Osnabrück: Positioning the city brand, activating the city

What does Osnabrück stand for? – On behalf of Osnabrück Marketing GmbH, we put the Osnabrück city brand to the test. Our strategy to-do list includes: Positioning and communication, brand and stakeholder management. We also address the question of how to activate the stakeholders and players in Osnabrück.

We – the strategy experts at Stadtmanufaktur – stand for place branding that no longer sees those responsible for place marketing as communicators and “brochure printers”, but as curators of the city brand. An important and overarching role that place marketing Osnabrück would also like to take on for itself.

One of the first steps towards this new role is to really understand the identity of a city – not theoretically derived, but as it is and is lived.We approach this fundamental analysis of the Osnabrück brand in cooperation with our partner Brandmeyer Markenberatung. This understanding of the brand essence forms the basis for all further steps in positioning, communication and activation.

We advise Osnabrück strategically on the following aspects:

1. Place brand strategy
2. Positioning in the competition between cities
3. Storytelling – authentic and integrating
4. Communication strategy – also towards politics and stakeholders
5. Stakeholder map and stakeholder management
6. Brand management
7. Activation strategies for stakeholders, actors and interest groups
8. Participation measures – for theparticipation and co-creation of urban society

• Information events
• Individual discussions
• Stakeholder workshops
• Participatory surveys (open citizen survey)
• Target and action workshops

The success proves us right: in September 2022, the city council expressed its support for the brand process and the development of the Osnabrück city brand can continue.