Exploring City Brand Engagement: Uncovering the Values of Engaged Stakeholders in Budapest [védés előtt]

The research elaborates on the following topics: • Challenging Mainstream Economics: The research questions the validity of conventional economics, highlighting its shortcomings both in empirical accuracy and ethical suitability. It advocates for economic activities that are not only profitable but also environmentally conscious and socially responsible. • Place Branding Reimagined: Place branding, once driven by marketing strategies, faces ethical and identity-related criticisms. The research seeks to redefine this practice with a more inclusive and sustainable approach, respecting the cultural and historical nuances of a place. • Authenticity in Place branding: The research delves into the intricate cultural, historical, and social layers that make a place unique. This deeper understanding informs efforts to create authentic and effective place branding strategies. • Strengthening Brand Equity: The study centers on building robust brand equity, a crucial goal in marketing. Focusing on Budapest, it explores how the Brand Engagement model can enhance the place brand's attractiveness and positivity. • An Integrated Approach: The research presents an integrated approach, influenced by the Brand Engagement concept from the marketing research, to optimize place branding efforts and align them with sustainability and inclusivity goals. Key Contributions of the Study: • Multidimensional Framework: It introduces a novel multidimensional framework for understanding place branding, specifically through Cognitive, Emotional, and Behavioral engagement dimensions. • Brand Engagement Application: The study suggests the application of the Brand Engagement concept to place branding, marking a significant contribution to the field. • Circular Interactions: It uncovers the circular relationships among the three dimensions, demonstrating how Behavioral engagement influences Emotional attachment, which, in turn, shapes Cognitive thinking, enriching our understanding of the dynamics involved. • Practical Insights: Provides practical insights for local governments, offering guidance on tailoring community engagement strategies and shaping policy decisions for more effective and sustainable place branding. • Enhanced Understanding: Enhances our understanding of the journey from individual perceptions to long-term residence decisions and brand advocacy, shedding light on the intricacies of place branding in a multidimensional context • City Brand Engagement: The research defines and explores the construct of City Brand Engagement, comprising the three dimensions, which offer a fresh perspective on how various stakeholders interact in place branding, including businesses, citizens, authorities, and NGOs • Circular Interactions: It uncovers the circular relationships among the three dimensions, demonstrating how Behavioral engagement influences Emotional attachment, which, in turn, shapes Cognitive thinking, enriching our understanding of the dynamics involved. • Practical Insights: Provides practical insights for local governments, offering guidance on tailoring community engagement strategies and shaping policy decisions for more effective and sustainable place branding. • Enhanced Understanding: Enhances our understanding of the journey from individual perceptions to long-term residence decisions and brand advocacy, shedding light on the intricacies of place branding in a multidimensional contex