TUSI services | Brand
City branding and destination branding
City branding builds a shared identity and story for a city or destination that residents, visitors and investors recognize and believe. TUSI designed the Tehran city brand identity and the identity for Iran’s World Heritage Sites, and in 2023 signed a memorandum of understanding on city branding and city narrative with the Asian Mayors Forum (AMF).
A logo does not make a city a brand
A city is a living mix of people, history, culture and everyday experience. That is why city branding does not end with a logo. It needs a story that is true to the city, one its residents recognize as their own.
For Tehran’s city brand, instead of a single symbol, TUSI designed a mark for the city’s spirit of solidarity and constant interaction: as complex as Tehran, yet coherent. For Iran’s World Heritage Sites, sociology, architecture and restoration, branding and graphic design were the core of the design thinking.
Story before symbol
First we find the city’s story; the mark grows out of it.
Many voices, one city
A city has no single owner. Its brand has to mean something to residents, institutions and businesses.
Living in the city
The identity has to leave the document and appear in the streets, on transport and at events.
What we do
City narrative
The central story and idea of the city or destination.
Destination brand strategy
Audiences, position and message for residents, visitors and investors.
Logo and visual identity
The mark, visual language and identity system of the city or destination.
Urban touchpoints
The identity applied to transport, flags, posters and public space.
Publications and films
Publications, catalogs and films that introduce the destination.
Campaigns and events
A communications program that introduces the new identity to residents and outside audiences.
A city’s brand is made by its people. Our job is to find a story they can see themselves in.
When you need this
A new identity for a city
The city or region has no clear story and no recognized mark.
Promoting a tourism destination
A destination has to be introduced to domestic and international visitors.
Presenting heritage and culture
Cultural sites and assets need a unified visual language.
Major city events
A national or international event creates a chance to present the city.
How we work
Understand the city
Study its history, culture, stakeholders and current image.
Story and strategy
Develop the central idea and the city brand’s position.
Identity design
Design the mark, the visual language and the brand book.
Bring it to life
Support the use of the identity across the city and in communications.
Selected work
Tehran city brand identity (Tehran Municipality)
Instead of a single symbol, a mark for the city’s spirit of solidarity and constant interaction: as complex as Tehran, yet coherent.
Iran’s World Heritage Sites
Visual identity, a publication, a catalog and films presenting Iran’s UNESCO-listed sites, delivered in 45 days.
Simurgh: Iran’s tourism brand
A symbol for tourism in Iran based on the Simurgh: a many-sided mark of myth, wisdom and health tourism.
Frequently asked questions
How is city branding different from designing a city logo?
A logo is only one output. City branding covers understanding the city, its story, strategy and visual identity, and a plan to bring the identity into public space and communications.
Which institutions need city branding?
Municipalities, cultural heritage and tourism bodies, free zones and any institution responsible for presenting a city, region or destination.
What city branding experience does TUSI have?
TUSI designed the Tehran city brand identity for Tehran Municipality and the identity for Iran’s World Heritage Sites for the country’s cultural heritage authority. In 2023 we signed a memorandum of understanding on city branding and city narrative with the Asian Mayors Forum (AMF).
What role do residents play?
A city brand lasts only when residents accept it. Understanding how people and stakeholders see their city has to be part of the process, not something that happens after design.
How are fees for city branding set?
Fees are set after the discovery meeting and confirmed in the proposal. They depend on the scope of work, the size of the organization, the number of deliverables and the timeline.
Related services
What story does your city or destination have to tell?
In an introductory meeting, we review your organization’s brand together and map out a recommended path.
