Barcelona is many things. Also a brand. That is, a brand-city. I don't know when it was, but, at some point, advertising and marketing gurus decided to apply to cities the formula that worked so well with Coca-Cola. That is, to treat them as if they were a product with tangible and intangible attributes that needed to be positioned in the market and differentiated from the competition. I don't need to say with what objective, right?: to sell. City branding or place branding is about this and, in the case of Barcelona, it has been a resounding success. Since that great launch campaign that the '92 Olympic Games turned out to be, Barcelona has become an object of desire for millions of people around the planet: good weather, fantastic gastronomy, open and welcoming citizenry, creativity and innovation... Outwardly, three decades later, the Barcelona brand remains strong. When we get rid of covid-19, it will once again be a top tourist destination and an unbeatable setting for congresses and other international events, home to more and more technology companies and a magnet for talent.
Last week, the Barcelona Metropolitan Strategic Plan (PEMB) and the agency for entrepreneurship, innovation and knowledge for the socioeconomic development of Osona – Creacció invited me to participate in the Open Metropolis Cycle Conference which, as part of the process Barcelona demà. Compromís Metropolità 2030, proposes a series of debates to contribute to the reconnection of the urban world with the rural world. In this context, I moderated a debate table on the projection of the Barcelona brand as an asset for the entire territory, which led me to wonder if, in reality, the Barcelona brand illuminates the country or rather dazzles it. Put more prosaically: if the Episcopal Museum of Vic, the companies of Moià or the mining heritage of Bages benefit from the great international attraction of the country's capital or, on the contrary, Barcelona's success does not go beyond Collserola and, in a certain way, prevents the attractions of the rest of the territory from shining.
After listening carefully to Dionís Guiteras, mayor of Moià; Rosa Serra, historian and museographer from Berguedà; Toni Puig, from the Civitas Cultura association, and Josep Maria Riba, vicar general of the diocese of Vic and director of the MEV for 17 years, I got the impression that, from Vic, the Barcelona brand is not seen as its own and, in fact, its current formulation is not 100% shared either. Consol Vancells, head of city brand projects at the Barcelona City Council - Barcelona Activa took good note of this and, in fact, clearly showed herself to be in favor of the Barcelona brand being a great space for collaboration based on talent, initiative and commitment.
Surely the territory can benefit greatly from the Barcelona brand by linking its international projection to that of a city that clearly captivates. It is also evident that the city must count on the territory to strengthen and enrich its brand. I left the Conference with an idea: the tourism that interests both of us is one that has time and desire to discover what lies beyond the Gothic Quarter, the beach, the Barça museum or the most worn-out Gaudí. One that strolls through the peripheral neighborhoods, but also goes to Terrassa to visit the Museum of Science and Technology of Catalonia, to spend the day in Vic to admire Sert's paintings in the cathedral or to Berguedà, to follow the dinosaur footprints of the magnificent Fumanya site.