{"id":17786,"date":"2026-04-08T07:32:19","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T05:32:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.stadtmanufaktur.com\/?p=17786"},"modified":"2026-04-08T07:32:41","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T05:32:41","slug":"from-a-turning-point-to-a-turning-point-of-opportunity-the-new-role-of-economic-development","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stadtmanufaktur.com\/en\/magazin\/turning-point-economic-development-2\/","title":{"rendered":"City profile makes policy: how cities develop their greatest strength"},"content":{"rendered":"

Double interview with Bernadette Spinnen and Thorsten Kausch<\/h2><\/div>

Bernadette Spinnen<\/strong> has been head of M\u00fcnster Marketing<\/a> since 2001. To mark her 25th anniversary, the place marketing expert meets Stadtmanufaktur Managing Director Thorsten Kausch<\/strong> for an interview. The topic of the hour: What strategy does a city use to develop its greatest strength internally and externally?<\/strong> <\/p>\n

The experts for place branding<\/a> discuss the importance of a “city profile<\/strong> ” – also in distinction to the city brand – and explain why the topic is relevant for all cities. <\/strong>Especially now, especially in Germany.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>

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Abstract:<\/strong><\/h3><\/div>

From the city brand to the integrated place marketing and urban development process: Bernadette Spinnen and Thorsten Kausch in an interview<\/strong> about how cities unite all stakeholders (politics, administration, urban society) behind an honest and forward-looking city profile <\/strong>– for maximum strength and radiance both internally and externally.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

\"Sybille<\/span><\/div>

Sybille Fischer interviews Bernadette Spinnen and Thorsten Kausch via Teams on February 25, 2026<\/p>\n<\/div>

The example of Reutlingen: Why a city brand alone is not enough<\/h2><\/div>

Sybille Fischer: <\/span>You two were recently in Reutlingen for a joint workshop – with a big question in your luggage: “What strategy does a city use to achieve its greatest impact, both internally and externally?” <\/span>In recent years, Reutlingen has developed a clear brand profile, undergone a brand process and, with the <\/span>Only love” campaign<\/a> achieved a lot of attention. Why was the next step necessary? What was the challenge – or the gap – in Reutlingen? <\/span><\/p>\n

Thorsten Kausch: <\/b><\/span>Reutlingen initiated a very clear profiling process years ago. The city’s strengths were clearly identified: What does Reutlingen stand for? What makes the city special? What creates identity? Why do people come here, why do they stay? The city is also consistently marketed on this basis. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The challenge, however, is that if you market something, the “product” – i.e. the city itself – must also develop along these strengths. It was precisely this connection between urban development and marketing that was missing until now. There was a gap, and now it had to be closed. <\/span><\/p>\n

Bernadette Spinnen: <\/span><\/span><\/b><\/span>Reutlingen is at a point where many cities find themselves at some point after a branding process: They realize that a brand alone is not enough if it is only anchored in place marketing<\/span>. <\/span>If the brand only applies to place marketing and everyone else says: “That’s what they do, it has nothing to do with us”, then it can’t work in the long term.”<\/span><\/p>\n

I like to explain this using the example of BMW and the phrase “driving pleasure”. If you delegate this to the marketing department, but the person who develops the seat thinks they have nothing to do with marketing, then the brand doesn’t work. It’s the same with cities: The brand promise must be reflected in the everyday life of the city – in the public space, in the administration, in the offerings. Otherwise it remains a facade. <\/p>\n

That is exactly what we have tried to do in Reutlingen. And I have to say: Reutlingen has accepted this challenge as a city council. Not all cities are that far advanced. Not every city even understands that this transfer is necessary to be truly effective.<\/p>\n<\/div>

\"Thorsten<\/span><\/div>

Thorsten Kausch and Bernadette Spinnen at the workshop in Reutlingen<\/p>\n<\/div>

Fischer: <\/b>How did Reutlingen realize that this next step was necessary? What has shown that it needs more than the existing brand profile? <\/span><\/p>\n

Kausch: <\/b>A key issue is the budget situation. This is currently an issue in all municipalities. Public funds are becoming scarcer, which automatically raises the question: what do we want to focus on? What can, want and must we afford in the future? <\/span><\/p>\n

This is precisely when it is important to be aware of your own credible strengths and to continue working on them. A clear profile helps to set priorities and develop decision-making criteria. That was the need in Reutlingen – also from the perspective of city politics, the mayor and mayors. The aim was to provide the administration with a framework for orientation. <\/span><\/p>\n

Spiders: <\/b>People are less and less able to bear it when no one can say where they are actually going. I can feel this search for an anchor everywhere. <\/span>ach someone who says: That’s the goal. <\/span>A city needs orientation – not only the administration, but above all the citizens. If they do not support this profile, do not tell it and do not fill it with life, then the process is doomed to failure. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>

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“If the brand only applies to place marketing and everyone else says: ‘That’s what they do, it has nothing to do with us’, then it can’t work in the long term.”<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/span><\/blockquote>

Bernadette Spinnen, Head of M\u00fcnster Marketing<\/strong><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

What is a city profile?<\/h2><\/div>

Fischer: <\/b>You keep talking about the term “profile” or “city profile”. What exactly do you mean by this – also in contrast to brand, mission statement or strategy? <\/span><\/p>\n

Spinnen: <\/b>For me, “profile” is the more connectable term. It describes something that I can name, that is visible and that distinguishes me from others. Some people also call it DNA. <\/p>\n

At our workshop in Reutlingen, the participants reacted very positively to this word because it is much more common within an administration than “brand”. You can’t fool yourself: A marketing organization is often viewed critically in administrations – it is in the newspaper, does the nice things, and then the whole thing is also called a “brand”. This quickly creates distance. “Profile” is a term in which more people can recognize themselves without losing their distinctiveness. That’s how I would understand it. <\/p>\n

Kausch: <\/b>I would like to add to that. “Brand” and “marketing” are almost automatically associated with communication and sales. In theory, marketing encompasses much more – including something like product policy. Applied to cities, urban development would therefore be part of this product policy. <\/p>\n

However, the pure sales component often remains in the image. And that is precisely the problem. It is then not understood that topics such as daycare, social issues, education, the economy or quality of life are also part of this DNA, this profile. <\/p>\n

To differentiate it from a mission statement or strategy: A mission statement or urban strategy is usually even broader. The profile summarizes what a city wants to stand for. From there, you can move on to concrete strategies and measures. In Reutlingen, we initially worked on a meta-level: What do we want to work towards together over the next ten years, what image do we want to create of the city? The next step would then be the concrete translation into strategy. <\/p>\n

Spiders: <\/b>Nevertheless, I would never remove the brand perspective. On the contrary: it is incredibly helpful for cities because it demands an outside perspective. A city should not only ask itself what it considers important, but also how it is perceived by citizens, professionals, companies and visitors. <\/p>\n

Why do we want to be sought after by others in the future? Why should people move here, companies settle here, guests come here? A large part of success lies in this tension between the concept of profile and the concept of brand – even if it is exhausting.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Rather listen than read?<\/h3><\/div>

The unabridged interview – now in the CITYMAKING podcast:<\/h4><\/div>