ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the branding of place by the local councils, in a context of the considerable competition. It gives particular attention to Glen Innes and Oberon, and to the very different town of Gunnedah, to reflect on the similarities and differences in marketing and mobility. Marketing and branding take multiple forms, from the decoration of stalls and the language used to promote places, to the council fliers, tourism brochures and the special editions of newspapers. Developing a branding theme that was both specific to a particular place, eyecatching was rarely easy for councils with limited experience and expertise in marketing. While Councils were principally interested in attracting households, particularly households that could make a wider economic contribution to the community, they were also interested in the migration of businesses. While few people had distinctively rural objectives in terms of space a focus on rural lifestyle was important in counteracting subversive drought and 'dead sheep in the dam' perceptions.
