The objective of the course concerns mainly two levels:

• the level of the opportunity of the students to get to know something new with a high indicator of active participation,
• the level of taking advantage of their knowledge in connection with the professional field.
• The general aim of the course concern the combination of the issues of urban planning, regional planning and development (which constitute the three basic directions of the Department) through a contemporary perspective. The geographic dimension of place marketing concerns mainly regions and the cities (in the latter there is talk of city marketing and branding).

More specifically, the course has the following learning outcomes: the acquisition of knowledge about place marketing, which constitutes an innovative subject for planning and development in Greece, the understanding of contemporary issues and concepts related both to place marketing and marketing in general, the elaboration of proposals for the strategic promotion and advertisement of places, and the elaboration of integrated marketing plans.

• Knowledge

• Understanding the differences between place marketing and ‘traditional’ marketing (for business and products)
• Understanding the difference between (place) Marketing and Βranding
• Place competitiveness (which is connected with the three basic dimensions of place marketing, i.e. the attraction of businesses, residents and tourists)
• Place identity and Place image
• The emphasis in the social and the cultural dimension of place marketing
• The role of special events for a city’s image and for place marketing in genral

• Skills

• Field research (with questionnaires) in the context of a Strategic Place Marketing Plan
• Market research and segmentation of potential target markets of cities or places
• Participation in and/or coordination of consultation processes

• Competences

• Exploring and shaping the ‘image of cities’

• Strategic place marketing planning

• Development of the cultural and the tourist product of places through the process of marketing and branding.

Taking into account the general competencies that the graduates should acquire (as listed in the Diploma Supplement) the course contributes to the acquisition of the following:

– Research, analysis and synthesis of data and information, using the essential technologies,

– Decision making,

– Team working,

– Working in an international and interdisciplinary environment,

– Project management and design

– Respect for diversity and multiculturalism

– Promotion of free, creative and inductive thinking

The contents of the course cover a wide spectrum of fields that largely preoccupy the international reality of the last 35 years. The course is structured as follows:

1. 1. 1. 1. Introduction to the subject. What Place Marketing and Branding is about
         2. Basic terms and principles of marketing. Non-business applications of marketing (political marketing, social marketing)
         3. From marketing to Place marketing
         4. Cities in the internationalized environment / the necessity of place marketing
         5. City competitiveness, urban development and quality of life
         6. ‘Cinematic’ Marketing and Branding for cities
         7. The SWOT analysis
         8. The structure of the place marketing plan
         9. Strategic place marketing plans: Case studies
         10. Creative cities and marketing
         11. Marketing for museums and cities (study visit and workshop)

Specified Evaluation Criteria

The topics of the papers are suggested through a specially formulated list of topics that cover contemporary issues and concepts related to the course. The authoring of the papers, which is monitored by the teachers throughout the semester, involves the analysis and synthesis of theoretical text, gathering diverse data, conducting field research in the area of inquiry, critically evaluating the plans and policies already applied and the formulation of specific recommendations based on the knowledge gained by the students participating in the course. Through the corrections of the work, the intermediate and final presentation, as well as the overall student participation in the lectures, teachers are able to evaluate their performance on the above individual learning objectives.

The assessment system is sufficient, clear and aware of the students, as it is analyzed in the outline of the course which is being distributed in the first lesson and posted in eclass.

All courses include an evaluation of the teachers, the educational process and the student assessment process. The evaluation process is carried out anonymously and electronically under the responsibility of the Secretariat and is completely transparent.

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• Συναφή επιστημονικά περιοδικά: Journal of Place Management and Development , Journal of Town and City Management , Place Branding and Public Diplomacy