Investment Promotion

Data is at the heart of an agile brand strategy. Khaled Tash, Deputy of Marketing & Communications for INVEST SAUDI, shared with us how the Kingdom is building an investment brand and using comprehensive data reporting to demonstrate the tangible results and to refine their approach.

Last week, we were delighted to welcome over 600 delegates from around the world to join one or more of the events for the City Nation Place World Congress. Whilst this list really doesn’t begin to tap into the wealth of learnings at the World Congress, we’ve pulled together a summary of the overarching themes that resonated most with us

COVID-19 has accelerated the need for robust digital transformation, and investment promotion agencies around the world have been re-evaluating their strategies to ensure they’re still able to reach their investors – even if they’re still halfway around the world. We reached out to Muhammad Azmi Zulkifli, CEO at Invest Kuala Lumpur, to understand how the digital strategies they’d implemented have continued to adapt and evolve to meet the needs of this new pandemic world.

Between Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic, how are international perceptions of Great Britain faring? We spoke with Dan Ramsay, the new director of the GREAT Britain campaign, to discover what the future is for the GREAT brand platform and what the key is to the campaign’s longevity.

Globally, FDI inflows are expected to decrease up to 40% according to the UN and competition is fierce as places look to shore up shaken economies and the pressure on governments to create employment increases. Now more than ever, investment destinations need to stand out.

Recovery will have to be a joint effort with your citizens, your government, your local businesses, your key stakeholders. To make real change, everyone must be on board with your strategy. What can you do practically as a place marketing or management organisation to help take those first steps?

COVID-19 has encouraged us all to find new ways of working, but can we ever lose the personal touch in investment promotion? Sirpa Tsimal, Director of Investment Promotion at Switzerland Global Enterprise, shares her insights on the digital vs the human approach to investment attraction.

Kaunas, Lithuania, has been named one of the European Cities of Culture for 2022. Tadas Stankevicius, Director at Kaunas IN, shared with us how they’re leveraging culture to nurture civic pride and to drive their recovery after COVID-19.

How can destinations begin their recovery? With the summer season looming for many destinations, and business-almost-as-usual resuming, we reached out to our panel of place branding experts to understand what the next steps should be for places looking to restart their economies.

A new threat is emerging for place marketers – the recession. How can you advocate for your marketing budget in the midst of pandemic? And what can we learn from brands who have mastered their COVID marketing?

How can you leverage economic data to drive a comprehensive web strategy as an investment promotion agency? Stéphane Paquet, President & CEO at Montréal International, shares how data, story telling and a sector-specific approach have been central to their success.