Global Cities Blog

BackDo actions speak louder than logos?

Last week was a fascinating time to be in Moscow.  Levels of democratic expectation are high and rising. I was there participating in the Moscow Urban Forum. I had two roles on this occasion – first as a member of the Urban Land Institute Advisory Panel – a group of international urban specialists offering recommendations to the city on its long-term urban development strategy, but I was also invited to speak at the conference on the topic of city branding.

I posed the question ‘Do actions speak louder than logos? My view is that if place-branding is to be meaningful, campaigns and brands have greatest impact when they are delivered through policy actions rather than just relying on logos and clever strap-lines. Businesses and policymakers at the conference were keen to ensure that Moscow projects global city status internationally; many felt that external perceptions of Moscow were outdated – there was a clear consensus amongst the 600+ participants in the final interactive voting session that Moscow had to develop the promotional infrastructure to manage its reputation.

This is the right approach but the most significant steps towards developing Moscow’s international brand profile will grow from developing the policy actions that demonstrate its global city status. In the advisory panel’s recommendations to the Mayor, we emphasised that achieving global city status required Moscow to prioritise liveability and governance as well as developing international influence.

Policies which encourage transparency will ultimately improve the attractiveness of Moscow as an investment opportunity, the strength of its visitor appeal and as a home for talent. In developing its strategy for growth Moscow might begin by setting out what kind of global city it wants to be and what role it will play in the international economy. Will it be another global financial centre like London? Will it focus on issues of global citizenship like Copenhagen? Or will it compete with Istanbul for international hub status as an aviation and logistics bridge between Europe and Asia?

There can be no doubt that Moscow is a city with a great wealth of culture and a keeper of many elements of European culture – indeed a significant contributor to world culture – in the form of the arts, architecture and literature. This story also has to be unlocked.

But perhaps ultimately our mental images of Moscow are out-of-date; Russia has been experiencing rapid economic growth and the recent demonstrations following the Duma elections are a clear signal to the world as well as to the Kremlin that many Muscovites want reform and transparency – their actions will do more to help people around the world understand that Moscow is changing and that it may be beginning to re-emerge to claim status as a truly global city.