Chinese cities urged to pick up branding tips

Survey points to 'Uniquely S'pore' campaign as way to woo talent, capital


BEIJING - A LEADING Beijing university has urged Chinese cities to pick up tips on branding from some 12 international cities, including Singapore.

China's cities have a long way to go in creating a successful 'brand' to woo talent and capital in a globalised world, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (Cass) said in a report released yesterday.

Drawing comparisons with other world cities, the report said the 'Uniquely Singapore' campaign was a 'coordinated' drive which has been 'widely accepted internationally'.

The report - Cass' first assessment and ranking of urban branding in China - was released alongside its fifth annual ranking of the competitiveness of 200 Chinese cities.

Cass noted that apart from conveying Singapore's modernity and multi-culturalism to tourists, 'Uniquely Singapore' also covers events to woo foreign investment and market Singapore's education system.

It highlighted how the Singapore Tourism Board has also promoted the city state on its own home turf, 'encouraging the city's residents to become ambassadors for Singapore'.

Cass said that, in comparison, Chinese cities send out 'confused and weak' brand messages which 'lack international perspective' and are 'insufficiently communicated to the city's own residents'.

Apart from Singapore, other cities cited included Toronto, Seoul and Edinburgh.

Beijing, which is gearing up to host the 2008 Olympic Games, was ranked overall as having the strongest brand value among 50 Chinese cities surveyed.

This was followed by financial hub Shanghai and the southern economic boomtowns of Shenzhen and Guangzhou.

Cass researchers, led by economist Ni Pengfei, looked at 70 social, environmental and economic indicators to measure a city's brand value.

Its ranking of urban competitiveness uses more tangible economic indicators such as employment, education, the financial system and scientific and technological development.

Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Shanghai and Beijing were the top four Chinese cities last year in terms of overall competitiveness.

Taipei, which was ranked No.2 in 2005 after Hong Kong, slipped last year to sixth place.

Hong Kong, Macau as well as cities in Taiwan were included in the competitiveness rankings but were not evaluated on branding.

The Cass report found a widening economic gap between China's more affluent coastal cities and its struggling interior.

In its survey of 6,100 analysts, businessmen and residents in more than 60 of the most competitive cities, Cass also found ambivalent or dwindling levels of satisfaction with governance and public service standards.

---

Beijing and HK top the lists

TOP 10 Chinese cities for economic competitiveness (includes Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan):

1. Hong Kong
2. Shenzhen
3. Shanghai
4. Beijing
5. Guangzhou
6. Taipei
7. Wuxi
8. Suzhou
9. Foshan
10. Macau