Rebranding (Edexcel A Level Geography)

Re-imaging of Urban & Rural Areas

• Regeneration usually involves some form of rebranding, which can help remove any negative perceptions people may have of an area

• This involves re-imaging places using media coverage, art and events to enhance the image of urban and rural locations:

  • Positive news stories during regeneration

  • Advertising in newspapers and online

  • The use of logos and slogans to portray an image to the outside world

• Rebranding of areas is designed to make places:

  • More competitive

  • Attract new investment, residents and visitors

  • Gain a new, improved identity

• Sometimes large international events are used as catalysts to begin the rebranding of an area, which often happens when cities host the Olympic Games

• ‘Moving Middlesbrough Forward’ is the slogan used in Middlesbrough’s regeneration scheme

  • The aim is to remind people of the amazing things that Middlesbrough has to give and offer as a town

• Rebranding works in both urban and rural areas, by focusing on particular activities or features of a place

Rebranding of Deindustrialised Areas

• It is harder to rebrand deindustrialised cities, with their derelict land, disused factories and job losses (e.g. Sheffield, Glasgow)

• Rebranding of deindustrialised cities involves creating an identity by focusing on their industrial heritage:

  • Celebrating their industrial history with museums, historical trails and public artworks 

  • Redeveloping warehouses and old industrial buildings into apartments, shops, restaurants and office space

  • Building contemporary apartments and hotels on old industrial brownfield sites

  • Regenerating canals and quaysides into marinas, bars/restaurants and canals for leisure

• The rebranding can change tourists’ perceptions about a deindustrialised area, making it more attractive to tourists and new investors

‘Glasgow: Scotland with Style’ program

• Glasgow was an industrial city focused on shipbuilding before cheaper overseas competition led to the industry collapsing in the 1960s

• Many people held negative perceptions of the city in the 1990s, even though Glasgow’s economy was growing and many areas had been redeveloped 

• In 2004, Glasgow launched a £1.5 million rebranding campaign to present itself as more cosmopolitan, using the slogan ‘Scotland with Style’ 

• It successfully focused on:

  • Attracting tourists to Glasgow on short breaks, making £23 million in revenue

  • Increasing the number of business conferences and events held there

  • Hosting large sporting events (2007 UEFA Cup Final, World International Gymnastics Championships)

• In 2013, the slogan “People Make Glasgow” replaced the former slogan to help promote the city in the lead-up to Glasgow’s Commonwealth Games (2014) 

  • 1.26 billion people saw or read about Glasgow

Rural Rebranding Strategies

• It is not only urban areas that require regeneration; rural regions are some of the most deprived areas in the UK (e.g. Powys in Wales, rural villages in North East Lincolnshire)

• Rural rebranding strategies in the post-production countryside are based on:

  • Farm diversification (e.g. Campsites) and specialised products (e.g. cheese products)

  • Outdoor pursuits and adventure in inaccessible and remote areas e.g. paintballing, climbing, whitewater rafting 

  • Heritage and literary associations e.g. Brontë country

• These strategies aim to:

  • Increase the amount of national and international tourists

  • Improve services and transport links for locals

  • Provide a wider source of income other than the traditional employment sectors of agriculture and forestry

• The strategies have benefitted accessible rural areas more than remote rural areas, leading to growing economic differences between rural areas

The Different Rebranding Strategies for Rural Areas

Rebranding by literary association: Brontë Country

• The rural village of Haworth (located west of Bradford) was the birthplace of the famous authors, the Brontë sisters (Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre)

• It is a tourist hotspot, with 11.8 million visitors in 2018:

  • Walking around Top Withens (a farmhouse ruin), the setting for Wuthering Heights

  • Visiting Brontë Parsonage Museum (their former house)

  • Walking to Brontë Waterfall

• Regeneration strategies include:

  • Refronting shops in a victorian style to restore its traditional character

  • Running events (e.g. 1940s weekend, hosting the Tour de France) to attract more visitors

  • Introducing a new Bronte bus route, designed to promote the area’s attractions

  • Repairing natural stone paving and footpaths on Main Street

  • Hosting Haworth Artisan Market

  • Establishing independent local shops e.g. coffee shops, micro art galleries, gastropubs

Rebranding Kielder - an inspirational place for leisure, exploration and fun

• Kielder, a very remote village in Northumberland, has become a playground for outdoor enthusiasts due to its large coniferous forest and 11 km long reservoir 

• In 2011, the Kielder Partnership was established to manage the area; its objectives include:

  • Ensuring the sustainable development of the forest for public benefit

  • Developing leisure activities in the interests of social welfare

  • Engaging the public in the natural environment 

• Kielder Water and Forest Park attract 350,000 annually:

  • Activities include walking, fishing, birdwatchers, stargazers, archery, mini golf

  • Special wildlife - red squirrels and ospreys

  • Observatory for Dark Skies to attract space tourism

• More attractions have been designed to encourage further tourism:

  • New events - Wild at Kielder Festival to celebrate wildlife; KielderFest to celebrate cycling

  • 17 new lodges opened to increase the capacity for overnight visitors

  • A gym has been built, which tourists and locals can use