One person can make a difference - although branding a place is not a one-man show

In today's over-communicated world, every day people are bombarded with thousands of commercial messages. Objects of branding, whether consumer goods, people or cities, are facing the same challenge of breaking through the message clutter and connecting with customers. This article discusses the elements of branding a city, highlighting the role of enterprising, visionary people and the importance of their commitment to the process. The purpose is to explore the role of individuals and their visioning in place branding. The authors claim that even one person can make a difference, whether in initiating the branding process or re-positioning the city. Two case examples support this claim: Vernon in California, which inspired the investigation and Eskis,ehir in Turkey. What is to be learned fromthe branding efforts of these two cities, located far away from each other, yet with causes in common?