Places as brands: charting the value of place-based intangibles

What happens when actors and sectors incorporate references to specific territories in their development efforts? Throughout history, producers have capitalised individually and collectively on place associations through mechanisms such as product marketing and cultural framing in order to protect investments and promote internationalisation efforts. This contribution explores the agenda-setting power of the concept of ‘place-based intangibles’: assets with qualities of intangibles but intricately tied to specific geographical commons. After defining the concept, we overview the key substantive topics, innovative approaches and policy puzzles in three thematic areas of research: (1) regional strategies to build place-based intangibles; (2) place-based intangibles and regional development; and (3) place-based intangibles and corporate strategies. We conclude by discussing the prospects set forth by the assemblage of fresh papers included in this special issue, which this paper also introduces, and put forward the implications of place-based intangibles for policymakers, businesses and scholars.