment surrounded Aarhus, educational institutions and to internationalise Aarhus. by the beauty of nature. Aarhus is an businesses generate knowledge and an open, inclusive city where there’s room international perspective. In fact, our Internationalization is on our agenda. for everyone. Young and old, families worldclass university ranks among In 2017, Aarhus will be the European with children, students, artists, es- the 100 best in the world. Capital of Culture - a golden oppor- tablished businesses and start-ups: tunity to show the world what Aar- no matter who you are or where you Even as we continue to grow, we will hus has to offer. To measure the city’s come from, Aarhus will make you feel insist on preserving our city’s spirit progress, we have set the following at home. of cooperation and social cohesion. concrete goals: We believe that Aarhus should be a We often call Aarhus ‘the City of good place to live for all of our citizens, • Aarhus will create 2000 new jobs Smiles’. Unpretentious, easy-going, and that room for diversity, space for each year until 2030 fresh, optimistic, ambitious and buzz- expression and openness to the outside • Business Region Aarhus will achieve ing with life. At the start of the new world are all qualities that help make growth levels that are above the na- millennium, we defined a vision for Aarhus an attractive city. Even though tional average Aarhus. A vision that still guides us: some of our fellow citizens may a help- • Aarhus will be CO2 neutral by 2030 ing hand, all of us have something to • 95% of young people in Aarhus will Aarhus – a good city for everyone contribute. complete secondary education Aarhus – a city on the move • The proportion of financially self-suf- Aarhus – a city that works together Talent and the circulation of bright ficient Aarhus citizens must be in- minds to and from Aarhus are vital creased to meet the national average The vision doesn’t just express what to the city’s development. Aarhus Uni- • Aarhus must have a high level of we value about our city right now and versity and the talent pool it attracts civic participation what we want to preserve from our are some of our city’s most important • Aarhus must be seen as a good city past. It’s about our development to- assets. The high concentration of ed- for everyone by its citizens wards the future – a development that ucational institutions in the city also keeps accelerating. Our population makes Aarhus a very young and dy- In Aarhus, city branding is closely is growing; new neighborhoods are namic city – in fact, the average citizen linked to the city’s strategic devel- springing up; a new skyline is taking is 24 years old. We welcome our new opment, and we do not perceive our form. Aarhus is under construction, students warmly and we work hard branding activities as limited to com- with new businesses, new education- to make their stay memorable. And munication and marketing in the al and cultural institutions, and new hopefully, when they leave us they will traditional sense. Branding is just as landmark public construction projects, recommend a stay in Aarhus to other much a matter of helping to create the including the largest university hospi- promising young talents. framework for the city’s continued tal in Scandinavia, which will be linked City branding is an investment into development. to the city center by a new light rail. the future. If we are to maintain the high level of welfare we have today, This strategy has been created in col- More and more, Aarhus is becoming it’s important to attract new talent laboration with key stakeholders in the engine of growth in the entire re- in the form of students, businesses the city, and I hope that it will serve gion – the cultural and industrial pow- and employees that can help drive the as a common frame of reference in our erhouse of West Denmark. We work development and growth of the city. efforts to brand our city. together with neighboring municipali- And these students, businesses and ties to promote economic, cultural and employees come to us from all over the Mayor of Aarhus infrastructure development. Together, world. This makes attracting talent Jacob Bundsgaard Feel the vibe with Aarhus The population is young, 45% is under 30 years old INTERNATIONALISE WITH AARHUS 12 13 SUMMARY _ Executive Summary Aarhus is in a positive development perience of interacting with and living Working with facts phase, activity is high and there is a in the city. With this strategy we will start mon- positive attitude towards the city’s im- itoring how Aarhus is perceived and age. Branding activities are to build Branding and strategic development what Aarhus is known for in relevant on this position and develop it even Branding in Aarhus is about support- target groups. With the brand moni- further. ing the city’s strategic development. toring tool we will be able to measure The branding effort focuses on posi- the effect of branding activities much Since 2010 the city has gone through tioning the city through supporting more effectively and get a more long- three major identity processes: the city and promoting existing activities, or- term perspective on the activities. brand development process in 2011, ganisations, events, businesses, etc. the application for European Capital of that exemplify the brand position. The Creating a platform for integrated Culture in 2011, and the political vision branding effort in Aarhus is not cen- city branding developed in 2014. The three processes tred at City Hall. We choose, rather, to In 2015 the main efforts of the city- all point to the city’s same core values distribute branding activities to dedicat- branding team will be to establish a and thus support this branding strat- ed organisations like VisitAarhus, the platform for the LSG to work coordi- egy. Therefore the strategic positions ECC2017 secretariat (European Capital nated with branding of the city. This of Aarhus identified in 2011 are still of Culture) and local institutions. means creating an updated toolbox relevant. We will continue our work with target specific texts, pictures, with that storytelling and positioning Co-branding presentations, videos etc. for the local strategy in the coming years. Branding Aarhus is the task of the support group and other interested entire city. With this local action plan parties. Furthermore we we work City wide innovation (LAP) we try to set some directions systematically with Aarhus online – The brand proposition for the branding of Aarhus in close presence, trying to create a more con- Aarhus invites people, companies and collaboration with our local support sistent image across the most used whole sectors to move forward by im- group. Therefore this LAP focuses on webchannels. A greater focus on the mersing them in an innovation eco-sys- brand governance – on the way the target groups students is part of the tem that’s broader and more diligent city facilitates the collaborative effort effort. In 2015 we will create a prac- than any other on the planet.