Branding London

There's a saying at Heavenly that 'the brand is what the brand does': no matter how much you talk about brand positioning and brand values, it's what you do with them that counts. As we approach one of the biggest years in London's recent history, it's not clear to me that London has either a clear proposition as a city or a way of manifesting it.

London can learn a lot from New York: distinctively-associated with entrepreneurship and creativity, the symbols of the city (taxis, subway, etc) are marked by the distinctive ''nyc'' badge, creating a visible symbol of civic pride.

In my view, we need to:

Step 1: Define the London brand. In my view, our capital's core proposition is ''influential''. London has huge impact on what happens around the world, from culture and sport, to entrepreneurship and politics. Let's not apologize for London's association with financial services, let's embrace it - the City is one of our greatest assets.

Step 2: Create a strong visual identity. We need a symbol for our city, as iconic as itself. Given the controversy resulting from the 2012 logo, Londoners should vote on that symbol from a short-list. This will build some consensus and, more importantly, allow the people of London to take ownership of their brand.

Step 3. Bring the brand to life. Where are the signs that say you are now entering London as you approach on the M1? Where are the signs on Regent Street that remind passers-by that they are in this fantastic street? Where is the badge of London on its iconic transport networks?

We should stop taking our city for granted and start celebrating it. Location branding can have a wonderful effect on bringing people together and reminding them why they live in this fantastic city.