Cıttaslow in the framework of the city branding: Taraklı example

The brand concept does not only apply to products and services. But also for cities are experiencing the process of branding. Branding develops and highlights cities for economic, social and cultural purposes. In the process of urban branding, branding elements such as image, identity and brand value should be considered together. With this brand communication, the efforts made for the target audience of the city make the branding process more successful. Cities need to focus on the characteristics that make them different in the branding process and to succeed in influencing the target audience with a successful brand positioning and to take place in the minds of the target audience. After industrialization, the cities have also changed. The increasing population rate brought about crowds, pollution and rapid living. This situation has turned into the globalization of cities to become similar to their local identities and become similar to each other. The ''Cıttaslow'' movement, which is a model of urban development, which we often hear about in the recent period, opposes globalization and leads the cities to protect their local identities. Because of the ''Cıttaslow'' movement is effective in the urbanization and branding of cities it transforms cities into attractions center. In this study, the branding process of Tarakli, which became a member of the ''Cıttaslow''union in 2011 presented by semi-structured interviews with the The Tarakli local government, Tarakli people and visitors. In the light of this information, the advantages and disadvantages of Taraklı being a brand city in the Cıttaslow context were determined and recommendations were made for Taraklı.Keywords: Cıttaslow, Brand, Brand City, Taraklı