Correspondence: Søren Buhl Hornskov, Hørsholmsgade 14 sttv, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark. Tel: +4526832618; e-mail: soren.buhl@gmail.com

¹works as a consultant in the field of urban identity and place branding. He has a PhD from the Copenhagen Business School and Masters degrees in philosophy and social science. He has carried out research on place branding in the Øresund Region, and on architecture in the experience economy.

Received 10 September 2007; Revised 10 September 2007.

Abstract

Place branding has adopted culture as a key focus area. To manage culture a complex whole of interventions to influence key values and perceptions is required. Culture, therefore, cannot be perceived or fixated as the stable essence of a place. Branding often aims to influence the complex social conditions for branding because successful branding relies on patterns of social interaction that are not only beyond its control, but the autonomy of which is crucial to the authenticity of the brand. The difficulty of balancing intervention and autonomy means that branding often fails to recognise the potential and challenges of these social forces. The paper presents two case studies from the Øresund Region to illustrate these challenges. First, it deals with the strategies of the Øresund Network, the organisation managing the Øresund brand. Secondly, it looks at the interplay of two modern dance venues and how they react when subjected to strategies of place branding. From the two cases it becomes evident that place branding requires a model of culture sufficiently dynamic to host the nonconsensual and paradoxical. The management challenges presented in the cases force us to think place branding beyond, first, the appeal to cultural authenticity, and, secondly, the attempt to force the brand on local actors.