Finns det plats för medborgarna i platsmarknadsföringen?

Sammanfattning: This thesis explores inclusive place branding in Swedish municipalities as well as how municipal place branding practitioners view the inclusion of citizens in place branding. Place branding as a field has received sharp criticism from researchers for being too market-oriented and for not including the reality of the citizens in theplace brand. These researchers call for an inclusive place branding where local stakeholders co-create the place brand. With the purpose of creating a greater un- derstanding of the context in which the municipal place branding practitioners op- erate, the theoretical framework consists of a historical overview of place branding as a discipline, municipal place brands and inclusive place branding. In the light of Jernsand’s (2016) characteristics for inclusive place branding, a qualitative case study with five Swedish municipalities was conducted. In the case study, expressions of inclusive place branding were analyzed and problematized. The questions formulated in the thesis were answered through an abductive content analysis of interviews and municipal place branding documents. The analysis indicates that the municipalities are positive to include citizens, but organizational and economic variables complicate the implementation of inclusive place branding in practice. The conclusion of the case study is that the municipalities show some expression of inclusive place branding in both attitude and practice.