Yoon Young-seok and Kim Woo-hyung; Unitas Brand: 208 pp., 15,000 won
Being a New Yorker means so much more than simply residing in the Big Apple. The phrase conjures up the pride of the citizens who lead global trends in the arts, culture and economy.
The book looks into the power of cities such as New York in terms of “branding.” Today, the influence of cities’ brands is getting bigger. Bilbao, a small mine city, turned into a cultural city as the location of a Guggenheim Museum. Also, Basel, a Swiss city, is a case in point for successful branding as it is now known as a city of the arts, home to more than 30 museums, 50 galleries and 20 small theaters.
Seoul has recognized the importance of city-branding. The municipal government increased its budget for city marketing from 4 billion won in 2007 to 40 billion won to redesign the city. As a result, it was selected as one of the most sought-after cities Asians want to visit, according to AC Nielson in 2008.
The book informs readers about the overseas marketing strategy of Seoul from 2007 to 2010 by Yoon, a veteran administrator and Kim, a brand professional.
It also introduces 10 successful cases of other countries such as Basel and gives a systemic analysis on branding strategy.
-Chung Ah-young