City Studies in Marketing: The Past, Present and the Future of Turkish Cities

Abstract

In an age where boundaries have dissolved, and rapid urbanization has left its mark, city marketing has emerged as a vital strategy to attract investments, tourists, visitors, and individuals conducive to urban development. This multidimensional approach, extending beyond the confines of traditional advertising, seeks to promote cities as unique and vibrant destinations, encompassing economic, social, and cultural dimensions, thus underscoring the increasing significance of effective city marketing strategies. Due to its pivotal role in the competitive and sustainable development of cities, the subject of city marketing and branding has garnered mounting interest from governments and the academic community. City branding, encompassing the promotion and communication of a city's image and identity, has become a focal point for city managers worldwide as they endeavor to manage city brands effectively. The wide-ranging economic and social impacts of city marketing strategies have driven academic researchers to intensify their focus on the interaction between urban development, city branding, and perception management. This study aims to evaluate the status of cities in Turkey concerning city branding and marketing through postgraduate studies while also providing insights into the evolution of scientific studies related to city marketing and branding over time, using bibliometric analysis. This approach aims to identify key trends, concepts, and keywords, with an emphasis on themes such as city identity, place branding, stakeholder engagement, digital marketing, sustainability, economic development, tourism promotion, and innovation/creativity. The findings reveal significant interest in these topics within Turkey, particularly in Istanbul, based on the analysis of Turkish postgraduate theses. This study underscores the growing global interest in city marketing and branding, providing a foundation for future research, including investigations into city branding during crisis periods, the integration of social responsibility and sustainability into branding strategies, and the impact of technology on city branding.

Keywords

• City marketing
• City branding
• Urban development
• Bibliometric analysis
• Marketing strategies

Pazarlamada Şehir Çalışmaları: Türk Şehirlerinin Dünü, Bugünü, Geleceği

Abstract

Sınırların kaybolduğu ve hızlı kentleşmenin damgasını vurduğu bir çağda, şehir pazarlaması, yatırımları, turistleri, ziyaretçileri ve kentsel kalkınmaya faydalı bireyleri çekmek için çok önemli bir strateji olarak ortaya çıkmıştır. Şehirleri benzersiz ve canlı destinasyonlar olarak tanıtmaya yönelik, geleneksel reklam sınırlarının ötesine geçerek ekonomik, sosyal ve kültürel yönleri de kapsayan çok boyutlu yaklaşım, etkili şehir pazarlama stratejilerinin artan öneminin altını çizmektedir. Şehir pazarlaması ve şehir markalaşması konusu, şehirlerin rekabetçi ve sürdürülebilir kalkınmasında önemli rol oynadığı için, hükümetlerin ve akademik topluluğun her geçen gün daha da ilgisini çeker hale gelmiştir. Bir şehrin imajının ve kimliğinin tanıtımını ve iletişimini içeren şehir markalaşması dünya çapındaki şehir yöneticileri şehir markalarını etkili bir şekilde yönetmeye çalıştıkça önemli bir odak noktası haline gelmiştir. Şehir pazarlama stratejilerinin geniş kapsamlı ekonomik ve sosyal etkileri olduğundan, kentsel gelişim, şehir markalaşması ve algı yönetimi arasındaki etkileşim akademik araştırmacıların bu konuya yoğunlaşmasına sebep olmuştur. Bu çalışma, Türkiye'deki şehirlerin şehir markalaşması ve pazarlamasındaki durumunu lisansüstü çalışmalar aracılığıyla değerlendirmeyi ve şehir pazarlaması ve markalaşması ile ilgili uluslararası dergilerde yayımlanmış bilimsel çalışmaların zaman içindeki gelişimine dair içgörüler sunmayı amaçlamaktadır. Bibliyometrik analiz yardımıyla hazırlanan bu çalışma; şehir kimliği, yer markalaşması, paydaş katılımı, dijital pazarlama, sürdürülebilirlik, ekonomik kalkınma, turizm tanıtımı ve yenilikçilik/yaratıcılık gibi temaları vurgulayarak temel eğilimleri, kavramları ve anahtar kelimeleri tanımlamaktadır. Analiz sonuçlarına göre Türkiye'deki lisansüstü tezlerde, özellikle İstanbul’a yönelik önemli bir ilgi olduğunu göstermektedir. Çalışmanın bulguları, bu konulara yönelik küresel ilginin arttığını ortaya koymakta ve kriz dönemi şehir markalaşması, sosyal sorumluluk ve sürdürülebilirlik entegrasyonu ve teknolojinin şehir markalaşması üzerindeki etkisini inceleyen gelecekteki araştırmalar için bir temel sağlamaktadır.

Keywords

• Şehir pazarlaması
• Şehir markalaşması
• Kentsel gelişim
• Bibliyometrik analiz
• Pazarlama stratejileri

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