Is the grass elsewhere really greener? A study on the place marketing activity of Polish self-governments

Abstract

The role of place marketing and branding as a modus for enhancing public sector efficiency is growing, especially in territorial self-government units (TSGUs). A growing proportion maintains the relevant responsible agencies. We compared the place marketing activities of Polish TSGUs, focusing on their maturity in this matter. We associate maturity with the awareness that one should not be ashamed of territorial uniqueness but, on the contrary, highlight it as a source of merit. We based our study on self-evaluation carried out by marketing practitioners operating in Polish TSGUs. The results reveal that most of them do not yet fully exploit state-of-the-art place marketing to strengthen development policies. However, they vary significantly by disclosing many interesting local specificities.