Branding of Aarhus Local Action Plan Aarhus, March 2015

Transcription

1 Branding of Aarhus Local Action Plan Aarhus, March 2015 Innovative place-brand management

2 _Aarhus With a population of 320,000, Aarhus is Denmark s second largest city and the fastest growing in the country. In the past 10 years, the city has received 15,000 new residents and created 20,000 new jobs, the majority within the knowledge, service and innovation industries. A strong university in the top 100 of the world s 17,000 universities makes Aarhus a driver for growth for the entire region, with more than 50,000 students. The university, along with the waterfront and the so-called Latin Quarter, gives the city a young and vibrant feel. In 2017 Aarhus will be the European Capital of Culture. Approximately 20 per cent of all trips in Aarhus are made by bike and the city is working hard to support healthy lifestyles and protect the environment. The city aims to be CO2 neutral by The greater Aarhus area is organised into Business Region Aarhus to coordinate the synergies between the City of Aarhus and the surrounding 11 municipalities, with approximately 2.1 million inhabitants. The City of Aarhus has extensive experience in promoting growth through targeted investments and work in close cooperation with the local business life, the university and other knowledge institutions. Internationalise with Aarhus 2015 Authors: Line Gerstrand Knive, lgk@aarhus.dk, Stinne Bille, stibi@aarhus.dk, Mayor s Department City of Aarhus Graphic design and layout: Stine Sandahl, City branding toolbox: All reproduction must be approved beforehand City of Aarhus. All rights reserved

3 ake a future ith Aarhus Yearly growth in inhabitants

4 INTERNATIONALISE WITH AARHUS 6 7 INDEX Foreword by Mayor Jacob Bundsgaard 8 Excutive Summary 13 Offset for city branding in Aarhus 16 Aarhus brand DNA 21 City wide innovation The brand proposition 22 Brand governance The local support group 24 International qualification Taking part in the Urbact CityLogo project 29 Target groups 31 Business clusters as positioning tools 37 Strategic initiatives undertaken by the municipality 43 Must win battles 56 City branding team activities

5 INTERNATIONALISE WITH AARHUS 9 8 _ Foreword by Mayor Jacob Bundsgaard Aarhus has a fantastic location by the sea and next to ancient forests - a dynamic urban environment surrounded by the beauty of nature. Aarhus is an open, inclusive city where there s room for everyone. Young and old, families with children, students, artists, established businesses and start-ups: no matter who you are or where you come from, Aarhus will make you feel at home. We often call Aarhus the City of Smiles. Unpretentious, easy-going, fresh, optimistic, ambitious and buzzing with life. At the start of the new millennium, we defined a vision for Aarhus. A vision that still guides us: Aarhus a good city for everyone Aarhus a city on the move Aarhus a city that works together The vision doesn t just express what we value about our city right now and what we want to preserve from our past. It s about our development towards the future a development that keeps accelerating. Our population is growing; new neighborhoods are springing up; a new skyline is taking form. Aarhus is under construction, with new businesses, new educational and cultural institutions, and new landmark public construction projects, including the largest university hospital in Scandinavia, which will be linked to the city center by a new light rail. More and more, Aarhus is becoming the engine of growth in the entire region the cultural and industrial powerhouse of West Denmark. We work together with neighboring municipalities to promote economic, cultural and infrastructure development. Together, we create the conditions that attract good jobs and capable employees. In Aarhus, educational institutions and businesses generate knowledge and an international perspective. In fact, our worldclass university ranks among the 100 best in the world. Even as we continue to grow, we will insist on preserving our city s spirit of cooperation and social cohesion. We believe that Aarhus should be a good place to live for all of our citizens, and that room for diversity, space for expression and openness to the outside world are all qualities that help make Aarhus an attractive city. Even though some of our fellow citizens may a helping hand, all of us have something to contribute. Talent and the circulation of bright minds to and from Aarhus are vital to the city s development. Aarhus University and the talent pool it attracts are some of our city s most important assets. The high concentration of educational institutions in the city also makes Aarhus a very young and dynamic city in fact, the average citizen is 24 years old. We welcome our new students warmly and we work hard to make their stay memorable. And hopefully, when they leave us they will recommend a stay in Aarhus to other promising young talents. City branding is an investment into the future. If we are to maintain the high level of welfare we have today, it s important to attract new talent in the form of students, businesses and employees that can help drive the development and growth of the city. And these students, businesses and employees come to us from all over the world. This makes attracting talent a vital aim of our branding strategy which is linked to a longer-term effort to internationalise Aarhus. Internationalization is on our agenda. In 2017, Aarhus will be the European Capital of Culture - a golden opportunity to show the world what Aarhus has to offer. To measure the city s progress, we have set the following concrete goals: Aarhus will create 2000 new jobs each year until 2030 Business Region Aarhus will achieve growth levels that are above the national average Aarhus will be CO2 neutral by % of young people in Aarhus will complete secondary education The proportion of financially self-sufficient Aarhus citizens must be increased to meet the national average Aarhus must have a high level of civic participation Aarhus must be seen as a good city for everyone by its citizens In Aarhus, city branding is closely linked to the city s strategic development, and we do not perceive our branding activities as limited to communication and marketing in the traditional sense. Branding is just as much a matter of helping to create the framework for the city s continued development. This strategy has been created in collaboration with key stakeholders in the city, and I hope that it will serve as a common frame of reference in our efforts to brand our city. Mayor of Aarhus Jacob Bundsgaard FOREWORD

6 Feel the vibe with Aarhus The population is young, 45% is under 30 years old

7 INTERNATIONALISE WITH AARHUS SUMMARY _ Executive Summary Aarhus is in a positive development phase, activity is high and there is a positive attitude towards the city s image. Branding activities are to build on this position and develop it even further. Since 2010 the city has gone through three major identity processes: the city brand development process in 2011, the application for European Capital of Culture in 2011, and the political vision developed in The three processes all point to the city s same core values and thus support this branding strategy. Therefore the strategic positions of Aarhus identified in 2011 are still relevant. We will continue our work with that storytelling and positioning strategy in the coming years. City wide innovation The brand proposition Aarhus invites people, companies and whole sectors to move forward by immersing them in an innovation eco-system that s broader and more diligent than any other on the planet. Aarhus has 4 key differentiators: A city that takes on big challenges A city that works together A city that is hungry to experiment and rethink conventional ways of doing things A city with pragmatic determination to do things better We do not view city branding as a campaign or single initiative, but as a journey or progression the city carries on together. When measuring the effects of city branding we therefore detach ourselves from marketing logics and focus on both the city s strategic development and the customers experience of interacting with and living in the city. Branding and strategic development Branding in Aarhus is about supporting the city s strategic development. The branding effort focuses on positioning the city through supporting and promoting existing activities, organisations, events, businesses, etc. that exemplify the brand position. The branding effort in Aarhus is not centred at City Hall. We choose, rather, to distribute branding activities to dedicated organisations like VisitAarhus, the ECC2017 secretariat (European Capital of Culture) and local institutions. Co-branding Branding Aarhus is the task of the entire city. With this local action plan (LAP) we try to set some directions for the branding of Aarhus in close collaboration with our local support group. Therefore this LAP focuses on brand governance on the way the city facilitates the collaborative effort of branding Aarhus. The city speaks through the behaviour of its stakeholders. Focusing on reasons to The LAP focuses on target groups interaction with the city. This means focusing on reasons to move, reasons to invest, reasons to relocate your business or job, and reasons to go. For example, Aarhus University, VIA University College and the other educational institutions are the main reason why people choose to move to Aarhus. Therefore a close collaboration with these institutions on talent attraction and retention is a vital part of branding the city. Working with facts With this strategy we will start monitoring how Aarhus is perceived and what Aarhus is known for in relevant target groups. With the brand monitoring tool we will be able to measure the effect of branding activities much more effectively and get a more longterm perspective on the activities. Creating a platform for integrated city branding In 2015 the main efforts of the citybranding team will be to establish a platform for the LSG to work coordinated with branding of the city. This means creating an updated toolbox with target specific texts, pictures, presentations, videos etc. for the local support group and other interested parties. Furthermore we we work systematically with Aarhus online presence, trying to create a more consistent image across the most used webchannels. A greater focus on the target groups students is part of the effort. In 2015 we will create a practioners network for HR and communication staff from the educational institutions in order to create a more consistent and powerful branding towards students. We will conduct a survey on Aarhus image both specifically for the student/ talent target group and for the other target groups of the city. After conducting the survey targeted efforts are expected to be initialized in collaboration with the Local Support Group.

8 e part of omething bigger with Aarhus Approximately 325,000 inhabitants and 1.3 million within one hour drive

9 INTERNATIONALISE WITH AARHUS OFFSET FOR CITY BRANDING _ Offset for city branding in Aarhus Aarhus is in a positive development phase, activity is high and there is a positive attitude towards the city s image. Branding activities are to build on this position and develop it even further. Since 2010 the city has gone through three major identity processes: the city brand development process in 2011, the application for European Capital of Culture in 2011, and the political vision developed in The three processes all point to the city s same core values and thus support this branding strategy. Therefore the strategic positions of Aarhus identified in 2011 are still relevant. We will continue our work with that storytelling and positioning strategy in the coming years. Since 2011 the city branding effort has created an open source visual identity meaning that every one is allowed to customize the visual identity to fit their existing setup. A brand toolbox with text, pictures, and a logo generator was part of this effort. This was done in order to have as many stakeholders of the city use the brand as possible. Furthermure the Aarhus Marketing Alliance was established, a forum consisting of a large group of stakeholders that where to discuss new branding initiatives and set the strategic direction for branding of the City. Aarhus also engaged in creating a toolbox and campaigns specifically for companies to attract international talent. This toolbox is available at Aarhus also experienced great success with the national Youth Goodwill Ambassador programme, where international students are chosen to brand their city of study. ygadenmark.org. This has resulted in several branding products for the city among them the initiative Discover City According to citymetric.com, 86 per cent of all defined city branding efforts fail. Therefore we continue to seek an alternative approach to traditional marketing logics. We will not measure our success in terms of exposure of a logo or the number of times the city s name is mentioned the important thing is that the city stakeholders work together to promote the activities that take place in the city and the things that make us proud. In Aarhus we do not view city branding as a campaign or single initiative, but as a journey or progression the city carries on together. When measuring the effects of city branding we therefore have to detach ourselves from marketing logics and instead focus on both the city s strategic development and the customers experience of interacting with and living in the city. Branding the city is a holistic discipline in Aarhus and we will seek the approach illustrated in this model. Primary communication: Through city planning and services we can affect the interaction between citizen and city. These must support and exemplify the desired brand position. Secondary communication: This involves PR activities and unfolding a consistent storytelling from all parties in the city in a form that matches specific target groups, where we focus on co-branding, e.g. with Aarhus University. Tertiary Communication: We will seek to influence how citizens talk about the city, to make them good ambassadors, and to alter their mindsets to match the desired brand position. Aarhus approach to city branding Branding in Aarhus is about supporting the city s strategic development. The branding effort focuses on positioning the city through supporting and promoting existing activities, organisations, events, businesses, etc. that exemplify the brand position. We support existing efforts and make sure to highlight cases and create a storytelling that reflects our brand position. The branding effort in Aarhus is not centered at City Hall. We choose, rather, to distribute branding activities to dedicated organisations like VisitAarhus, the ECC2017 secretariat (European Capital of Culture) and local institutions. Co-branding Branding Aarhus is the task of the entire city. With this local action plan (LAP) we try to set some directions for the branding of Aarhus in close collaboration with our local support group. Therefore this LAP focuses on brand governance on the way the city facilitates the collaborative effort of branding Aarhus. In city branding it is action, not words, that creates reputation. The city speaks through the behaviour of its stakeholders. The work with coordination of city branding is conducted by a small cross-departmental team placed in the Mayors department. The team is part of the Business and City development section. Hence the role of the branding team in the City of Aarhus is to: Monitor the brand. Identify needs in terms of branding based on facts and stakeholders needs. Set a direction/initiate in collaboration with the stakeholders. Gather the relevant stakeholders. Secure the execution of an initiative. Focusing on reasons to The LAP focuses on target groups interaction with the city. The focus lies on how selected target groups perceive the city. This means focusing on reasons to move, reasons to invest, reasons to relocate your business or job, and reasons to go. For example, Aarhus University, VIA University College and the other educational institutions are the main reason why people choose to move to Aarhus. Therefore a close collaboration with these institutions on talent attraction and retention is a vital part of branding the city. When looking at reasons to invest the city s business clusters play an important role. The presence of our food cluster centred in the Agro Food Park with its research and development facilities etc. is the reason why several global players in the food industry choose Aarhus for their company or investment. When looking to relocate, expats look primarily for a concrete position; secondly they look at the overall job market and perspectives in the location. Denmark has the best climate in Europe according to Forbes and international companies like Google, Arla, IBM, Lego etc. are located in the area. This, together with a good climate for international workers, motivates expats to move to Aarhus. When looking at reasons to go to Aarhus for a shorter period of time there are several events and attractions with international appeal. These are events like the SPOT festival, the NorthSide Festival, the Food Festival, Internet Week Denmark and attractions like the museum of Modern Art Tertiary Communication Landscapes Strategies Design Architecture Public Spaces Public Art Organisatorial Stucture Internal Culture Local Communities Synergies Citizens participation Word of mouth Secondary Communication Advertising, PR, Graphic Design, Slogans etc. Primary Communication City Brand Behaviour Quality of Services Events Financial Incentives Opportunities Infrastructure Accessibility Cultural Facilities Tourism Facilities ARoS and our brand new prehistoric museum MoMu. Aarhus also has a great degree of urban coolness at e.g. Godsbanen, Mejlgade, Vestergade etc. Last but not least, being the European Capital of Culture in 2017 offers great opportunities for attracting visitors to the many events that will take place in Aarhus in Working with facts Aarhus goals (as listed in the Mayor s foreword) are for Aarhus strategic development. City branding is to support the realisation of these goals and is not to be measured by exposition and size of logo. With this strategy we will start monitoring how Aarhus is perceived and what Aarhus is known for in relevant target groups. With the brand monitoring tool we will be able to measure the effect of branding activities much more effectively and get a more longterm perspective on the activities. Source: Kavartzis, 2004

10 Trade wit h Aarhus Denmark s largest port is located in Aarhus

11 INTERNATIONALISE WITH AARHUS AARHUS BRAND DNA _ Aarhus brand DNA The common narrative about the city makes it easier to create impact. Rather than having businesses and individuals telling their own individual stories, everybody should have their personal version of the common narrative. This brand narrative is not to be used as direct end-user communication. It is a communication tool to be used as a common narrative about the city DNA. All user-centered communication, activity and interactions should refer to the shared narrative of city wide innovation, progress and the four key differentiators in order to create a consistent image and brand identity for the city. Aarhus city brand was created in 2011 as part of the city s business development plan. The brand was built upon an analysis of the city s strengths, through focus groups with business clusters and a survey among the citizens. Precisely, 41 focus groups and meetings and a survey of 1,500 citizens were held throughout spring 2011, so as to find the Aarhus DNA. As a result, the core of the brand is currently relevant and new. The brand has come up with an overall brand strategy that is closely connected to the city s long-term strategic goals. The strategy was designed in close collaboration with its key stakeholders when it comes to branding the city internationally.

12 INTERNATIONALISE WITH AARHUS CITY WIDE INNOVATION _ City wide innovation the brand proposition Aarhus invites people, companies and whole sectors to move forward by immersing them in an innovation eco-system that s broader and more diligent than any other on the planet. That looks like a pretty bold claim, but Aarhus definitely has what it takes to substantiate it. The big headline here is the approach the city takes to innovation: it has the intimacy and the flexibility to bring together smarter people from diverse sectors more quickly and more frequently than any other city can make possible. This citywide approach to innovation enables Aarhus to get big thinkers to work together without barriers and the result is ideas and actions that are simply better. AARHUS 4 KEY DIFFERENTIATORS A city that takes on big challenges With the people of the developing world demanding a higher standard of living and the people of the developed world living longer and longer, the planet faces a new set of challenges. Food, energy, health care and digitalisation all need to be looked at in entirely different ways to meet the needs of such a fast changing world. Aarhus has developed important competencies in all of these areas. Concrete examples of our knowledge hubs within these areas are IT-City Katrinebjerg and the Smart Aarhus partnership. We are building Northern Europe s biggest University Hospital in Skejby. We have one of Europe s best rated food environments in the Agro Food Park where the dairy giant Arla just decided to place its global innovation headquarters. And let us not forget Navitas our new centre for modern energy, housing education, research, business and entrepreneurs all in one location. A city that works together The world of city brands is littered with claims of collaboration and being networked. Most of these claims can be difficult to substantiate but in Aarhus, collaboration is impossible to ignore as it is integral to so many aspects of city life. In Aarhus the ability and desire to collaborate is hard-wired. You see this in our Headstart Fashion Network where we invite all stakeholders from the local fashion industry to join a network to support and develop the fashion industry in Aarhus. And you see it when we celebrate the Internet economy and digitalisation during Internet Week Denmark, which we created in a private public partnership that manages to engage rsearch and education, NGOs, companies, entrepreneurs, investors and citizens in a festival. A city that is hungry to experiment and rethink conventional ways of doing things There s a little bit of anarchy in Aarhus a slight lack of respect for authority and a desire to do things differently. Putting this into perspective, it would be wrong to suggest that Aarhus could make a claim to be one of the world s creative hubs, like London or Berlin, but there is a distinct flavour to Aarhus spirit of experimentation that could be noteworthy when applied to a commercial context. Aarhus combines the Danish design ethos minimalism + usability + ethical integrity with a flair for the unexpected. This enables it to deliver solutions to problems that are both well thought through and genuinely innovative. We will do this when we host the European Capital of Culture in We will rethink the way culture events drive innovation. You can also see our experimental approach in the Smart Aarhus partnership where experimentation and breaking existing rules are vital. In Smart Aarhus we launch small speedboats instead of building great pyramids. A city with pragmatic determination to do things better Aarhus doesn t hope to advance, it expects to. There s a belief that things can always be improved and a nonchalance in people s ability to create what s necessary to deliver those improvements. Aarhusians are relentless, they don t give up easily and they aren t satisfied until they ve found a progressive outcome. Whether big leaps of innovation or small steps in efficiency, the Aarhus Effect is always furtherance. This ability is reflected in the theme of the Capital of Culture RETHINK take the existing and improve it, whether it is twisting a wing of a wind turbine a few degrees to create a more effective flow of wind or educating chaos pilots. A city that takes on big challenges A city that works together A city with pragmatic determination to do things better A city that is hungry to experiment and rethink conventional ways of doing things

13 INTERNATIONALISE WITH AARHUS BRAND GOVERNANCE _ Brand governance the Local Support Group This strategy has been created in close collaboration with key local stakeholders the Local Support Group. The Members of the local support group are: Visit Aarhus Visit Aarhus is Aarhus official tourism organisation, and its aim is to help develop tourism in Aarhus and brand Aarhus as a holiday and travel destination. Visit Aarhus works to ensure that tourism in Aarhus creates results for the city, the region and Denmark. Visit Aarhus has a performance contract with the City of Aarhus and is the organisation that handles all marketing and promotion in relation to the tourism target groups. The following organisations are partners of Visit Aarhus: Aarhus City Association Aarhus City Association markets the city s shops in combination with events, cultural events and City Experiences. The primary goal is to promote Aarhus City as a shopping and experience centre for people throughout East Jutland and to market the Aarhus City profile nationally. Aarhus 2017 Aarhus will be the European Capital of Culture in Aarhus 2017 is the single most important marketing effort for Aarhus within the next three years. Capital of Culture Aarhus 2017 is supported by the Central Denmark Region and all its municipalities. It is deeply rooted in strong regional cooperation across the entire region. VIA University College VIA University College offers a wide range of educational programmes in areas such as health, social education, technology, trade, design, business and animation. VIA is Denmark s largest university of applied sciences striving to be a leading educational institution in Denmark and internationally. Aarhus University Aarhus University (AU) is a top 10 university among those universities founded within the past 100 years. It has a long tradition of partnerships with some of the world s best research institutions and university networks. AU has a strong commitment to the development of society that is realised through its collaboration with government agencies and institutions and the business community. Aarhus University currently has approximately 45,000 students and is a vital part of Aarhus DNA. Erhverv Aarhus Erhverv Aarhus is Aarhus business association. Erhverv Aarhus works broadly as the voice of the business community in terms of the city s development. The aim is to ensure that the framework for doing business in Aarhus is attractive both now and in the long term for local, regional and international companies. International Community International Community supports international employees and their families during their stay in the Aarhus region. They create social and professional networks to the benefit of expats through a wide range of events, seminars and online activities. Department of Citizen Services Citizen services in Aarhus are very internationally minded so we have created a one stop shop for international citizens where they can get help for anything they need when settling in Denmark. They have also created a welcome package with all the basic need to knows about Aarhus. Citizen Services also run an international landing page with info for international citizens working in one of the 11 cities around Aarhus. Aarhus Events Aarhus Events is a department that aims at attracting and supporting major events in the city. Aarhus Events is one entrance to receive support for events, apply for permissions etc. Aarhus Events also aims to attract major sports events and in 2018 Aarhus will host the ISAF World Championship in sailing. Mayor s Press Office The Mayor s communication team advise the mayor on all aspects of communication and are important actors in terms of telling the Aarhus narrative. Communication Teams of Culture, Citizen Services and the Technical Department These departments are relevant in terms of the target groups of city branding. City Architect The office of the City Architect does all the physical planning in the city and is a vital part of the city s strategic development. The City Architect and their office are in close contact with investors and developers with interest in Aarhus. Business Aarhus Business Aarhus is the city s official business care service. Business Aarhus is one entrance to the city for companies and investors looking to locate or invest in Aarhus. Business Aarhus markets Aarhus as a business destination. Department of Business and City Development This department works to create the best possible framework for business growth and economic development in the city. The department works in close collaboration with the city s key stakeholders and local business clusters. The city branding team is located within this department. All the members of the local support group were consulted regularly during the process of creating this local action plan.

14 Spend the night with Aarhus 18,6% yearly growth in overnight hotel guests

15 INTERNATIONALISE WITH AARHUS INERNATIONAL QUALIFICATION _ International qualification Taking part in the Urbact CityLogo project While in the process of creating this strategy Aarhus participated in a cross European project with nine other cities. CityLogo is a transnational learning experience on city branding and marketing in modern urban politics. It is about better positioning of cities in the (post) crisis economic arena and reinforcing the communication dimension in urban management. Throughout a three-year period the 10 project cities collaborated and shared best practices and experiences in today s city branding. Several of the partner cities also qualified and commented on this strategy. There have been several important things learnt from CityLogo, and the most important points overall are mentioned here. First, city branding demands leadership, and preferably political leadership. Not because it is a matter that should be controlled from the top down, but because it is important to show that coordinating the branding efforts is an important priority for the city as a whole. Another important element is that networks to coordinate branding efforts are most effective when they are target group specific. It is very difficult to create relevant common projects that address target groups ranging from international investors to students. Therefore integrated city branding does not necessarily mean that all relevant stakeholders coordinate all efforts; rather, that stakeholders addressing common target groups can coordinate their initiatives. The city s role is to facilitate this collaboration and to ensure consistency in the marketing of Aarhus. This is best done by delivering concrete, high quality branding material such as pictures, standard text material, videos, presentations etc. Also discussions about logo and visual identities have led to new insights. All experiences from the partner cities show that visual identities are very often not liked by the local citizens and often steal attention from the overall branding strategy. Therefore giving less focus to the visual identity and more focus to collaboration and creating good relations to stakeholders is part of this strategy. But even though citizens often do not like a new identity they play a very important role in city branding. Citizens and visitors of the city are the best ambassadors for the city if they like being part of it. Therefore working on creating the best possible experience for guests and other users of the city is an important investment into the city s long-term attractiveness. This is the reason why many actions in this strategy focus on students and creating good experiences in Aarhus. Measuring the effects of city branding is very difficult unless marketing logics are applied. Then you can measure exposure to logo, articles etc. However, when the aim of city branding is to attract new students, workers, companies and visitors to the city we have to look at different parameters to measure our effects. Therefore one of the most important new efforts in this strategy is to conduct image surveys among specific target groups. This is in order to focus the effort where it is most needed. For example, if students choose a different city than Aarhus to study in because they have heard that it is difficult to find student housing, even if it is not the case anymorethe city branding team should focus on changing that concrete image. Finally, being part of an Urbact project has been a good catalyst in terms of moving a stagnated city branding effort ahead. Creating a strategy in close collaboration with the local support group is a first step in terms of institutionalising the city s branding effort and committing the different stakeholders to common actions.

16 INTERNATIONALISE WITH AARHUS TARGET GROUPS _ Target groups When working with city branding and promotion we naturally address different target groups. We target local, national and international target groups. Their interactions with Aarhus, reasons to and perceptions of the city are very differentiated. Therefore our approach will be to form strong partnerships with local stakeholders to target each group directly at their individual level. We will work to make the local target groups ambassadors of the city who can recommend Aarhus and tell positive stories about it. We will do this through our international Citizen Services, through ambassador programmes and by welcoming new students warmly. On a national level we will work to create more awareness through events, lobbyism and ambassadors. Internationally we seek to heighten the level of awareness of Aarhus in the minds of relevant selected target groups, e.g. in collaboration with Aarhus University, Visit Aarhus, the International Community and businesses. Below we describe the selected target groups, focus points for each target group and who is responsible for activities aimed at the specific group. STUDENTS Who are they? Aarhus has a student population of 50,000 full-time students. About 6000 students are international, and the rest are Danish from the rest of the country. The student population accounts for about 20 per cent of the population in Aarhus. Why are they important? An important part of the city s DNA and future development is to be an attractive educational city. The high percentage of young people in the city adds to a vibrant and innovative atmosphere and a unique cultural life. Reasons to move Surveys reveal that international students are mostly recruited by recommendation; therefore it is important to see current students as ambassadors of the city. Danish students are known to choose their city of study over university and academic standards. They are also known not to be very geographically mobile during their first year of study. Aim is to: The primary focus of the initiatives aimed at students is to create great framework conditions, so that students have a good experience studying in Aarhus and work as ambassadors both internationally and in Denmark. Furthermore we would like the brightest minds to stay in Aarhus and build a career in Denmark. We want Aarhus to be known as a vibrant city with an international atmosphere, where there are good job and family prospects. Who is responsible for the initiatives aimed at students? Educational institutions, Citizen Services, International Community, Studenterhus Aarhus, kollegiekontoret, Visit Aarhus. Youth Goodwill Ambassador Corps The Youth Goodwill Ambassador Corps (YGA) is a global network of talented international students. They brand Denmark as an attractive study destination while working to increase the job opportunities for the appointed youth ambassadors as well as international talents in Denmark. All members of the network study in Denmark while taking part in a unique talent development program and working with key Danish stakeholders within business, culture and academia. Today the network consists of more than 400 international students from more than 65 countries worldwide. Read more CITIZENS Who are they? Citizens in Aarhus are a complex group. This segment includes all of the groups previously covered and more. Citizens are the private individual and are of all ages and social and economic backgrounds. Some have a high engagement level in the themes covered in this strategy while others go about their own lives. They share a common pride in and love of their city. Citizens primarily have touch points with the municipality through day care, schools, medical services and citizen services. They also meet the community through private initiatives such as culture, sports and leisure activities. Why are they important? The branding initiative has to resonate with the citizens they are in number and engagement our strongest ambassadors. There is a strong will to create in Aarhus, and its citizens continually create initiatives

17 INTERNATIONALISE WITH AARHUS TARGET GROUPS that promote and add value to the city brand. One example is the photographer ukendt Aarhus. Who is responsible for the initiatives towards citizens? Visit Aarhus, Citizen Services, Aarhus Events, Aarhus 2017 and Aarhus City Association. INTERNATIONAL WORKFORCE Who are they? The internationally mobile worker will be looking for the possibility to progress their career and improve future opportunities, as well as the city s ability to project a safe and enjoyable lifestyle. Why are they important? Aarhus needs to attract international talent to stay on top of competition and attract the brightest minds to Aarhus companies. International workers also contribute to diversity, innovation and international understanding. It is important to help this group settle and enjoy life in Aarhus in order to secure the investment into international recruitment of the hiring companies. Reasons to move International labour and talent primarily move to Aarhus because of attractive job opportunities. The city plays a secondary role. But usually the worker brings a spouse and sometimes family and when considering their needs the city and its facilities are vital. Factors such as a work life balance, international schools, international citizens services, safety and job opportunities including for the spouse matter in terms of moving to Aarhus. Aim is to: The primary focus of the initiatives aimed at international labour is to encourage them to settle in Aarhus for a period of at least three years and to become good ambassadors of the city. An easy settlement and spouse programme as well as a broad career market are important in this regard. Who is responsible for the initiatives aimed at the international workforce? Businesses in Aarhus, Citizen Services, International Community, Aarhus Academy of Global Talent, IB World School. In Aarhus we have focused on local, national and international talent as main target group, in close cooperation with a dedicated and vigorous strategy at country level. We compare the Aarhus approach of talent management to a dinner party: Attract - send out invitations and create interest. In Aarhus talent attraction is primarily up to employer and educational institutions, the city brand team support with tools like adapted city narrative, promotional material, testimonials, etc. Welcome at the door. The city provides one stop shop service and welcome package to new foreign residents. Entertain make sure the guests have a great time and meet the right people, needs are meet. There are special activities and events for the expat community such as free courses of Danish, Sunday brunch, brainstorming sessions and other social activities 15. Goodbye thanks for a lovely evening, hope to see you soon, moving on. Aarhus and Denmark make an extensive use of the ambassador formula to keep the international talent engaged, even when they leave the country. COMPANIES AND INVESTMENTS Who are they? These are companies within Aarhus business strongholds looking to develop their business in a certain cluster, companies that wish to recruit talented people and companies that want to invest. According to a benchmark study from IMD, Denmark is a world leader when it comes to R&D and productivity. Aarhus businesses are among the very best at combining innovation and efficiency. This is why numerous international companies have chosen to locate their centres of excellence here. Why are they important? Aarhus aims to attract, develop and retain companies, jobs and investments. They are fundamental in terms of creating job prospects and attracting/retaining talent. The goal is to create 2000 new jobs per year. Reasons to invest: The situation is positive and has improvement possibilities: Of the companies located in Aarhus, 35 per cent expect to create more jobs in the coming year. Most foreign direct investments derive from M&A and expansions, therefore the FDI strategy is very much focused on aftercare. The cooperation between companies and the City of Aarhus must be improved. Current evaluation of the business climate shows improvement possibilities in terms of business conditions as infrastructure, service deliveries and communication. Several clusters in Aarhus and Aarhus University are currently developing and growing rapidly. This is having a very positive impact on the investment promotion and branding. Who is responsible for the initiatives aimed at companies and investments? City of Aarhus: Developing framework and optimised business conditions. The aftercare service to companies is organised by Business Aarhus. Invest in Denmark: Responsible for attracting foreign investments to Aarhus. StartVækst Aarhus: Responsible for startups. VISITORS The branding and promotion strategy towards visitors is organised under Visit Aarhus, which has a performance-based agreement with the City of Aarhus and works closely together with partners in realising the strategy. The primary target groups are from Sweden, Norway, Germany and the UK. The vision behind the promotion and branding activities towards visitors is that: Aarhus has to manifest itself internationally, and should be known and recognised as one of the region s best cities to visit and work, study and live in. In 2014, the City of Aarhus developed a visitor policy that forms the basis of Visit Aarhus strategy for Several initiatives and institutions such as European Capital of Culture 2017, Aarhus University, NorthSide and the strong investments in attractions at ARoS, Old Town and Moesgaard have a positive impact on branding Aarhus for visitors outside Denmark. Who is responsible for the initiatives aimed at visitors? Visit Aarhus: It has an official guest strategy and a performance contract that specifies its role in terms of promoting Aarhus to tourists and guests in general.

18 Do business with Aarhus Business Region Aarhus is next to Copenhagen Business Region the most important center of growth in Denmark

19 INTERNATIONALISE WITH AARHUS BUSINESS CLUSTERS _ Business clusters as positioning tools Locations all over the world compete for investment, export share, talent, residents, resources, political attention and media space. Business clusters can act as effective tools in strategic brand building. By growing strong clusters a region can position itself to attract talent, investments and new companies and to support internationalisation. Aarhus has several business clusters that support the city brand. Their development coexists with the city s ambitions to grow and attract international talent and investments. In Aarhus the major research and development centres are places on the Knowledge Corridor that stretches from the harbour to the northern part of Aarhus. The ambition is to strengthen the level of knowledge about the relevant clusters in relevant target groups. Food The Danish food cluster is the third largest in the world and the second largest in Europe, employing more than 200,000 people. The city has developed a strong value chain from farm to fork, and Denmark is investing heavily in further development within the food sector. The Danish food cluster is located within the Agro Food Park in Aarhus N. The Agro Food Park is one of Europe s most powerful centres for food innovation. It combines knowledge, research and entrepreneurship to handle the growing complexity of modern agriculture and food production. Aarhus is an expert city within food development and production. Along with the rest of Central Denmark, the Aarhus area accounts for 60 per cent of Denmark s food exports. The city offers food businesses easy access to strong networks, widespread collaborations and highly educated labour from the city s many specialised educations. Aarhus holds a significant role in the international food market, and several large food businesses have chosen to place their headquarters and R&D centres in the city. This includes companies such as Arla, Aarhus Karlshamn, Dupont and Danish Crown. The food cluster is centred in the Agro Food Park, which markets and promotes the cluster professionally. Among other achievements, the food cluster has succeeded in creating Northern Europe s biggest food festival, which is held once a year in September. Responsible: Agro Food Park and the Food Consortium. Health and welfare Denmark is famous for its unique welfare and health care programmes and Aarhus is a hotspot for health care technology. We are in the process of establishing one of the largest and most advanced hospitals in Northern Europe. The setting of the health care cluster in Aarhus gives way to close collaboration between health related businesses, the University and the public health care sector, providing the setting for groundbreaking R&D and health-care products. The New University Hospital will be the largest hospital in Northern Europe and will house some of the world s most innovative health technology, including the new centre for particle cancer therapy. The hospital will become an enormous hospital city, with nearly 1.25 mio. sqm. The hospital will house approximately 10,000 employees. Overall, the project is a 0.86 billion euro investment. In terms of positioning the health cluster there is also a business development facility the MedTech Innovation Centre. The goal is to commercialise and implement innovative research projects and business ideas. Part of the centre s activity is to promote the sector. Responsible: MedTech Innovation Centre, The New University Hospital. IT, digitalisation and Smart City Aarhus is home to a comprehensive ICT and innovation cluster IT-City Katrinebjerg a rich source of talent, knowledge and opportunity for professional networking. Furthermore, Aarhus has the largest growth in ICT companies in the country and 20,000 workplaces within a radius of 10 km. Denmark s largest ICT and innovation environment is located in the Katrinebjerg quarter. The area is an ICT powerhouse and home to a unique development and innovation environment. This creative environment is facilitated through close collaboration between businesses and public research, and it is supported by favourable physical surroundings with shared offices, a project hotel and an ICT Science Park.

20 INTERNATIONALISE WITH AARHUS BUSINESS CLUSTERS The digital efforts of the city go beyond Katrinebjerg, however. Smart Aarhus proposes an alternative way of creating solutions for the city. Through a collaborative partnership between companies, the University and the public sector, the aim is to address the challenges of urbanisation and of becoming an increasingly digital society. The city s ambition is to be a frontrunner in digitalising its business, urban living and public spaces. IT-City Katrinebjerg has no central communication and promotion unit, but different groups such as the Incuba Science Park and the Alexandra Institute are working on rebranding the area. Smart Aarhus carries out promotional activities locally, nationally and internationally alongside other events like Internet Week Denmark and Media Architecture Biennale. Responsible: IT-City Katrinebjerg (Incuba, Alexandra Instituttet and more), Smart Aarhus partnership. Architecture and design The many architecture and design businesses in Aarhus are well represented on the international scene. Three of the largest architectural practices in Scandinavia are located in Aarhus. Creativity thrives in Aarhus. The Danish heritage of democratic and user-oriented design, along with the strong collaborative culture in Aarhus, creates an inspiring space for architects, designers and other creative minds to break the boundaries of how we used to do it. The sector delivers an astonishing 55 per cent of Denmark s entire export of architectural output. The city comprises everything from a bubbling environment of creative freelancers to two of the world s largest architecture businesses and Scandinavia s largest integrated design house, Designit. In terms of positioning the sector, there is a smaller cluster organisation AND+ The Architecture Projekt that promote and develop the architecture and design cluster. AND+ is financed by the City of Aarhus and the Central Denmark Region. Responsible: The Architecture Project, AND+. Clean tech According to IMD, Denmark is a world leader in clean tech innovation, and Aarhus plays a significant part in this position. One-third of Denmark s clean tech industry is placed in the region. The businesses in the region excel especially within energy storage, production of sustainable energy, and energy infrastructure and distribution. At the same time, the Aarhus region has the highest rate of specialisation in Denmark measured by the number of employees within energy and environment and 40 per cent of all Danish full-time employees within energy and energy technology work in the Central Denmark Region. Energy of the future Navitas Within energy and environmental technology, a new and open innovation environment housing 2000 students and more than 300 businessmen, researchers and lecturers is being established at the waterfront. Navitas is expected to create more awareness about the clean tech stronghold in Aarhus. The City of Aarhus is also a member of the national clean tech cluster organisation CLEAN, which promotes Danish clean tech and Smart City activities. Responsible: Navitas, Aarhus CO2030 and CLEAN. Fashion The fashion industry in the Aarhus region is growing rapidly. In 2012, the sector had a revenue of approximately 6 billion, and thus accounted for the largest share of turnover within the creative industries in Denmark. Aarhus has 348 fashion companies and a number of educational institutions within fashion. Together they offer great potential for growth and new jobs. The main epicentre is located in Balticagade, from which many new businesses and educational institutions emerge. Aarhus attaches great importance to strengthening the sector and boosting further growth in the fashion industry. Therefore, the Municipality and the Central Denmark Region launched the Headstart Fashion initiative. This initiative is an important step towards a stronger cluster within the fashion industry in the Aarhus area and thus contributes to triggering the huge potential for growth and jobs. Headstart Fashion is now a collaboration between public and private parties and the organisation works actively to promote and develop the fashion industry in Aarhus. Responsible: Headstart Fashion. Education Aarhus has the highest concentration of students in Denmark in relation to the size of its population, a position the city wants to maintain and strengthen. As part of national Danish policy, Aarhus has been earmarked as a centre for education and research, and the number of students is expected to increase by more than 10,000 in the coming years. This will result in the greatest concentration of students in Scandinavia. With more than 30,000 bachelor and masters students, and a world top 100 ranking by several influential rankings, Aarhus University is the head of Aarhus educational sector. VIA University College is Denmark s biggest university college with the most popular welfare programmes in the country. Moreover, there is a wide range of other higher education institutions with an extensive choice of study programmes and courses. The wide choice of study programmes in Aarhus ensures excellent recruitment possibilities for businesses in the city, while the depth of programmes allows businesses to take on employees with a high degree of specialisation. At the same time, the close relations between the different institutions help to produce strong, interdisciplinary graduates for the business community. Aarhus University is broadly engaged in the city and works systematically towards attracting talent and branding the University. VIA University College, which is responsible for most of our welfare education, also has a range of international activities, e.g. export of systems within health and education. There is no strong common organisation that represents all educational and research institutions. Responsible: Aarhus University, VIA University College and other educational institutions. Shopping Aarhus has a wealth of different shops. You need only to stroll through Aarhus to feel the special atmosphere and to see people with stuffed shopping bags before you understand why Aarhus has been named the best shopping city in Northern Europe. Design, fashion, lifestyle and trendsetting these are just some of the words that describe the wealth of great shopping experiences waiting in the city. Promoting Aarhus as a shopping destination is obvious especially for the visitor target group. Responsible: Visit Aarhus and the Retail Association of Aarhus (Cityforeningen). Production Aarhus is the largest production area in Denmark. There are 10,000 industry jobs in the city. Research from DI (network of Danish production companies, Dansk Industri) shows that 100 jobs in the industrial area add 35 jobs in supporting areas. The innovative business climate in Denmark is based on close relations between craftsmanship, production and knowledge workers. This underlines the importance of a strong industrial sector to support innovation and ensure that Aarhus will be continuously at the forefront of innovation. Responsible: MADE.