America’s definitive city perceptions index,surveying opinions of 10,000+ respondentson the top 50 city brands in the United States About Brand Finance4Get in Touch4Request your own City Perceptions Report7 ForewordWhy do city brand perceptions matter?10 by Laurence Newell,Managing Director, Brand Finance North America Methodology How did we survey perceptions of US city brands?12 Executive Summary What are the highlights from this year’s Index?18 Executive Summary20by Konrad Jagodzinski,Place Branding Director, Brand Finance Insight & Analysis What do our analysts say?28 The Halo vs. Horn Effect. Do Domestic Perceptions Lag International Perceptions?A Case Study of Nine US Cities30 Navigating City Appeal: Insights from the Brand Finance US City Index32by Katrina Rogala,Analytics Manager, Brand Finance Brand Spotlights What do the place brand leaders say?36 Interview with VISIT FLORIDA38 Interview with Greater Baltimore Committee41by Mark Anthony Thomas,President & CEO, Greater Baltimore Committee Interview with Space Center Houston42by William T. Harris, President & CEO, Space Center Houston Disclaimer The opinions and data analysis expressed in the report are not tobe construed as providing investment or business advice. BrandFinance does not intend the report to be relied upon for any reason Brand Finance has produced this study with an independent andunbiased analysis. The data derived and opinions produced inthis study are based only on survey findings and publicly available Data compiled for Brand Finance reports are provided for the benefit ofthe media and the public and are not to be used for any commercial ortechnical purpose without written permission from Brand Finance. About Brand Finance Brand Finance is the world’s leading brand evaluation and strategyconsultancy. Bridging the gap betweenMarketing and Finance Brand Finance created ISO standard 10668and ISO standard 20671. Our methodologyhas been certified by Austrian Standards and Brand Finance was set up in 1996with the aim of 'bridging the gap betweenmarketing and finance'. For more than25 years, we have helped companies We advise DMOshow to boost their place brands Brand Finance has been conducting anannual Nation Brands study on the world’s mostvaluable and strongest nation brands for nearly20 years. It has provided key benchmarks for Quantifying the financialvalue of brands We put thousands of the world’sbiggest brands to the test every year.Ranking brands across all sectors The Global Soft Power Index expands on thatmethodology to provide an all-round viewof perceptions of nation brands. The BrandFinance City Index does the same for citybrands. Understanding those perceptions is key Unique combinationof expertise Our teams have experience acrossa wide range of disciplines frommarketing and market research, The stronger the place brand's perceptions,the greater its ability to attract investments,market its products and services, invite talent, Priding ourselveson technical credibility Brand Finance is the world's first brand valuationconsultancy to join the International ValuationStandards Council. A chartered accounting firm Get in Touch For all enquiries, please contact:Laurence NewellManaging Director, Brand Finance North America linkedin.com/company/brand-finance twitter.com/brandfinance Konrad JagodzinskiPlace Branding Director, Brand Financek.jagodzinski@brandfinance.com facebook.com/brandfinance Artur BryzghalovPlace Branding Manager, Brand Financea.bryzghalov@brandfinance.com For more information, please visit our website:www.brandfinance.com/uscityindex Insight Requestyour own Identify strengthsand weaknesses of your Benchmarking Compare your brandto competitors and track A City Perceptions Report providesa full breakdown of your city brand´sperformance in all metrics of the Brand Strategy Adjust brand positioningand set long-term goals Accountability Each report includes expertrecommendations for improvingyour city brand perceptions and offers Measure ROI and modifymarketing budgets to support Communication Publicise strong resultsto reassure key stakeholdersof your brand’s strength Education Educate key stakeholdersabout the benefits of brand The top 50 best city brands in the United States, scored out of 100, according to the results of a surveyof 10,000+ respondents nationwide. Foreword The benefits of a strong city brand Laurence NewellManaging Director,Brand Finance North America Cities that cultivate a positive and resilient citybrand reap multifaceted rewards. Foremost amongthese is the capacity to attract tourism, investment,and talent. A favorable city brand entices I am pleased to present the inaugural BrandFinance US City Index, a data-driven exploration ofhow American cities are perceived by the generalpublic nationwide. The index surveys opinions ofmore than 10,000 respondents on the top 50 citybrands in the United States, and offers a roadmap Perhaps