Creative Economy Agency

The talk session, 'Culture and Creative Cities: Strategies for Impactful City Branding,' held on June 30, 2024, was a key highlight of the THACCA SPLASH: Soft Power Forum 2024. Organized by the Creative Economy Agency (Public Organization) or CEA, which is dedicated to promoting creative districts and cities in Thailand, this talk session presented effective strategies used by various cities to establish strong city brand identities. The session featured six urban experts and representatives from cities that are part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN), both from Thailand and abroad, who shared their insights and experiences in driving cities toward success. The discussion centered on leveraging unique cultural assets to create compelling city brands that attract tourists and investments while enhancing the quality of life for local residents. 

The six distinguished speakers included:

1. Mr. Feng Jing

Chief of Culture Unit, UNESCO Bangkok Office

2. Dr. hab. Magdalena Florek

Board Member, International Place Branding Association, Kingdom of the Netherlands

Representatives from four cities across three countries in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) also participated:

3. Ms. Susan Finnegan

Director of Commerce, Culture Liverpool

Liverpool, UCCN Creative City of Music, United Kingdom

4. Mr. Park Kiyong

Former Chairman, Korean Film Council (KOFIC), and Professor of Film at Dankook University School of Theatre and Film

Busan, UCCN Creative City of Film, Republic of Korea

5. Mrs. Wanpen Mungsri

Deputy Governor, Phetchaburi Province

Phetchaburi, UCCN Creative City of Gastronomy, Thailand

6. Mr. Sanon Wangsrangboon

Deputy Governor, Bangkok

Bangkok, UCCN Creative City of Design, Thailand

Special Keynote Address

By Mr. Feng Jing

Chief of Culture Unit, UNESCO Bangkok Office

The talk session commenced with a special keynote address delivered by Mr. Feng Jing, Chief of the Culture Unit at the UNESCO Bangkok Office. His address focused on UNESCO's Creative Cities initiative and strategic plans for developing unique soft power in various cities. He stated, "UNESCO aims to create a network of culture and creativity to connect people. Promoting art and creativity is a crucial step in fostering economic growth, increasing employment, and building sustainability. UNESCO is also expanding international cooperation, with key focus areas including: (1) expanding creative cities to increase economic value, (2) committing to and developing policies at local or city levels, and (3) appropriately applying UNESCO's frameworks and tools in Thailand. Increasing the number of creative cities is not the only measure of success; other long-term indicators should be pursued to achieve sustainable development."

Good, Livable, and Cultural Cities Lead to Sustainability and Promote Soft Power

Mr. Feng Jing continued, "UNESCO has a strategic plan to develop unique cultural soft power in various cities, employing four strategies in its action plan to promote the creative economy: (1) transforming creative industries to compete globally, (2) adding value to production and service sectors through creativity, (3) developing and increasing the number of creative cities, and (4) upgrading and connecting supporting factors for the creative economy."

He emphasized, "We aim to create systems that drive change in cities by developing industries, culture, and creativity. Good, livable, and cultural cities lead to sustainability, driven by four key aspects: Economic - industries must be diverse, with a dynamic economic model that generates growth and innovation, providing access to education, employment, and skills training. Governance - city leaders must have clear management strategies, using appropriate strategies and integration, with skilled government operations. Social - people living together cohesively, with well-connected and communicative communities, emphasizing safety and a good society. Environmental - basic needs and resources must be sufficient to meet demands."

Government and Local Authorities Should Provide Funding and Space for Creatives

"Governments and local authorities must prioritize cultural infrastructure and support artists or creative professionals in various projects, both in terms of funding and design spaces. They are the key drivers in producing diverse works. This plays a crucial role in generating soft power. Promoting investment to create cultural diversity, especially in creativity, contributes to sustainable development. Meanwhile, economic and social promotion leads to cultural preservation, particularly in creativity, aligning with global culture. In summary, the soft power of cities stems from creativity, which is a vital force in driving environmental change, cultural and artistic expression, and design, all of which can lead to sustainable development."

"UNESCO is ready to support these efforts through the UNESCO 2005 Convention, with main objectives being: (1) supporting governance systems for sustainable culture, (2) promoting diverse cultural goods and services and facilitating the mobility of artists and producers, (3) integrating culture into sustainable development processes, considering local community values, beliefs, traditions, wisdom, and ways of life alongside economic, social, and environmental development, and (4) promoting human rights and fundamental freedoms. All of this will open opportunities for creativity to emerge and grow sustainably."

Panel Discussion by Urban Expert and UNESCO Creative Cities Representatives from Four Cities in Three Countries

Featuring Dr. hab. Magdalena Florek, Ms. Susan Finnegan, Mr. Park Kiyong, Mrs. Wanpen Mungsri, and Mr. Sanon Wangsrangboon 

The Importance of City Branding in Promoting Soft Power and the Challenges in Collaborating with City Stakeholders 

Building Cities Through Symbolic Communication

Dr. hab. Magdalena Florek, Member of the board of the International Place Branding Association, Kingdom of the Netherlands, emphasized, "City branding is crucial for supporting a city's vision and achieving development goals by creating a compelling image. It aims to foster awareness and deliver authentic experiences by defining the identity of the local area, residents, and participants, cultivating pride in local identity. Creating a city brand is not about creating a single product for that city, but about clearly connecting and communicating the city's symbols. Soft power has the ability to attract and influence the behavior of people in the city and the country. Therefore, city branding aims to create an attractive image that people will remember, promoting economic growth, tourism, and both domestic and foreign investment."

She continued, "City branding enables interaction, allowing citizens to engage with their city and the city to engage with its citizens. All stakeholders in the city are integral to creating soft power. We need to engage these people to help build a strong and sustainable brand for the city. These individuals must possess the knowledge, expertise, and experience to create the city's brand and identity. Attracting people to participate in city projects together is crucial and requires careful planning for success."

Building Cities with New Ideas 

Ms. Susan Finnegan, Director of Commerce of Culture Liverpool, representing Liverpool, UCCN Creative City of Music, United Kingdom, shared, "As clearly seen, Liverpool has successfully moved beyond being known solely for The Beatles and football clubs. We've been cultivating our identity for over 20 years to build the Liverpool brand. For the city's vision, we need to embrace change, explore new ideas, and harness diverse power and potential. Our strategy includes providing abundant accommodations that can fully and comfortably host tourists, maintaining a clean city, and ensuring safe travel. Additionally, Liverpool is creating a 360-degree city brand by planning various events, such as Taylor Swift's latest concert. We created TikTok content showcasing the places she visited, which might inspire songwriting, etc. It's noteworthy that over half of Liverpool's income comes from the tourism industry."

She stated, "Major challenges don't just occur in Liverpool but in every city across the United Kingdom. Tourism research shows that 30% of Europeans don't know any city other than London. The number of tourists has decreased. Of course, we want Liverpool to live up to its reputation as a music city and not fade away over time. Therefore, we've been promoting new artists. Additionally, Liverpool's streets can be developed to be more walkable. We're working on creating streets of art and culture. Liverpool is also trying to follow trends and use new technologies as marketing tools to attract tourists and develop content that appeals to various artists and event organizers."

Building Cities by Changing Image

Mr. Park Kiyong, Professor of Film at Dankook University School of Theatre and Film in Busan, UCCN Creative City of Film, Republic of Korea, shared his insights. He noted, "When people think of South Korea, they typically think of Seoul. This concentration in Seoul and its surrounding cities led to Busan being known as a city for the elderly, as many young people moved to Seoul. To counter this, we sought to revitalize Busan by positioning it as a city of cinema. This effort began with the inaugural Busan International Film Festival in 1996. In 2005, I founded the Asian Film Academy (AFA), an organization that supports the production of all types of films. This initiative sparked interest in the film industry and laid the groundwork for sustainable growth in the future."

He noted, “The major problem Busan faced at the time was that both films and series were predominantly produced in Seoul, leading to 98% of the revenue being concentrated in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do. " To address this imbalance, the government introduced the National Balanced Development Plan. I advocated for Busan to establish itself as a center for filmmaking, film culture education, and all aspects of the film industry. The goal was to expand the city's profile and become the film hub of Asia."

Building Cities with Local Stories 

Ms. Wanpen Mungsri, Deputy Governor of Phetchaburi Province, representing Phetchaburi, UCCN Creative City of Gastronomy, Thailand, stated, "Phetchaburi Province's soft power lies in its craftsmanship and food. We chose to become a UCCN Creative City of Gastronomy because food can generate income and improve the quality of life for local residents. We have explored and elevated local foods such as Khao Chae, Kaeng Hua Tan, and Kuay Tiew Nam Daeng by giving them modern packaging and using technology to extend their shelf life. We have also created a city brand with a logo and mascot and promoted it through social media. Another strategy involves improving tourist attractions like the Saturday Walking Street and Chamchuri Floating Market, working collaboratively with stakeholders from food producers to transportation providers. The government offers support and knowledge to these initiatives. As Phetchaburi grows as a creative city, young people will have opportunities in their hometown, increasing their pride and reducing the need to move to the capital for work. This will boost income, raise GDP, improve quality of life, reduce social inequality, and benefit the province's economy and sustainable development."

Ms. Wanpen addressed the challenge by noting, “To build consumer confidence and acceptance of the Phetchaburi brand, we must maintain food quality and standards by training entrepreneurs and researching new menu items, such as Chef's Table experiences and fusion cuisine. We aim to develop tourist attractions that draw visitors and foster collaboration with entrepreneurs and the education sector, focusing on consumer needs and trends. In addition, we are working towards achieving Zero Waste and reducing carbon emissions to ensure long-term sustainability.”

Building Cities with Visual Identity

Mr. Sanon Wangsrangboon, Deputy Governor of Bangkok, representing Bangkok, UCCN Creative City of Design, Thailand, explained, "Understanding why Bangkok needs a visual identity and how to build upon it is crucial. One of the major issues for Bangkok is accessibility, as government agencies often seem distant from the people. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is working towards creating more unified communication. Our goal is to make it immediately recognizable that this is BMA, a government agency, representing our city. Visual identity helps create easy access, a memorable image, and pride in our city without requiring significant changes. Our main aim is accessibility, so we've launched an online platform where people can view BMA policies or submit complaints with just a click on the website. Although visual identity involves design and graphics, it also makes policies or activities organized in various districts more accessible to the public.”

Mr. Sanon further explained, "When the BMA introduced the new ‘Bangkok sticker’ on the Pathumwan Skywalk, we received both positive and negative feedback. However, this provided an opportunity to engage with the public and discuss various aspects of the city. We used this moment to communicate with the public, fostering a sense of ownership and pride in the city. We distributed the 'Sao Chingcha' font for public use, encouraging people to build upon it. Moreover, the BMA is collaborating with the Thai Graphic Designers Association (ThaiGa) to involve the public in designing buildings and visual identities, including creating slogans and relatable symbols. We will soon hold a competition to bring the city and its residents closer together."