4th International Multidisciplinary Scientific Conference

SOCIAL SCIENCES & ARTS SGEM 2017

PLACING ROMANIA ON THE MAP:

THE QUEST FOR RECOGNITION THROUGH GUINNESS
BOOK RECORDS

Assoc. prof. MARIANA CERNICOVA-BUCĂ

Albena, Bulgaria
2017
  STRUCTURE OF THE STUDY
 Research question: how can place branding efforts be
made more efficient, by gaining the support of the
inhabitants (the “people” factor in Anholt’s hexagon)
 Rationale: place branding efforts in Romania in the age
of powershift (from state-led to community-led)
 Methodology: monitoring the public debate in the
media, following branding initiatives; comparing the
reactions of the public to state-led initiatives versus
infotainment strategies on national/local level(s)
 Results
 Implications and further study
 STEPS OF ANALYSIS
(I) Place branding: the need to be recognized “on the
map”
(II) Romania’s quest for the “officially amazing”
recognition: the good, the bad and the terrible
(III) Timisoara – a city of premieres
(IV) Guinness Book – a PR tool; in the age of criticism
and infotainment
(V) Lessons learned
(VI) The need of a new paradigm
 PLACE BRANDING

Simon Anholt’s hexagon model:

 Presence (international status and standing)

 Place (people’s perceptions about physical aspects of the
place)
 Pulse (easiness of which the people think they can find
interesting things to do, both as a resident, and tourist.)
 Prerequisites
 People (the approach of urban actors depending on
their grade of hospitality and their prejudices for
strangers. The brand is based on the facility of the
new comers to integrate in a community which they
share the language and culture with, and the level
of security in the city)
 Potential (economical and educational opportunities that each
city can offer to the visitors, business men and immigrants)
 FOCUS ON THE “PEOPLE” FACTOR

Participatory, collaborative, socially-linked

behaviors of the inhabitants of the place
increase or cause the failure of branding
efforts. Inhabitants are co-creators and
disseminators of the brand, acting as “brand
ambassadors”

 Image/logo
 Story (accepted/rejected by inhabitants)
 promotion
 recognition
 State-led initiatives

1995 - "The Eternal and Fascinating Romania"

2000 - "Fabricat in Romania" (Made in Romania)
2001 - Dracula Park theme project
2004 - "Romania, Always Surprising"
2006 – Fabulospirit
2008 – Romanians in Europe
2009-2010 - “Romania, Land of Choice”
2010 - “Romania. Explore the Carpathian Garden”
G U I N N E S S B O O K – “ O F F I C I A L LY A M A Z I N G ”

 Guinness Book –1955, Sir Hugh Beaver

 2015 - 100 countries and 23 languages
 15,000 records in 25 categories
 Clear criteria of evaluation
 Strong branding power
 over 40 records belonging to Romanian actors
Romania & Guinness Book of
Records
 Sports – Nadia Comaneci (first 10 in Olympic
Games)
 Culture - Longest love poem
(Eminescu/Luceafarul), most expensive
newspaper, largest national flag
 Entertainment – most people dancing
synchronously
 Monuments and architecture – Parliament –
largest administrative building, heaviest and
most expensive
 Gastronomy – largest rustic potato bread
TIMIŞOARA & PLACE BRANDING

“Cityof premieres”
The logic of “officially amazing”
Guinness book records
BIGGEST PINT OF BEER

2009 - Timisoara Cultural

Foundation with the support of
interested industry, and having
the City Hall as beneficiary

6 meters-high mug beer with a

capacity of 11.000 liters,
weighting 2.5 tones
.
LARGEST STREET LAMP

4 meters tall and

weighing more than 1.2
tons
6 lit sides
125th anniversary of the
initial event
THE LARGEST PLASTIC BOTTLES STRUCTURE OVER BEGA
RIVER

2014, EcoStuff
România
Association
104.502 bottles
100 volunteers
Lessons from a
story of unfinished
project
 CONCLUSIONS

 Governments and politicians need to be less boring and

to communicate in simpler, shorter and more attractive
ways (Roberto Izurieta). Infotainment raises more
sympathy and reduces antagonism/criticism
 Guinness World Records cannot replace branding
strategies, but authorities can learn more from the
process and success stories
 Crafting authentic stories, placing content for pick-up,
building buzz and building communities – prerequisites
of success in brand building
 IMPLICATIONS AND FURTHER STUDY

 The need to focus more on the human factor,

communication strategies and building shared views on
the place brand
 From planning to executional excellence
 Shift of paradigm
 Further study: measuring the impact of various
communication strategies used in branding; focus on
the debate regarding the uses and misuses of
infotainment in contemporary world.