Namen als Imagefaktoren in Stadtmarketingkampagnen

Abstract

Places have long felt a need to differentiate themselves from each other, to assert their individuality in pursuit of various economic, political or socio-psychological objectives. This is especially true of cities, which are increasingly importing the concept and techniques of product branding for use within place marketing. This present paper examines linguistic and socio-economic strategies as they are used in city branding. The City of Magdeburg, capital of Saxony-Anhalt, serves as an example of how different media and different interactive techniques can be coordinated to increase the promotional effect. Since 2010 Magdeburg bears the slogan ‚Ottostadt Magdeburg‘, and therewith refers to its history which is connected to two great men who were both called Otto: Otto the Great, who made the city his capital and from there ruled the Holy Roman Empire, and Otto von Guericke, who revolutionised the sciences in the 17th century by establishing the physics of vacuums. The campaign itself aims to raise the identification of Magdeburg‘s residents with their city as well as to raise national and international awareness in order to attract investors, tourists and students. The aim of the study is twofold: firstly, to find out what makes city branding successful, and secondly, what happens when the residents themselves use the campaign for their own purposes, e.g. by modifying, destructing or reinterpreting slogans.