Barcelona Design Center (BCD) is a non-profit foundation, started in 1973, whose mission is “to promote design as a key factor for company innovation and competitiveness, as well as a discipline improving our life standards.” In order to carry out their mission BCD developed ‘Program Barcelona’ as a means to support and foster growth and investment for companies rooted in Barcelona. Their overarching vision is to make Barcelona a creative hub and an attraction for investment.
One of the main goals of the Program is to collect data about the values that define the Barcelona brand. The data was collected in 2011 through a study and survey conducted by the ESADE Brand Institute, to a network of international contacts to determine the strength of the Barcelona brand within this context. The survey not only addressed concepts associated with the city of Barcelona, but also about the factors that determine locations for profitable investments and identification of the most global creative cities.
The survey was sent to professionals and executives working with international companies and institutions belonging to the creative and technology sectors. According to the results, the main values associated with Barcelona are creativity, urban development and creative infrastructure. Barcelona is ranked the 4th most creative city, behind San Francisco, London and New York, and ahead of cities like Tokyo, Berlin or Paris.
One of the most important questions of the survey was about the key drivers for investment in a city. The results show that a culturally vibrant community is the 3rd most important factor in considering an investment. Other top ranking factors were a flexible administrative and legal framework and a solid infrastructure.
After analyzing the responses to the survey, the Barcelona City Brand program will focus its actions on the concepts and policies linked to creativity such as social and emotional innovation, lab of new concepts of business and creative equipment and infrastructures that attracts international companies. As the new brand fosters internal innovation, it will also facilitate globalization of their creative professionals.
Barcelona Design Center has recognized the importance of knowing the core values of its culture by launching this program focused specifically on creativity and urban development. This recognition will ultimately aid them as they work to transform Barcelona’s brand through visual and gain a competitive advantage as a global player.
