Engaging Creative-Sector Stakeholders for Place Branding – A University as a Value Integrator

Value co-creation has become central to place branding as urban areas increasingly seek to improve their attractiveness and cultural vitality. This study investigates how a university fosters value co-creation by engagingFootnote1 creative sector in place branding, drawing on the city of Pori, Finland, as a case study. The findings indicate that when a university, acting as a place-brand proposer, provides platforms for stakeholder engagement and mutual understanding, it can help actors shape the identity and narrative of a place. The university acts as a place-brand communicator by facilitating networking and knowledge-sharing among stakeholders, thereby encouraging engagement with branding efforts. In addition, the university adopts the role of a place-brand co-creator by contributing to tangible activities and supporting activities such as digital innovation with stakeholders. The analysis further shows that this integrative work unfolds under conditions of institutional asymmetry, where opportunities to participate are more readily extended than opportunities to influence decisions. Our research highlights how the university can promote initiatives that strengthen the brand identity of the creative city and develop the collective value integration of cultural and creative ecosystems.