Barcelona ranks in the world’s top 10 of best reputation cities

Barcelona (ACN).-Barcelona is the 9^th city with the best reputation in the world, according to a study presented by the prestigious ESADE Business School. The Catalan capital ranked particularly highly in the areas of tourism, sport and culture. The study, known as City RepTrak 2014, was presented on Tuesday at ESADE, a business school of international reputation, at its Barcelona campus. The report compared the reputations of 100 cities around the world, and the list was topped by Vienna, Munich, Sydney, Florence and Oslo. Across the board, European cities had the best reputation, with an average of 68.9 points, higher than the 66.9 point average for cities in the United States, and well ahead of those in Asia-Pacific, Latin America and Africa. Barcelona rose from number 23 last year to inclusion within the top ten this year, while the city of Madrid dropped from 27^th place to 32^nd. Experts in the fields of business and economy have highlighted the correlation between a city’s attractive reputation to better economic results. 

According to the Director of the ESADE Brand Institute, Ana Varela, "the results show that Barcelona has managed to position itself very quickly within the first division of the world's cities." Varela warned that "the economic and political environment does not help to enhance this reputation. The various crises have resulted in fewer investments in infrastructure, despite the attractiveness of the city, recognized not only as a business centre but also renowned in the field for its creative atmosphere". The study also showed that cities with the best reputation also have better economic results. "A city with a good reputation attracts tourists, talent and investments on more favourable terms than one which is less popular", said the director of the Reputation Institute, Enrique Johnson.

3 categories: level of development, quality of life and quality of institutions

Similarly, there is a close correlation between the reputation of a country, and that of its cities, which follow parallel paths. The City RepTrak study assesses reputations based on the trust, esteem and admiration they arouse, and through evaluating 13 attributes grouped into 3 categories: its level of development, quality of life and the quality of its institutions.

Barcelona: city for sports enthusiasts, business people and tourists

In Barcelona, its high-ranking reputation is thanks mainly to the attractiveness of the city as a centre for tourism, sport and culture. The city’s standing in social networks, while subject to peaks in demand when there are special events, nevertheless shows the popularity of Barcelona in these areas, which is continuous over time.

The Catalan capital is also renowned for business and corporate events, conferences and in the field of education, as indicated by the overall monitoring of the Barcelona brand in social networks, which was also presented at ESADE on Tuesday. The studies were carried out by Barcelona Global, a citizens’ platform of ideas and action relating to the city, with the help of the consulting company Accenture through their International Centre for Big Data, which they set up in Barcelona. The analysis of Barcelona’s status in social networks has allowed Barcelona Global, an independent and non-profit organization, to develop strategies aimed at positioning the city in the business field, as one of the best in the world for attracting talent and developing economic activity.

The quality of life offered by the city

Varela said that "the quality of life offered by the city has become the benchmark as an inspirational destination." The report also indicates how attractive the city is as a place to study, thanks to Erasmus. "This, coupled with the fact that it is one of the main tourist areas in different conferences, gives Barcelona a strong presence in social networks and this is predominantly positive," she concluded.