Copenhagen Capacity
Creating a customer focused brand for Copenhagen as a business location
Government & NGO | Future Brief
Situation
As many other large urban areas, the region of Copenhagen is experiencing an intensified competition to attract talent, capital and resources. Realizing that average salaries, combined with a high level of taxes, were making the area less than competitive, Copenhagen Capacity – the organization responsible for attracting business life to the region - was looking for alternative ways to appeal to international businesses. The current positioning focused on efficient infrastructure, high R&D investments and the availability of high skilled labor was simply not differentiating Copenhagen from regions such as Amsterdam, Hamburg, Stockholm and Berlin. In short, Copenhagen needed to tell a new and more relevant story about itself.
Approach
Working closely with a range of public and private organizations in the region, we studied the location patterns of R&D organizations in 20 multinational companies in Asia, Europe and the US, and interviewed executives, to understand how and why regional location matters in creating new products, ideas and design. The study revealed that big business is fundamentally shifting strategies on how, where and what they are placing in different locations. Companies no longer belong to a specific location but shop around for the best talent, knowledge and culturally bound capabilities. Also, the decision processes to choose a location for R&D are very often based on personal experiences and relationships rather than rational criteria. The study concluded that Copenhagen should fundamentally shift strategy from a very broad value proposition to a niche strategy and market itself as a specialized location with pockets of knowledge in design, environmental technologies and life sciences. Also the region should emphasis its cultural specialties as key selling points: an advanced life style, a team-focused work culture and the lean culture. Finally we recommended adopt a personal marketing approach addressing each potential customer circumstances and needs.
Outcome
Based on the insights the team created a strategy for Copenhagen as a business location, a platform for Copenhagen as brand, as well as a blueprint for how to develop and market Copenhagen in a new and more relevant way. The strategy and brand platform is now being implemented. It inspired many of the key stakeholders in the city to create an overall brand strategy for the city, which kicked off with the “Copenhagen Redefined” conference.
As many other large urban areas, the region of Copenhagen is experiencing an intensified competition to attract talent, capital and resources. Realizing that average salaries, combined with a high level of taxes, were making the area less than competitive, Copenhagen Capacity – the organization responsible for attracting business life to the region - was looking for alternative ways to appeal to international businesses. The current positioning focused on efficient infrastructure, high R&D investments and the availability of high skilled labor was simply not differentiating Copenhagen from regions such as Amsterdam, Hamburg, Stockholm and Berlin. In short, Copenhagen needed to tell a new and more relevant story about itself.
Approach
Working closely with a range of public and private organizations in the region, we studied the location patterns of R&D organizations in 20 multinational companies in Asia, Europe and the US, and interviewed executives, to understand how and why regional location matters in creating new products, ideas and design. The study revealed that big business is fundamentally shifting strategies on how, where and what they are placing in different locations. Companies no longer belong to a specific location but shop around for the best talent, knowledge and culturally bound capabilities. Also, the decision processes to choose a location for R&D are very often based on personal experiences and relationships rather than rational criteria. The study concluded that Copenhagen should fundamentally shift strategy from a very broad value proposition to a niche strategy and market itself as a specialized location with pockets of knowledge in design, environmental technologies and life sciences. Also the region should emphasis its cultural specialties as key selling points: an advanced life style, a team-focused work culture and the lean culture. Finally we recommended adopt a personal marketing approach addressing each potential customer circumstances and needs.
Outcome
Based on the insights the team created a strategy for Copenhagen as a business location, a platform for Copenhagen as brand, as well as a blueprint for how to develop and market Copenhagen in a new and more relevant way. The strategy and brand platform is now being implemented. It inspired many of the key stakeholders in the city to create an overall brand strategy for the city, which kicked off with the “Copenhagen Redefined” conference.
