Legitimacy and inclusivity in place branding

Scholars have increasingly called for multi-stakeholder and participatory approaches to place branding. The inclusion of communities is often argued for creating legitimate place brands. However, there is limited understanding of how these notions interact. This paper investigates how stakeholders construct legitimacy and inclusivity in their place branding practices. We develop a theoretical framework for legitimacy-inclusivity and apply it to a case study of Northamptonshire, UK. The analysis reveals contrasting approaches by industry stakeholders and voluntary organisations in terms of representation and advocacy, engagement and co-creation, and effectiveness and impact. The unique characteristics and mechanisms of voluntary organisations, which facilitate community leadership and engagement, have implications for more inclusive and legitimate place branding. • Legitimacy and inclusivity emphasise inclusion of marginalised narratives. • Voluntary sector can foster inclusivity as community leaders and engagement experts. • Community leaders enable representation and advocacy for marginalised groups. • Social value ethos and co-creation mechanisms enable community engagement. • The framework of input, output and throughput legitimacy can enable inclusivity.