ABSTRACT
The competition between cities, metropolises and nations has become more intense. Thus, public leaders try to find a way to differentiate the perception of their territory and to build some place brands. In regard to its international audience, to the emotions it provides and the positive values that are associated with it, sport represents a potent leverage to address these objectives. After presenting the conceptual frameworks in line with place branding, this chapter provides a typology of the main objectives that public authorities want to reach: awareness, image, local economic dynamism or social effects. Then, this chapter provides an analysis of the different approaches where sport is used as a way to brand the destination: organizing sporting events, hosting a professional sport club, building modern sport facilities or implementing leisure activities.
