GEOFILE 780 Rebranding Manchester: a success or failure? By Paul Wheeler Synopsis individual better-off middle-class people who choose to This Geofile looks at urban move into a poorer district in the hope the upgrading rebranding in the UK, what urban will create a pleasant area with rising property prices. rebranding is and why a city wants An example of both gentrification and urban renewal is to rebrand itself, or certain parts of Notting Hill in London. the city. Manchester is a city that has attempted to use rebranding to Learning objectives stimulate economic growth. In this unit you will learn: What is rebranding? To remain ●● what urban rebranding is competitive, large companies ●● why it is needed sometimes replace or alter their ●● what the impacts of an urban rebranding process image – for instance, McDonald’s have been tag-line, ‘I’m Lovin’ it’, in an ●● about Manchester as a case study of rebranding. attempt to make the product seem more attractive to young consumers. Links Cities can do the same. Exam board Link to specification AQA Component 2: Human Geography; 3.2.3.1 Urban Key terms change – de-industrialisation, see page 24; 3.2.3.2 De-industrialisation: the reduction New urban landscapes, see page 24; 3.2.3.9 Case of the secondary industrial sector studies, see page 25; 3.3 Fieldwork possibilities, see (manufacturing) as a result of page 29 onwards Click here larger-scale economic changes. For Edexcel Area of study 2 Dynamic places, Topic 4 Shaping example, cotton could be made more AS nplaces, 4.9 a-c Rebranding, see page 36 Click here cheaply in India, and replaced much A2 Area of study 2 Dynamic places, Topic 4 Shaping of Manchester’s production. places, 4.9 a-c Rebranding, see page 32 Click here OCR Topic 2.1 Changing spaces, making places; 5b and c Urban function: each district of a Placemaking and case study, see page 17 Click here town/city concentrates on one AS A2 Topic 2.1 Changing spaces making places; 5b and c function e.g. manufacturing, Placemaking and case study, see page 21 Click here shopping, residential. Eduqas Component 1 Changing landscapes and changing Gentrification: the creation of new places, Section B Changing places ; 1.39 The and more expensive houses in some rebranding process and players in urban places, see poorer inner city districts. page 18 Click here Unit 2, 2.1 Changing Places; 2.1.9 The rebranding Urban renewal: the replacement WJEC AS process and players in urban places, see page 23; or renovation of declining older 2.1.10 Urban management and the challenges of inner urban areas. This is a slow and continuity and change, see page 23 Click here expensive process. It is usually IB NA funded partly by central government, local authorities, and © Oxford University Press 2018 GeoFile, Series 37 Issue 1, September 2018 1 830921_Geofile_Std_780.indd 1 30/07/18 1:51 PM GEOFILE ● 780 Rebranding Manchester: A success or failure? What is rebranding? Why do cities and towns rebrand? Urban areas compete with each other to attract investment, tourists and residents. A number of cities have attempted to create a distinctive brand identity (Figure 1). Some have used a particular event to try and create a more positive Figure 1 Aims of rebranding impression of the area. Example include Hull as Manchester Strategy with a saw the collapse of the cotton European City of Culture vision for Manchester to be a industry in the UK. By the 2017. Often, towns and cities Top 20 global city by 2035. 1960s, Manchester had many use a slogan on their road Manchester has made run-down properties and signs to create the impression high unemployment. of a clear identity, for progress towards this goal, example Poole: ‘Surf, rest and with the city being recognised Manchester, like other HIC play’ emphasises the coastal as one of the Top 10 world cities today, is facing two town’s role as a leisure cities to visit by Lonely main challenges: destination. Planet. Part of this strategy 1. How best to use the has been to create a clear central land and old During the Industrial brand identity to make the Revolution, Manchester grew buildings which have lost city stand out, compared to business to other areas. as the cotton industry its competitors. developed and the city 2. How to develop a became dominated by cotton What is the history successful economy mills and workers’ houses. of Rebranding in following deindustrialisation. In the 1930s, cotton Manchester? production declined because b. Madchester a. Cottonopolis of competition from much Part of the initial stimulus to cheaper imports. The city fell Manchester’s growth during reverse the decline was into decline with the loss of the industrial revolution centred upon Manchester’s jobs, and many mills became was based on cotton status in the 1980s as a centre derelict. As people and jobs manufacturing, and it became of music and creativity. moved away, the local known as ‘Cottonopolis’. Its Manchester’s inner city council needed to find a way importance at the time was districts such as Hulme and to stop and reverse this noted by Benjamin Disraeli in Moss Side were the home of economic decline. 1844, who described it as ‘the many bands, including Joy most wonderful city of The 1996 IRA bombing of Division, the Smiths and modern times‘. However, Central Manchester made Happy Mondays. This music de-industrialisation, due to rebuilding essential. The city scene made Manchester a competition from abroad council published a Greater popular choice for students during the 1920s and 1930s, © Oxford University Press 2018 GeoFile, Series 37 Issue 1, September 2018 2 830921_Geofile_Std_780.indd 2 30/07/18 1:51 PM GEOFILE Rebranding Manchester: A success or failure? ● 780 and young people. Factory Village – an area around Canal extensive regeneration, records, the Hacienda Street on the edge of the CBD. which led to the creation of nightclub and the rise of This area became a focus for New East Manchester (NEM), ‘Madchester’ as part of the the gay clubbing scene. an urban regeneration 80s rave scene all reinforced company created to attract the city’s reputation as a great How are different businesses, homes and place for students and other districts of facilities to the area. After the young adults to live. Manchester Commonwealth Games Mancunians were famously ended, the new stadium was ‘mad for it’. The city’s rebranding today? converted for use as universities doubled in size (Figure 2) Manchester City FC’s new and the student economy was New East Manchester – Sportcity stadium, The Etihad. Located a crucial financial boost. and New Islington close to the home of British Cottonopolis had become In the early 1980s, east cycling and British squash, ‘Madchester’. Manchester was in a state of this area has seen great c. Gunchester urban decay. 30 years of private investment and the deindustrialisation had development of a large new By the late 1980s the severely hit the engineering community in the nighttime culture had begun and heavy industry in the surrounding areas of Ancoats to earn a more negative area, leaving dereliction and and New Islington. reputation as reports of gang high unemployment. violence, stabbings and New Islington. This area shootings became more Sportcity. Manchester was was previously known as the common. The media picked selected to host the 2002 Cardroom Housing Estate. To up on these crime reports, Commonwealth Games, and change its reputation, it was and Manchester found itself a new stadium was built close rebranded New Islington. The rebranded from ‘Madchester’ to the world-class velodrome plan was to replace run-down to ‘Gunchester’. in east Manchester. Sport housing and add new became the catalyst for facilities, such as a new d. Gaychester Many students remained in the area, moving into jobs in the growing computing, management and consultancy sectors. One of the first developments was Manchester Science Park, near to the University. The increased population in this area created more demand for housing. Old houses were gentrified, with people moving in to rundown properties and repairing them. Developers saw this trend and started converting the derelict warehouses in inner city areas, such as Dominion Apartments in what was locally known as the Gay Figure 2 Manchester and its different areas © Oxford University Press 2018 GeoFile, Series 37 Issue 1, September 2018 3 830921_Geofile_Std_780.indd 3 30/07/18 1:52 PM GEOFILE Rebranding Manchester: A success or failure? ● 780 primary school, health centre and a new city marina. The iconic ‘Chips’ development of apartments was built and attracted other developers (Figure 3). A new park and a marina area and even a small beach were built to improve the environment (Figure 5). Manchester Northern Quarter Located between the city centre and New Islington, this area was dominated by mills and market traders, but today Figure 3 Chips building, part of New Islington regeneration it is known for hip, Source: Paul Wheeler independent record and clothing stores, cafes and bars. It is popular with young adults (Figure 4). New bars and restaurants are continuing to open in the Quarter and the area is busy during the day and at night. Salford Quays Mediacity Previously the site of Manchester Docks, it became one of the first and largest urban regeneration projects in the United Kingdom, following the closure of the dockyards in 1982. In 2007 the BBC decided to move several departments Figure 4 Northern Quarter new bars and refurbishment of older buildings there. ITV followed and other Source: Paul Wheeler media outlets soon joined them.