Hållbarhetsarbete i världsklass. En diskursiv studie av Business Region Göteborgs och Göteborg & Co:s kommunikation kring det hållbara Göteborg ur ett varumärkesperspektiv

Abstract

The municipally owned companies Business Region Göteborg and Göteborg & Co have major influence on the perception of Gothenburg - including the 13 municipalities surrounding the city - as a sustainable placebrand. Their communication about the “brand” of Gothenburg is central to how Gothenburg is perceived among investors, tourists, scientists and other target groups, shaping their views and decisions related to the city. The aim of this thesis was to analyze how sustainability is expressed in public publications from Business Region Göteborg and Göteborg & Co in the area of placebranding, strategic communication and sustainable development. Using a discursive perspective, I examine how the rhetorical language in these documents produces and reproduces values that form sustainability-related discourses, and how these relate to other discourses influencing perceptions of sustainability. I also highlight what is underrepresented in the strategic communication, especially concerning inclusion and participation, and discuss the implications for sustainable urban development. The study contributes knowledge about how sustainability is constructed and understood in an urban context and what values are associated with it. As sustainable development is seen as central to urban planning and communication is recognized as key for promoting understanding and engagement, I argue that analyzing power relations through discourse analysis is essential to interpreting how sustainability is defined and legitimized.The findings reveal that discourses on growth, innovation, and future development dominate the communication, while inclusion and participation are inadequately addressed. Furthermore, I conclude that a “top-down” perspective on sustainability prevails, which may impact Gothenburg’s place brand identity and affect the conditions necessary for a successful and well-established place brand.