The place branding process, especially during the formation of a place brand identity, requires a collaborative approach that involves all relevant stakeholders. The co-creation process is one of the practical collaborative approaches that is significant for representing the appropriate place brand image to tourists and enhancing the destination’s appeal. The creative industries are key stakeholders who play an important role in this process, as they contribute to a city’s cultural capital, foster innovation, and directly engage with visitors. This study explores the perspectives of internal stakeholders, including local creative professionals, and the public sector representatives, including the Liepaja 2027 team and Liepaja’s Destination Management Organisation, regarding the role of creative industries in co-creating Liepaja’s place brand identity in preparation for its designation as the European Capital of Culture (ECoC) in 2027. Through six semi-structured interviews, the findings revealed that there are positive perspectives, where both internal stakeholders view the local creative industries’ role as identity storytellers in Liepaja. However, further findings indicate that local creative industries are being excluded from strategic branding discussions and formal decision-making processes with public sector stakeholders, resulting in the marginalisation of their role. Public sector stakeholders acknowledge the contributions of the local creative industry but tend to prioritise collaboration with larger, more established creative organisations, leaving smaller enterprises underrepresented. Additional challenges, including structural barriers, lack of publicity support, and communication gaps, further undermine a meaningful co-creation process between these sectors. As this study is conducted before Liepaja’s designation as ECoC in 2027, the insights highlight existing challenges and future opportunities to strengthen stakeholder partnerships. This can ensure that the city’s cultural potential can be fully utilised in its place brand identity. The research also contributes to broader academic discussions on participatory place branding, particularly in small creative cities navigating major cultural events.
Nikola Elina Grigorjeva (Wed,) studied this question.