Brand platform for the Oslo Region:
Achievements and main obstacles
Øyvind Såtvedt
Managing Director, Oslo Region Alliance
Project Oslo Region
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Initiated by the Oslo Region Alliance (75 municipalities and four regions)
and the City of Oslo
Oslo Region Alliance and Oslo Business Region (Business development
agency) has established a joint project group
Cooperation with Visit Oslo, business clusters, Oslo Airport, Universities,
museums, festivals and others
Purpose: Establish a platform for integrated brand management in the
Oslo region, based on:
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A shared strategy for long term place brand management
Plan for specific actions
Proposal for brand management organization
Proposal for funding of brand management activities thru a public-private
partnership
Project period: Q4 2013 – Q1 2015
Implementation of strategy from 2015/2016
Place brand – our definition:
Brand, branding and brand is an integral and strategic
process of both reality- and perception-management. The
‘brand’ is not a visual brand, a simple communication tool or
an organizational entity but the essence of the place.
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The Oslo region
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2,1 million inhabitants, will be 2,8 million in 2040
UN: One of the fastest growing regions in Europe
32 % of employees has a higher education degree
Norway and Oslo typically has a high score on
rankings about livability, safety, health, work/life
balance, environment, etc.
Oslo is a “young” city with changing identity,
increasing recognition in international media and
growing ambitions
The Oslo region
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More than 50 % of Norwegian GDP
International hub for maritime sector, ranked second after
Singapore
More than 50 % international market share of subsea
technologies
More than 85 % of national value created in Norway within
Finance sector, Telecom and media and ICT
Oslo and Akershus county # 5 and #6 respectively of regions
with highest R&D expenditure per capita in Europe
Brand management requires good governance
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Lack of sense of urgency: Strong economy, low unemployment = Weak incentives for
regional authorities to focus on long-term business development
Traditionally, a weak identity as a region, both in private and public sector.
Fragmented decision making structures in the public sector.
Fragmented business development strategies and organizational structure
Not able to effectively utilize innovation potential
Weak national strategies for developing city regions as engines for growth, mostly
focused on rural areas.
International Oslo brand is weak and/or obscured - an integrated brand strategy has
never been launched before
Place based branding - historically
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Milestones towards integrated place brand
management for the Oslo Region
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Oslo Teknopol, est. 2002 (Business development agency)
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Cluster based international positioning, 2006-
Oslo Region Alliance, est. 2004: “A competitive and sustainable region in Europe”
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A working group for international positioning set up in 2005
Several work papers, 2005 – 2010
Report commissioned in 2010
Green light for a pre-project in 2012
Expo Shanghai, 2010 – “Oslo – powered by nature”
Decision by the City Parliament in Oslo 2013 to implement a strategy project
Decision by the board of Oslo Region Alliance to implement a strategy project,
2013
Joint project, 2013
A consensus about the Oslo region’s need to:
 Attract talent
 Attract investments and business
 Strengthen it’s ability to attract partners for
International collaboration
 Attract tourists and other visitors
 Develop regional identity and pride
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Criteria for success
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Honest and credible: Communicating actual strengths and
assets
Involvement: Mapping and involving relevant
stakeholders in the development of the strategy
Building partnership and alliances thru the involvement
process
Clear: Unite stakeholders behind a limited number of
values and concepts than can be used to tell the stories
about the Oslo region (Can not be a sum of all interests)
Learning from international best practice
No logo or slogan
Bottom up: Involvement activities
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400 private and public stakeholders will participate in workshops
60 interviews with key opinion leaders/important stakeholders
Student competition
Involvement of the public thru social media, web based questionnaires
Workshops with ex pats in Norway and foreign students
Questionnaires to international journalists, Norwegian diplomatic corps
Learning from international best practice
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Urbact/CityLogo: Workshops, study visits, peer
review
International Advisory Board:
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Greg Clark (Business of Cities, ltd), London - chairman
Martin Boisen, lecturer at University of Groningen and
University of Utrecht. Co-founder of Phønix The
International Place Branding Panel – vice chairman
Geerte Udo, Marketing Director at Amsterdam Marketing
Mateu Hernández Maluquer , Director at Barcelona Global
Lead consultant with international experience
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Kreab Gavin Anderson, Oslo and Helsinki
Achievements (so far…)
 Stakeholders:
 Enthusiasm
 Willingness to contribute
 Heightened awareness and greater knowledge about what
brand management is all about among stakeholders and
relevant agencies
Obstacles/potential challenges
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Managing expectations
Retaining enthusiasm
Managing potential tension between different geographical areas within the
Oslo region
Involving the media as a partner
Making sure that the brand management is not only about communication,
but also closely linked to policies for improving the region as a place to visit,
study, work, invest and live
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