Inspired by the work carried out by the metropolis of Lille, the metropolis of Liège is currently working on territorial marketing to attract investors to its territory. The subject was discussed at conferences held during MIPIM, the international trade show for real estate professionals.
Territorial marketing as a strategy for raising the profile of a metropolis and attracting investors was the topic addressed by GRE-Liège at a joint conference with Métropole Européenne de Lille at the MIPIM. The two cities have been twinned since 1958.
In recent years, the city of Lille has launched a territorial marketing strategy, developing the “Métropole Européenne de Lille” brand. This strategy has been developed in particular with all of Lille's economic players, with the aim of attracting investors to the city and its surrounding area. The representatives of Métropole Européenne de Lille are keen to point out that this is a long-term effort, and that it pays off in the end.
An example that the metropolis of Liège intends to follow. “You have to realize that when you decide to invest somewhere, the perception of the territory counts for a quarter or a third. The way you are perceived and the way you present yourself are very important factors in your choice. So there's an element of irrationality that we have to try to master. In Liège, we wanted to embark on territorial marketing to change and improve the way Liège is perceived by the outside world. It's not a communications campaign, but a project involving all the players. We need to draw on all our strengths to make Liège shine, and rely on our ambassadors who shape our territory,” says Jean-Christophe Peterkenne, Managing Director of GRE-Liège. For the moment, GRE-Liège is at the diagnostic stage in terms of its approach. In the coming months, the brand should be defined.
“We operate as a duo with the metropolis. We have several missions. The first is outreach and attractiveness, i.e., we need to draw on the major events taking place in the area to promote the metropolis as far afield as possible. The second element is to attract national and international companies to the region. We also need to seek out the organization of major events to raise the profile of the region. It's not just a communications operation,” says François Navarro, Managing Director of the Hello Lille agency.
“We have a roadmap with 60 structuring projects. We've identified priority ecosystems. To avoid spreading ourselves too thin, we've set ourselves three objectives to analyze the projects that require investment. In future, Liège will have to meet at least one of the following three objectives: increasing employment, enhancing attractiveness and accelerating decarbonization. If a major project does not meet at least one of these three objectives, it will have to be dropped. The coupole approach must be one of territorial marketing. One that projects us into the future, one that makes us proud of our city and one that makes us ambassadors for those who come to join us,” adds Jean-Christophe Peterkenne, Managing Director of GRE Liège.
He gives himself 5 to 10 years to see the metropolis of Liège climb the European rankings.
