Contemplating Place Branding Umbrellas. The Case of Coordinated National Tourism and Business Promotion in Denmark

Abstract

This paper examines the area of cross‐sectoral branding where tourism is combined with other international economic activities in order to construct a common national umbrella brand. From a theoretical perspective the article contributes to the study of cross‐sectoral place branding by developing a coherent analytical framework, drawing on recent contributions to the study of Other images and inter‐organizational relations. On the basis of this, an empirical case study of the prospects for establishing a cross‐sectoral umbrella brand is undertaken, focusing on Danish national tourism and inward investment promotion bodies. Having analysed both the rationales behind and the image profiles of current branding efforts, it is concluded that while disagreement exists at the strategic level with regard to the potentials of umbrella branding, the differences between the current image profiles are of a more manageable character. In the case of Danish tourism and investment promotion, barriers to interorganizational cooperation, in other words, seem to be founded on unfavourable assumptions about potential alliance partners in view of own future aspirations rather than the present branding actions of the actors involved.