Place Branding and Marketing for Attracting Investors : A Case Study of Älvkarleby Municipality

Aim: The purpose of this study is to examine how small municipalities can use place branding as part of a strategy to attract international investments. The study identifies the challenges, opportunities, and strategies that small municipalities can apply to strengthen their brand and increase their attractiveness to foreign investors. Methodology: Älvkarleby Municipality has been selected as the case study. The research is based on a qualitative method using semi-structured interviews and document analysis. The theoretical frameworks applied are Anholt’s Competitive Identity Framework and Freeman’s Stakeholder Theory. Findings & Conclusion: The findings reveal that Älvkarleby has a strong local identity rooted in nature, fishing, and industrial heritage. Despite this strong local identity, limited resources, infrastructural constraints, and weak digital communication hinder international visibility. The municipality’s strengths such as green energy and its strategic geographical location compared to other small municipalities are not fully utilized in external marketing efforts. The study concludes that small municipalities need to combine digital communication, cultural authenticity, collaboration, and strategic planning, strengthen their attractiveness and contribute to sustainable local development in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Contribution of the Study: The study has both theoretical and practical contributions. The theoretical contribution lies in applying place branding theories to small municipalities. The practical contribution highlights the importance of strategic communication and collaboration to attract international investments. Reflections on the Study and Suggestions for Future Research: As the study is limited to a single municipality, future research could include more municipalities and apply quantitative methods to broaden the scope and strengthen the findings. Keywords: Place branding, small municipalities, investments, Älvkarleby, sustainable development.