Place Branding involves the strategic marketing of a geographic location—such as a city, region, or municipality—to attract new residents, businesses, and tourists. With increasing recruitment challenges in the labor market, Place Branding has become a crucial tool for employers in the public sector. But how does Place Branding connect with Employer Branding, and why is it essential for public sector employers?

In this article, we answer these questions and share tips on how Place Branding can help you enhance your Employer Brand and attract top talent to your area.

What is Place Branding?

Place Branding is similar to traditional brand marketing but focuses on promoting an attractive image of a location instead of a company or product. This could mean highlighting a city’s unique advantages, such as proximity to nature, cultural diversity, lower living costs, or career development opportunities. The goal is to make the place more appealing to a specific target group—be it current or potential residents, businesses, or tourists.

Why is Place Branding Important for the Public Sector?

Public sector employers face unique challenges in attracting and retaining the right talent. According to the Swedish Public Employment Service (Arbetsförmedlingen, Labor Market Outlook, Fall 2023), 50% of public sector employers struggle to find suitable candidates, compared to 30% in the private sector. These challenges are often made worse by geographic factors—employers in smaller towns typically find it harder to attract candidates than those in larger cities.

Benefits of Place Branding for Public Sector Employers:

• Attracting candidates to smaller towns, where recruitment is otherwise challenging.
• Boosting employee loyalty by fostering pride in the place where they live and work.
• Encouraging local collaboration between public employers, businesses, and the community to strengthen the area’s overall appeal.

Place Branding and Employer Branding: A Powerful Combination

Place Branding and Employer Branding often go hand in hand, especially for public sector employers. While Employer Branding focuses on building an attractive image of your organization, Place Branding emphasizes the location where your organization operates. Integrating Place Branding into your Employer Branding strategy can create a stronger Employer Brand, making it easier to attract top talent to your workplace and region.

How to Get Started with Place Branding

1. Identify Your Location’s Unique Strengths: What makes your area attractive to your target audience? Highlight features like proximity to nature, strong educational opportunities, or a vibrant cultural scene.
2. Create Targeted Social Media Campaigns: Communicate the benefits of living and working in your area. Use relatable examples from daily life, such as family-friendly schools or an active lifestyle.
3. Leverage Data-Driven Strategies: Analyze which messages resonate most with your audience and tailor your content accordingly.
4. Collaborate Locally: Partner with other public and private stakeholders to create a unified and compelling image of your community or region.

Strengthen Your Employer Brand Through Place Branding

Incorporating Place Branding into your Employer Branding strategy can help you attract the right talent while simultaneously enhancing your Employer Brand, both internally and externally. When a location is perceived as desirable, candidates are more likely to see you as an attractive employer. A strong Employer Brand combined with effective Place Branding can also reduce turnover and foster pride among your current employees.

Want to learn more about how Place Branding can strengthen your Employer Brand? Book a free consultation with one of our Employer Branding specialists for the public sector!