Launched in 2020, Lowestoft’s place branding programme has recently been recognised as an example of good practice in a case study published by People & Places. The case study explores the purpose of place branding and showcases how it can play a role in the wider revitalisation projects in towns and cities.
Lowestoft is on a journey of embedding and developing its place brand into the town, showcasing the existing qualities and progress of regeneration efforts across different areas of the town.
The place branding programme aims to boost pride in place to attract new visitors, businesses, and residents and make Lowestoft a desirable place to live, work and visit. The narrative recognises the value of Lowestoft’s built heritage and natural surroundings including an attractive beach, access to the Broads National Park, and medieval town, complimented by an exciting and rapidly developing cultural offer.
To date, the place branding work has seen a new place based website, branding toolkit (including photography, colour palette, and fonts, free for Lowestoft businesses and community groups to utilise), Ambassador programme, and Lowestoft Story, a book which identifies what makes our town special, competitive and different to other places, developed.
The work, led by East Suffolk Council and supported by local partners and ThinkingPlace, seeks to actively address perceptions and challenges such as being a coastal town with a limited 180degree catchment, civic pride, the role and usage of town centres, evolving tourism trends, and recovering local economy, by renewing the town’s role and identity.
The case study notes how place branding can be part of the solution in regenerating towns and cities, with clear communication and collaboration key to its success – something which is at the heart of the work being undertaken and developed in Lowestoft.
People and Places identify that there are ‘three elements of place branding’ and showcase how Lowestoft has developed this into its place branding programme.
This includes:
To find out more about how to utilise place branding for your town or city, please click here
The positive and effective use of place branding is providing Lowestoft with a distinctive brand that can be utilised by all and capturing and communicating the results of coming together to achieve an improved place. We are pleased Lowestoft has been recognised by People & Places as a place of good practice and highlights the steps being taken by East Suffolk Council and local partners to achieve positive outcomes for the town.
