From administrative metrics to place narratives: visual governance and internal branding in peripheral rural administrations

Purpose This study aims to examine how visual governance functions as a place brand management strategy in peripheral rural areas, addressing the rural internal micro-translation gap in existing place branding literature. It investigates how resource-constrained local administrations can transition from metric-based auditing to identity-based management through internal branding, overcoming bureaucratic rigidity by translating performance metrics into shared place narratives among civil servants. Design/methodology/approach Adopting an embedded action research approach within a rural district in Taiwan, the study analyses administrative documents and empirical artefacts (e.g. visual identity systems, local magazines) as boundary objects mediating between bureaucratic logic and local tacit knowledge. Through open and axial coding of interviews, field observations and visual artefacts, it develops a Micro-Translation Model that explicates the internal administrative processes underpinning visual governance. Findings The study identifies a Micro-Translation Model for internal place brand governance grounded in three recursive mechanisms: identity negotiation, narrative pivot and institutionalisation. Findings indicate that incorporating geographical and cultural knowledge into administrative symbols strengthens internal brand buy-in, transforming census data into micro-narratives enhances social permeability and embedding visual and narrative practices into templates, editorial routines and authorisation procedures helps stabilise place branding as a repeatable administrative capability. Together, these mechanisms facilitate a shift from rigid metric-based governance to narrative-led place management. Originality/value This paper bridges the gap between externally oriented promotion and internal branding in public administration by specifying how visual artefacts operate as boundary objects within rural bureaucracies. It offers a contextually grounded yet theoretically suggestive governance framework for peripheral rural administrations and similar resource-constrained settings, demonstrating that visual artefacts are not merely aesthetic outputs but critical management tools for constructing public value and informing place-sensitive policy design.