Branding a Millennia-old Turkish City: Case of Gaziantep

During the last two decades many cities, regions, and countries are investing in branding efforts to gain a competitive edge in today’s global market. City branding is a popular practice used by many different cities in the context of competition for resources, markets, opportunities and attention. This article aims at discussing the branding efforts of Gaziantep (a city in South Eastern Turkey), carried out between 2003 and 2006 and tried to revive in 2016. Campaign is analyzed considering the 5-step approach suggested by Kotler including research; vision, goals and strategy development; target groups; implementation and monitoring. For the analysis of Gaziantep branding campaign relevant legal documents retrieved from Gaziantep Chamber of Commerce for the first and from Gaziantep Municipality for the second phase of the branding campaign. In addition, an in-depth interview is conducted with an official from the Public Relations Department of Gaziantep Municipality to gain deeper insight