Copenhagen Is Hot, Denmark Is Not: On the Authority and the Role of Place Branding Image Rankings

This paper discusses the practice of ranking linked to the issue of place branding focusing on two cases from Denmark, one the national level, the other on the local level, namely the city of Copenhagen. Rankings of places have increased, and – as we shall argue – so have their influence on identity negotiation and public policy. Drawing on experiences with rankings in other fields (corporate reputation and higher education) and critical work on polling, we examine their growing influence, unanticipated consequences and claims to represent places and people. We analyze how media and various audiences represent and use place image survey results.