Explaining the Paradigm Model of the Urban Branding Process through Analyzing the Qualitative Content of Isfahan's Strategic Branding Plan

Today, cities are increasingly competing with each other to attract more and more tourists, investors and companies, new citizens, and a valuable and creative workforce. However, city branding plays an effective role to attract or repel them. Therefore, preparing strategic urban branding plans to recover and promote the brand of cities is of great importance. In Iran, some efforts in this regard such as the strategic branding plan of Isfahan, Tehran, and the strategic plan of the visual identity of Mashhad and Kelardasht have been made. Therefore, studying the effects and evaluation of strategic urban branding plans can improve the quality of strategic city branding programs in Iran. As a result, studying the effectiveness and efficiency of these strategic plans is of high importance. In this research, the qualitative content analysis method was used to study the strategic branding plan of Isfahan and identify the components of urban branding according to the existing documents. To do so, the emphasized or neglected dimensions were identified and presented in Isfahan’s branding. The purpose of this study is to determine the components of city branding and the way the dimensions of the subject are emphasized or neglected in the existing document.