From viral to vital: The impact of City branding strategies on internet-famous cities

In the context of accelerated urbanization and intensifying inter-city competition, many small and medium-sized cities are grappling with population decline, largely due to the siphoning effects of megacities and population reduction. In response, some of these cities have turned to digital platforms in an attempt to become “internet-famous,” leveraging online attention to stimulate local tourism and boost economic vitality. However, the extent to which this popularity is shaped and sustained through the interplay of governmental interventions and public participation remains insufficiently understood. This study proposes a conceptual framework comprising three levels of city branding strategies: general city branding strategies (tourism policies and city labels), internet-famous city branding strategies (e.g., official media and timely governmental response), and advanced city branding strategies (public participation). Then, we employ a mixed-method approach—integrating descriptive statistics with Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA)—to investigate 28 internet-famous cities in China. The findings suggest that the rapid ascent of internet-famous cities in China is characterized by significant volatility and a high degree of fluidity. While public policies and official branding efforts are instrumental in sustaining long-term popularity, public participation and sudden viral events play a more critical role in the initial surge of these cities' online popularity. The results underscore the importance of aligning governance strategies with grassroots dynamics, highlighting that governmental capacity building, alongside strategic integration of tourism policies and pre-existing city labels, plays a crucial role in maintaining the durability of online-driven urban fame.