Between ‘Place-Branding’ and ‘Sense of Place’ in the Nordics : A comparative study through two generations of Nordic residents in Stockholm.

Abstract: Place branding refers to the strategical act of attaching a positive reputation to a geographical place. This concept is argued important due to its ability to boost places with advantageous lead when globally competing over financial, cultural and human resources. In 2015, the Nordic Council of Ministers accordingly adopted an official strategy for how to internationally brand the Nordic Region. The strategy includes illustrations of the Region, along with detailed goals on how the Nordics – natively called ‘Norden’ – should be associated and perceived.  Nevertheless, when dissecting the elements of which place-brands are made up by, it is found that residents ‘sense of place’ form an essential component to the quality and success of the place-brand. At the same time, it is recognized that people belonging to different generational groups typically carry different social and cultural frames of references, eventually influencing their perception of the world and potentially even their experienced sense of place.  This study has therefore aimed to examine the convergence between the Nordic Council of Ministers’ Place Branding strategy and the ‘sense of place’ experienced by residents of the Region. Additionally, by comparing results between two generational groups; the ‘Gen-z’s’ and the ‘Boomers’. Practically by answering up to the following research questions: (1) How is Nordic residents experienced ‘sense of place’ differing between generational groups? And (2) How are the outcomes in RQ1 standing in relation to the Nordic place branding strategy?  The study has applied a qualitative methodology using surveys and gathering data from a total of 94 respondents, of which 49 have belonged to the Gen-z group and 45 to the Boomer group.   Concludingly, it has been found that residents’ sense of place in the Nordics in fact is differing between generational groups. In broad, the differences are reflected by a strong sense of Nordic belongingness among Boomers, however, in combination with a sense of the Nordics that is further away from what the strategy is intending to communicate. On the other hand, the Gen-z’s are found to have significantly lower sense of Nordic belongingness, although, together with a more positive sense of the Nordics, that also is more in line with strategy.