In a previous article on branding place, we’d noted that Peter Savilles brand work with Manchester would not be producing a logo or a strapline. In his own words: ‘People often ask, “Why not create a logo and a strapline for Manchester?” I don’t see the point of it at all. The very prescence of a strapline indicates failure of some sort. If you’ve got a slogan it suggests you need one and if you need one, it says you’ve got a problem.’
We put this to the creators of â??Glasgow: Scotland with Styleâ?? and they respond as follows:
All we can really say on the matter is that Glasgow: Scotland with style has galvanized city agencies and private sector businesses in a way that could never have been achieved without the brand. Whether itâ??s in tourism, leisure, inward investment, or recruiting students to our universities, the brand provides us all with a common vocabulary to promote the city. The main measure of the brandâ??s success is visitor numbers and economic impact and since launch in March 2004 it has generated an additional 210,000 visitors and £24 million for the local economy.
The difference between giving everyone a shared vocabulary and imposing one is debatable, as is the merit in everyone saying the same thing about a city. Consistency is already vastly overrated and a source of mass confusion for most advertising and design agencies, but in a multi-channel environment this kind of one way communication is increasingly ineffective.
In response, we also asked ‘Glasgow, Scotland with Style’ how they measured these figures, and how they decided what was attributable to the brand and what could be attributed to other factors, but have not had a response.
Only an hour after posting this article, Glasgow: Scotland with Style did respond, saying:
figures are based on hotel occupancy rates and although it is impossible to isolate exactly how much is attributable to the brand we are confident that it has been the single biggest contributing factor as it is also used when we are bidding for new air routes. Glasgow City Marketing Bureau operates a new air routes fund and works with Glasgow airports to improve access to the city. Recent wins include Easyjets Berlin to Glasgow route and Loganairs Dublin to Glasgow route.