The AT Brand Project aims to explore innovative methods of integrated city branding across partner cities in the Atlantic region. Funded by the EU, the project involves 7 partner cities in Ireland, Portugal, Spain, UK, and France. The project will include a cross-learning exchange on city branding, local pilot initiatives in partner cities, developing a branding toolkit for the Atlantic region, and creating a draft strategy for long-term regional co-branding. The goals are to make partner cities more influential and attractive through networking and exploring feasibility of a joint Atlantic branding strategy.

1. AT Brand Project Presentation

2. AT Brand Project
•AT Brand is:
–Funded by the EU under INTERREG IVB – Atlantic Area Programme
–Co-Financed at 65% by ERDF (European Regional Development Funds)
–Scheduled on 17 months: from 01-01-2014 to 30-06-2015
•The 7 partners:
–Dublin City Council (IE) [Lead Partner]
–Camara Municipal de Faro (PT)
–Fomento de San Sebastián (ES)
–Liverpool Vision (UK)
–Cardiff City Council (UK)
–Communaute d’Agglomération de La Rochelle (FR)
–Conference of Atlantic Arc Cities (FR)

3. AT Brand in short
• The AT (Atlantic) Brand Project focuses on innovative methods in integrated city branding.
• Rather than traditional approaches such as developing Logo’s and Slogans, an integrated approach looks to include stakeholders within the city to develop, explain and showcase the city’s narratives in a bid to reposition cities and make them more attractive.

4. Interreg IVB - Atlantic Area Programme
•European transnational cooperation programme
•It aims to contribute to the territorial cohesion of the Atlantic Area through the support of the cooperation between the participating regions
•It focuses on concrete realization, a long term strategic orientation, the exchange of experience as well as the transfer of knowhow between similar projects

5. INTERREG Atlantic Area
• 27 co-operation areas from 5 countries:
The United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Spain
and Portugal
• Sharing strong cultural identity, history
and heritage in the Atlantic area as well
as a similar geographical and maritime
environment
• Facing similar issue: a long-term
tradition of cooperation
INTERREG IV

6. AT Brand: Objectives
Strategic objective: make cities and regions more influential and attractive through networking
Project aim: explore the feasibility of a long-term strategy to co-brand the Atlantic area
Key actions:
1.A cross learning itinerary on innovative city brand management
2.Innovative Pilot Actions at local level
3.Transnational communication for the Atlantic brand
4.Roadmap of a co-branding strategy for the Atlantic Area

7. Key Action 1: Cross Learning Itinerary
•Increase the level of innovation and effectiveness in city brand management
•Develop a comprehensive model for Innovative city- brand management:
‒fed by the findings of thematic workshops and comprehensives partner ‘state of play’ profiles

8. Key Action 2: Innovative Pilot Actions at local level
•Throughout partner cities are tasked with developing their own innovative pilot actions
•Initiatives within the project encompass such strategic themes as:
‒multi-level governance
‒crowd sourced and physical city branding
‒targeting foreign and local talent
‒stakeholder involvement through a flexible collaboration model
‒mainstreaming the digital media and collective placemaking and city branding as a new concise strategic planning

9. Key Action 3: Transnational communication
•Create a complementary web-based toolkit for the Atlantic brand highlighting core brand messaging
–A set of elements for visual and narrative communication at the disposal of place branding practitioners in the area.
–The contents will result from a participatory research process

10. Key Action 4: Co-Branding Strategy for the Atlantic Area
Create a draft roadmap to explore the possibility of a long term branding strategy for the Atlantic Area by:
–Identifying shared narratives between partner city’s
–Intending to develop it into an overall strategy for the Atlantic area

11. References
Atlantic Area
•Atlantic Area IV - http://www.coop- atlantico.com/
•INTERREG Atlantic Area IV programme: http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/country/prordn/details_new.cfm?gv_PER=2&gv_PAY=PT&gv_ reg=ALL&gv_PGM=1256&gv_defL=7&LAN=7
•Atlantic Area: http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/atlas2007/transnational/atlantic_coast_en.htm
•ATLANTIC AREA TRANSNATIONAL COOPERATION PROGRAMME 2014-2020 http://atlanticarea.ccdr-n.pt/atlantic-area-2014- 2020-public-consultation/summary-en
• Atlantic Area Programme Priorities: http://www.seupb.eu/programmes2007- 2013/interreg- overview/transnational/atlanticareaprogramme. aspx
City Branding
•A Roadmap for Branding Dublin: http://www.creativedublinalliance.ie/assets/2012/09/Branding-Dublin-Roadmap.pdf
•The Atlantic Arc: New translations for an old identity (pp. 309 a 326) - http://europe-direct- aveiro.aeva.eu/debatereuropa/
•Ashworth GJ and Kavaratzis M, 2009, Beyond the Logo: Brand Management for Cities, Journal of Brand Management, Vol. 16, No. 8, p. 520-531

12. Find more about on:
The website: www.atbrand.eu
Facebook: City Branding in the Atlantic Arc
Twitter: @At_Brand