The necessity of collaboration in branding: analysing the conditions for output legitimacy through qualitative comparative analysis (QCA)

This article examines the conditions for achieving output legitimacy in branding processes. Branding is a governance strategy that, according to branding and governance theory, relies heavily on involving, and collaborating with, actors. This research, based on a qualitative comparative analysis of 30 companies involved in a place branding campaign, shows that, although collaboration in branding is important, it is not a necessary condition for achieving legitimacy. The analysis shows the importance of studying collaboration together with more perceptional conditions such as place identity and place dependency to explain output legitimacy.