City marketing in U.S. smart cities: A comparative study

Abstract

Objectives This article investigates the city marketing strategies employed by selected U.S. Smart Cities, with the aim of understanding how they promote themselves to attract new residents, firms, investors and visitors. Prior work The study builds on the established literature on city marketing and place branding, as well as recent comparative analyses of Smart Cities and territorial marketing, extending this work by focusing on how smart urban agendas are translated into concrete branding and communication strategies. Approach Analysing Smart City rankings enables the identification of three Smart Cities in the United States, namely New York City, Boston and Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW). A comparative analysis is employed to examine their city marketing strategies, including whether their promotion highlights historical aspects, cultural elements or innovation narratives, and to analyse the branding principles and communication tools used. Results The analysis identifies key dimensions of the cities’ promotions, including brand development, brand communication, brand maintenance, promotional benefits and strategic limitations, and shows how each city configures these dimensions differently. Implications The findings offer useful guidance for academics, researchers and practitioners seeking to design, assess or improve marketing strategies in Smart Cities, particularly in terms of aligning branding with governance, stakeholder engagement and resident-facing value. Value The article contributes to the field of city marketing by providing a structured comparative analysis of marketing strategies in different types of Smart Cities and by illustrating how distinct city marketing approaches can foster city visibility and perceived attractiveness.