Today, places compete, cooperate and communicate on a global stage. Their reputation influences investment decisions, the recruitment of talent, tourism flows and diplomatic relations. Yet credibility is rarely built through communication alone. It is built through good leadership, collaboration and the ability to translate identity into a long-term strategy.
The ‘Place Brand Leaders Yearbook’, published annually by ‘The Place Brand Observer’, documents this evolving field.
The Graubünden brand is featured in the ‘Place Brand Leaders Yearbook’ as a prime example of the places, people and ideas that are shaping contemporary place branding – and highlights how cities, regions and countries are organising their efforts to strengthen their reputation and resilience in the long term.
Rather than presenting rankings, the yearbook focuses on
leadership in practice: how strategies are implemented, how institutions work together, and how a place’s identity is translated into tangible results.
The examples compiled in this yearbook reflect this shift and document how places view reputation as
a strategic advantage and a shared responsibility.
‘Increasingly, the reputation of a place brand is no longer shaped solely by campaigns, but by the systems behind them – governance models, partnerships and long-term commitments that translate identity into action,’ says Gieri Spescha, Managing Director of Marke Graubünden.
Practitioners, researchers and consultants were asked to highlight places they consider noteworthy because of their approach to identity, governance, sustainability or strategic positioning. The result is a diverse collection of cities, regions and countries that reflect different models of place management around the world.
Taken together, the Yearbook provides an overview of how
location branding is evolving.
The 2026 Yearbook, published in May, is available here exklusive to Download