Not Barcelona, not Scotland, not Helsingborg or Estonia, but Eindhoven has won the world title ‘Place Brand of the Year’. Eindhoven defeated the four other finalists “thanks to a broadly supported and innovative approach including an open-source brand strategy, a special and effective marketing and branding”, according to the jury.
A total of 5 trade awards were presented in the categories ‘Best Use of Design’, ‘Best Citizen Engagement’, ‘Best Use of Social Media’, ‘Best Communication Strategy’ and ‘Place Brand of the Year’ during the fourth edition of the City Nation Place Global Forum in London. Eindhoven is the winner in the overall category ‘Place Brand of the Year’. The jury acknowledges the efforts of branding teams that bring everything together effectively: “a good short and long-term strategy with clear objectives, wherein the past year (March 2017 to July 2018) a project or strategic idea was executed, an event was activated, or a certain goal was achieved”.
Peter Kentie, managing director of Eindhoven365, was in London to receive the award: “We are proud of what we have achieved here and are delighted that with this award the jury of experts honours our Eindhoven policy and our distinctive qualities, our choice of partners and collaborations.” Eindhoven is a city with focus, says Kentie. “The matching philosophy, on which the city marketing strategy is based, is therefore called: ‘who chooses, will be chosen’. We collaborate with the municipality, the business community, the creative community and the residents. That works, we have the courage to let go and the will to get started with it.”
In April 2017, Eindhoven was also chosen as the event city of the year. In March 2018, Eindhoven also won the international Place Marketing Award in Strasbourg in the category ‘New ways to finance a territorial brand and to attract talents’. Eindhoven also won the National City Marketing Trophy in 2017, 2015 and 2014, and in 2017 Eindhoven became a finalist in the category ‘Best Use of Social Media’ of the City Nation Place Awards.
The 2018 City Nation Place Awards has received more than 100 entries from the most innovative, creative and effective market strategies, originating from neighbourhoods, cities, regions and countries worldwide. The jury is made up of international experts: Chris Brown (Director of Marketing Liverpool, Liverpool Vision), Clare Dewhirst (Founder and Director, City Nation Place), Caio Esteves (CEO, Places for us), Colin Ferguson (President & CEO, Travel Manitoba), Chris Gottlieb (Marketing & Communications Consultant), Natasha Grand (Director, INSTID), Mary Harris (Managing Director, M&C Saatchi Export) and Guri Højgaard (Director of Tourism – CEO, Visit Faroe Islands).
