Place branding (policies) and rural economic development in China: what impact and how?

Purpose This article aims to explore the policy effects of place branding on rural economic development in China. Design/methodology/approach A time-varying difference-in-differences (DiD) method is used to validate the assumed positive relationship between place branding strategies and rural economic development in China. Findings The results demonstrate that place branding policies significantly enhance rural economic development. The dynamic treatment effect analysis further elucidates varying policy impacts across different periods. Research limitations/implications This study does not examine inter-brand interactions and their policy implications. Single-country case-study approach should also be mentioned. Practical implications The findings advocate for adopting place branding as a strategic pathway for rural economic development in China, while the findings are scalable. Originality/value The value added of this paper is threefold. First, it provides an insight into the place branding strategies in rural China, thus contributing to the overall, complex and expanding debate on place branding strategies. Specifically, it adds to the relatively underexplored domain of rural place branding in the Global South. Second, by empirically validating the positive effects of place branding policies on rural economic development in China, this paper provides the so far missing empirical insight into the question of how effective place branding policies/strategies in rural areas are and how they matter. Third, this study makes a major claim consistent with locating place branding and place branding strategies in context of public policy debate.