Informality and the branding of creative places: the case of Suci screen-printing kampong in Bandung, Indonesia

Abstract

This paper examines how informality is utilised in the branding of urban kampong and how this reshapes kampong development in the context of the global South. We examine the case of Suci area, Bandung, which the local government relabelled as a ‘creative tourism kampong’ in order to rejuvenate the identity of the long-established businesses in the area. Informality is thus strategically used to develop the brand identity of the kampong. The brand of ‘creative kampong’ is used to reflect that deprived communities residing in the kampongs can participate in the local development agenda for promoting the creative economy. However, the policy strategies have not gone beyond relabelling the name: the characteristics and potentials from informality in the kampong are not aligned with and translated into actions to promote creativity and innovation in the existing local enterprises. As the result, the branding strategy could not develop awareness and esteem about the brand image that the kampong is being revitalised as a creative kampong.