Visual rhetoric in city branding: The case of Timisoara ECoC 2023 [articol]

Abstract

This paper attempts to pinpoint the importance of visual rhetoric in the city branding of Timisoara as European Capital of Culture in 2023. Visual artifacts related to Timisoara ECoC 2023 can enhance or hinder the urban branding. The image of Timisoara includes a rich cultural, industrial and civic heritage component, with a strong visual dimension. Urban spaces can develop via marketing of destination and place branding, and, in the process, visual rhetoric can prove an essential branding tool in the promotion of the spirit of Timisoara. The European Capital of Culture could have supported the city of Timisoara in rebranding as not only multicultural, open, and inclusive, but also creative, smart, and sustainable. The analysis of visual artifacts related to Timisoara ECoC 2023 reveals an insufficient, mediocre branding performance.