Meaning and Representation

External Agencies: Where some groups try to influence people’s sense of place, or even create new meanings so they can change people’s behaviour towards those places.

Governments [0] may do this to attract investment and people to said place.
Corporate Bodies [1] may do this to generate profit or have been set up for a specific purpose.

One way in which corporate bodies can try to influence or create specific place meanings is via commercials which portray the country as appealing and attractive, e.g, Turkish Airlines. It shows the country being rich with culture as there’s museums and many local markets which if a person was to visit, is able to experience.

Community Groups [2]: They may try to change the perception of their place to improve the local economy or lives of local people.

4 Main Strategies to alter perceptions of place

Rebranding: This is about giving a place a new identity that is appealing. The aim is to create a new identity, including new logos and slogans to attract new investors and visitors to the area.
Regeneration: The long-term process to improve an area that has been experiencing a period of decline by reversing it and creating sustainable communities.
Place Marketing: How places are ‘sold’ to consumers. Marketing companies are employed to produce websites, design logos, and run social media pages, aimed to promote a particular place.
Re-imaging: About changing the existing negative perceptions of a place, aiming to dissociate a place from its negative past, e.g, high crime rates and poor housing.