In my last few blog posts, I’ve discussed the idea of city branding and why it’s important for all cities. Now that you have a good grasp on the concept of place branding, I’d like to share with you another series of blogs on the topic, which will feature a few of the cities that have gotten it all right. I’m sure it will come as no surprise to you that the first city I’d like to feature is the one and only, New York City (NYC).

    According to a study titled “The Branding of Cities,” the development of NYC was centered on our country’s earliest economic and trade interests. But the city has since evolved into a Mecca of culture, businesses, hot spots, attractions and entertainment, making it a powerhouse of cities with an exceptionally strong brand. Some of the attractions that contribute to New York’s recognizable brand are Central Park, the Empire State Building (pictured above), Broadway, Grand Central Station, Radio City Music Hall, Greenwich Village, the MET, SoHo, the Statue of Liberty, Times Square, the Guggenheim, and of course, its people.

“The force behind every city is its people, and nowhere is this more prevalent than in New York. If the branding of any city is to be successful, it needs the support of residents, community leaders and state and city government to engage people in debate and motivate them to contribute time and money.” – Julia Winfield-Pfefferkorn, author of “The Branding of Cities”

New Yorkers embrace the city’s identity and love the city’s fast-paced, tough reputation. They thrive on the egos and luxurious lifestyle that are associated with the city. New Yorkers help reinforce the brand image every day. In fact, “each resident is a walking, talking advertisement of the city’s brand.”

I’m sure you are all familiar with the “I LOVE NY” campaign.

    This campaign, which was originally developed in 1970 to boost tourism and offset a recession, has become “one of the most recognized and successful campaigns in the history of great emotional branding.” In fact, the State of New York made “I LOVE NY” its official slogan. The campaign is still prevalent in today’s promotion of the city.

Although this campaign has shown great success over time, there was a period when New York’s brand suffered. The city struggled with its reputation in the 70s and 80s, but it is now a perfect example on how to rebuild a tarnished brand.

According to the study, “between 1970 and 1980, the city lost nearly 825,000 residents, by far the largest loss ever sustained over a 10-year period by a major city.”  The drastic loss of residents was a result of an increase in both crime and housing costs. From the early 70s through mid-80s, crime escalated to an all-time high. The subway, one of New York’s main methods of transportation, became a survival challenge rather than a means of transportation. The atmosphere in NYC at this time was turbulent and there were violent crimes daily.

    Fearing that crime is contagious, the city of New York decided to reestablish its reputation. In the mid-80s, the New York Transit Authority (NYTA) began a multi-billion dollar renovation of the subway system. Trains would not be sent out unless they had been “cleaned.” Graffiti was removed from all stations and trains, and the message was clear that vandalism and crime would not be tolerated. When Rudy Giuliani was elected mayor in 1994, he worked with the New York Police Department (NYPD) to reduce crime the same way NYTA had. The NYPD began to crack down on “quality of life” crimes, and the city saw a drastic decrease in the level of crime. Because the city had the support of its government, city organizations and citizens, its “dangerous” reputation began to fade.

Today, NYC has a unique brand that offers a vast variety of things for its residents as well as tourists. Even after the horrific terrorist attacks on September 11, the city of New York and its people quickly preserved its reputation and rebuilt its distinctive community. Today, New York has more than 18 million residents, and in 2009, the city attracted 45.25 million tourists, according to the city's Web site and an article in the Travel Daily News. New York is a luxurious place with high energy that is unlike any other destination in the world, making it one of the most distinctive examples of place branding.

Photographs provided by Anne Fletcher Photography