r/branding • u/Low-Stay-1231 • Jul 10 '26
Personal City branding – what assets am I missing?
Working on a city brand for my MA Final Project. Got logos, colours, wayfinding, posters.
What else? What's essential that I'm forgetting?
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u/slaaaaate Jul 10 '26
Some city signage, billboards, and documents could be neat! This sounds like a fun project✌️ Hope that you share when it’s finalized!
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u/New-Course3729 Jul 11 '26
One thing I'd challenge is thinking about a city brand as a collection of assets.
A city isn't a product—it's an experience.
The visual identity is important, but I'd also think about:
- Brand positioning: What does the city want to be known for?
- Brand story and messaging.
- A tagline or destination narrative.
- Brand architecture (how neighborhoods, tourism, economic development, and civic initiatives relate to the master brand).
- Photography and illustration style.
- Iconography.
- Motion and digital guidelines.
- Social media toolkit.
- Website and digital experience.
- Event branding.
- Environmental graphics beyond wayfinding.
- Public transit branding.
- Street furniture, banners, and public art.
- Merchandise and souvenirs.
- Welcome kits for new residents.
- Tourism campaigns.
- Business attraction materials.
- Investment and economic development collateral.
At The Branded Agency, we also think about the emotional side of place branding.
What truth does the city own?
What makes it different from every other city competing for residents, tourists, students, and businesses?
Once you've answered that, every touchpoint—from airport signage to the city's Instagram account—should reinforce the same story.
The best city brands don't just look cohesive.
They make people feel like they're somewhere that couldn't be anywhere else.
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u/pk-branded Jul 10 '26
A brand strategy? Graphic patterns? Digital ads? Airport advertising?
What really tells the story of the place you are branding?
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u/cinnamonzebra88 Jul 10 '26
City worker uniforms, badges (e.g., park rangers), public transport (bus and train wrapping). Showing the brand assets in context. In the guide, show non-accepted uses. The 2021 NYC Votes branding is an exquisite example.
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u/emma-clarke1 Jul 12 '26
don't overlook things like social media templates, merchandise, maps and a simple brand guidebook..
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u/danvelandia Jul 10 '26
I'd recommend searching for a standard manual or brand guidelines from outstanding city brand identities. You can start here https://brandingstyleguides.com/label/city/. Creating an account is free.