City Marketing

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City Marketing [pic 2]

• Which reasons could lead a city to rely on marketing strategies? Are cities actually much different from large corporations (such as BP or Coca-Cola)?

When thinking on the implementation of marketing strategies, there is an existence of several reasons that should be addresses beforehand. This process should be designed in the aims of achieving certain objectives which may defer from city to city, but that could be in regards with the accomplishment of becoming the market leader by satisfying costumers. Additionally, marketing strategies can be seen as a way to identify and anticipate consumer demands which could be seen as market opportunities, deriving in monetary profits. There is also a need to satisfy geographically, behavioral and demographical costumer’s demands in every city; hence a specific strategy should be imposed in different cities.

Regarding the difference between cities and corporations, there is a precise difference that sets them both apart, that is the facts that cities are perceived as costumers involving “regular clients” and tourists, who have to be approached in a very diverse manner given the sense of nationalism, the diverse groups within the cities, among others. On the other hand, large corporations have a more global and neutral approach as seen in Coca-Cola’s commercials where they sometimes release advertisement that can be liked by everyone, that is in part because the ultimate aim is to sell the product.

• Whom or what should the city be targeting? How should the city do this: target by target at the same time or in sequence (i.e. one target after the other)?

In regards with the background given, the city should be targeting firstly the local costumers. As an example, it can be taken into account the case in Mexico, where the government launched a national campaign titled “Visit Mexico” where young actors and actresses travel around the different states the country has, advertising the culture, landscapes, night life, etc. This campaign was launched nationally through the television, radio and internet (social network). Taking this into account, the city should do this in sequence, meaning that the same campaign could have different approaches in relations to the market it is offered to, so that the costumers could relate to an specific campaign and in that way you could keep the interest derived from the innovation. [pic 3][pic 4]

• Compare Antwerp and Hong Kong situations: what's the same, what's different?

We believe the similarities shown in both cases are the lack of a bigger impact on their existing marketing strategy that will potentiate both cities to what they can become. Although there is a local and an international market that can be reached, the advertisement should be renewed to make it interesting for the market and to let new costumers get a glance of what the strategy is. They both need to have a “wow factor” whether it is a big star, a phrase, a video, etc.

They both want to be seen as the center of their region, being Antwerp of Europe and Hong Kong of Asia in result, the campaign was launched in both cities.

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