UNESCO Gastronomic Cities: Using food to brand a city as a cultural icon

Although branding is a well-established practice in consumer goods marketing its application to intangibles is a relatively new activity. The development and continuation of valuable brands requires a return to those who invest in them. This paper reviews the co-branding between the United Nations and urban centres who aspire to known as UNESCO Gastronomy Cities. Cities who achieve this award have the potential to receive a return on their efforts in the form of enhanced brand image, with associated economic and social benefits. However, the relatively low number of UNESCO Cities of Gastronomy indicates that the award may suffer from a combination of low level of awareness amongst prospective cities, high barriers to achieving it and/or inadequate benefits. Further research is proposed to identify opportunities for enhancing the profile of UNESCO Gastronomy Cities.