Smart Citizen Engagement
60
SMART CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT: The Case of Athens
description
Smart City Branding Forum - (Barcelona - September 2012)
Transcript of Smart Citizen Engagement
SMART CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT:
The Case of Athens
Why branding matters?
Brand Knowledge
Brand Trust
Brand Loyalty
For Tourists:
Because they would choose a destination brand only when they can trust it.
For Destinations:
Because a trusted brand brings about tourist loyalty.
Source: Brand Knowledge, Trust and Loyalty { A Conceptual Model of Destination Branding/ Cathy Hsu Liping - A. Caiy
FOUR
KEY
FACTS
FACT #1
“Countries are judged by what they
do, as they have always been, and
not by what they say’’. Simon Anholt
FACT #2 Perception is more
Powerful than Reality.
FACT #3 There’s no smoke
without fire..
FACT #4
“No single national stakeholder has
control over all of the factors that affect a
country’s reputation’’
Source: ETC/UNWTO Handbook on Tourism Destination Branding
the question is..
Can you
successfully brand
an entire
destination?
At least most of us agree on that:
destination branding seems to be
working within tourism
what about
destination
branding
and citizen
engagement?
ONE MAJOR
CHALLENGE
lack of control and
multiple competing stakeholders
FOUR KEY
PRINCIPLES
A symbiotic relationship which needs
commonly accepted goals to evolve
Tourists Businesses/Investors
Residents #1
Strong Leadership with sufficient authority can set the focus point &
establish the necessary mechanisms of stakeholders engagement
about developing a shared and welcomed view of the future.
#2
#2
Online/Offline Integration at
the Core: From
Fragmentation to
Wholeness.
#3
It’s not just about heritage & culture.
brand-building must focus relentlessly
on creating new value frontiers
#4
citizen engagement increases when
civil order is ensured and urban
environment is clean & functional.
#5
The Case of Athens/Greece
A Story of Rise..
….and Fall
Not just an
economic crisis
social stability under
threat
no public funds
available
urban improvement projects &
policies on hold
on-going
negative exposure
Stage One: Identifying the Problem
aggressive media
in major source
markets
falling tourist
numbers (Athens)
social
depression
unfair competition
from inside =
Isolation
however..
in every crisis lies
opportunity.
social awakening &
urban activism
movements
private
initiatives
public-private
partnerships
120m fund for historic
centre regeneration
This Is My Athens Program: Engaging Locals for Tourism
Stage One:
Setting the Goal
‘‘to engage local people, showcase the everyday
life in Athens, promote a flavour of true experiences
and an alternative image of the city through the
integration of online/offline marketing
methods’’.
Stage Two:
Plan & Develop the Program
PHASE ONE
PHASE TWO
Launch a volunteers visitor greeters
program
Stage Three:
Engage & Support
Listen to the (Athens) Locals
Engage Local Audience via online
channels
and offline activities..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJymu5KVENA
provide support via visitors
information & services
PHASE THREE
Evaluate Results
5.000+ photos
400+ Athens Locals so far..
Hundreds of Visitors Requests..
Monitor & Evaluate
Set KPIs # of requests
# of Athens Locals
# visitor satisfaction survey results
Web & SM Metrics
media coverage
Stay Relevant
Breathtaking Athens –
Real Time Tourist
Safety Information
To Sum Up..
We cannot control everything being
said about the destination’s brand
but by actively listening to
visitors & locals feedback
We can better manage the destination’s
reputation, improve our tourism product &
achieve higher levels of social engagement.
‘‘The way to gain a good
reputation is to endeavor to be what you desire to appear’’
Socrates
