Territory branding as a strategy for rural development: experiences from Italy

Many rural areas make increasing recourse to the use of territorial marks to achieve a development goal, foster reputation as well as preserve their identity, their cultural, social and environmental resources. Despite the growing interest of the literature on the topic, territorial marks have so far been analysed as individual tools, while in many areas a strategy of territory branding can be recognised. Drawing on research from two Italian case studies, the paper shows which are the pillars of such a strategy, which are the territorial conditions allowing its success and which effects this strategy produces under the economic, social, cultural and environmental point of view.