Building Authentic Place Branding Amidst Rapid Growth : A Comparative Study of Skellefteå and Kiruna’s Branding Strategies

This study explores how conscientious place branding (CPB) operates in two rapidly transforming municipalities, Kiruna and Skellefteå, amid intense industrial growth. It investigates how stakeholder histories, ethical tensions, and intermediary actors shape branding authenticity, accountability, and legitimacy under shifting urban identities. A qualitative case study design was employed, drawing on Conscientious Brand Theory (CBT). Data was collected through ten semi-structured interviews with municipal, corporate, and regional actors and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis to uncover patterns in stakeholder perceptions and narrative control. Kiruna’s brand, anchored in LKAB’s legacy, offers symbolic stability but risks exclusion and narrative capture. Skellefteå’s brand, built around Northvolt, lacks stakeholder depth and falters under economic instability. Intermediaries often amplify externally coherent narratives while failing to support participatory legitimacy. The study extends conscientious place branding into public-sector contexts, introducing the concept of branding capture and critiquing conscientious place branding’s normative assumptions in power-asymmetric settings. It offers practical insights for municipalities, urging institutionalised participation, reduced corporate dependency, and stronger intermediary engagement to ensure inclusive and accountable place branding.