Earthspeak

in the worldwide competition between nations, cities and regions, the playing field is never quite level. public and private sector agencies are increasingly aware that rational, objective, functional arguments for competitiveness, such as accessibility, talent, economic strength or technological prowess, are losing their power and turn out to be mere hygiene factors, while at the same time subjective international consumer perceptions and reputation, in the face of global media and mobility, are emerging as dominant factors for success. to look at places as having reputational assets, therefore, is an idea that is gaining momentum, with what simon anholt referred to as ‘competitive identity’ presenting itself as the soundest strategic framework for managing such assets. this framework firmly underpins the analytical work that earthspeak does for its clients. the common assumption that place image can be studied, managed and designed in the same way as commercial brands is a mistake. p