Understand
Listen to stakeholders, examine perceptions and identify the place’s assets and challenges.
Leonardo Nieto · Consultant and speaker
Place identity.
Positioning.
International reach.
I help cities, regions and promotion organisations turn their assets into a relevant value proposition for visitors, investors and partners.
TOURISM BOARDSINVESTMENT AGENCIESCONVENTION BUREAUSCHAMBERS OF COMMERCECITIES & REGIONS
My perspective
A place brand starts with what a place can become.
Identity, experience and reputation come together through decisions, relationships and a shared vision. I work with institutions and businesses to make that vision clear, credible and useful.
Explore my approach to place branding →Services
Clear priorities. A scope that fits your challenge.
01
Place branding and positioning
I help cities and regions understand their identity, assess how they are perceived and establish a relevant position for their audiences. The result is a strategic foundation for promotion, communication and collaboration.
02Place narrative and strategic communication
I develop narratives and communication tools that explain a place’s value clearly. The central story connects with audience-specific messages, evidence, spokesperson guidance and content that teams can use in their daily work.
03Destination marketing strategy
I help tourism boards, chambers of commerce and destination organisations organise their tourism promotion strategy. We connect the available offer with priority audiences and markets to define messages, channels, partnerships and actions.
04Investment promotion and business events
I support investment promotion agencies and convention bureaus in communicating the value of their location. I develop propositions, messages and tools to present economic capabilities, sector expertise and destination strengths to companies and event organisers.
05AI for place promotion
I help communication and promotion teams use artificial intelligence for specific tasks: exploring information, organising knowledge, drafting and adapting content. The focus is on practical workflows supported by sources and professional review.
06Strategic advisory
I help leaders and teams assess positioning, communication and place-promotion decisions. I provide an external perspective to review proposals, compare alternatives and monitor a strategy already under way.
07Speaking and workshops
I design talks and workshops on place branding, place narratives, promotion and artificial intelligence. Depth, examples and exercises are tailored to the audience and purpose, connecting ideas with practical decisions.
How I work
From understanding to action.
Choose
Agree on priorities, audiences and a value proposition supported by evidence.
Express
Turn the strategy into a narrative, messages and useful communication tools.
Activate
Define actions, responsibilities and ways to assess progress and adapt.
Listening and validation run through the process. The scope is tailored to the organisation and its starting point.
About Leonardo
Strategy grounded in experience.
More than twenty years in communication and marketing, with over fifteen focused on the international promotion of places.
My experience includes twelve years at Invest in Bogotá, from 2011 to 2023, and consulting with cities, regions and promotion organisations in Colombia and abroad.
About me and recent projects →Experience
Organisations I have worked with.
The podcast · Spanish conversations, English overviews
Place Branding & Co
Video in SpanishSandra Howard
Sustainable tourism and destination reputation
How can a destination deliver on its promise? Sandra Howard and I discuss sustainability, public policy and reputation: pressure on local services, community participation and honest communication. We also explore how hotels, agencies, institutions and local stakeholders can work towards a shared vision.
Explore this conversation →
Video in SpanishJesús Ávila
Education and place brand development
Jesús Ávila and I discuss the role of education in building a place brand, bringing educational institutions into the conversation about how a place understands and presents itself.
Explore this conversation →
Video in SpanishVíctor Palma
Building a nation brand through Chile’s experience
Víctor Palma and I discuss place branding and nation brands through Chile’s experience. The episode brings the perspective of a professional associated with Imagen de Chile to practitioners working on international positioning.
Explore this conversation →Books
A deeper perspective on places.
In English
Place Branding Beyond Promotion
Twelve essays on identity, trust and shared value. A perspective on how places build meaningful reputations beyond their promotional campaigns.
Explore the book on Hotmart ↗
In Spanish
Place Branding y Comunicación Estratégica
Twelve revised articles exploring place identity, narrative, trust and reputation, with practical questions for communication and destination teams.
Explore the Spanish book ↗Learning together
Ideas that teams can put to work.
Talks and workshops on place branding, narrative, destination promotion and responsible AI.
Sessions connect strategic concepts with the questions, decisions and day-to-day work of your team.
Explore speaking and workshops →Articles
Perspectives on place branding.
2026-01-06
Trust: the New Currency in the World of Brands and Places
In an environment where algorithms shape visibility, channels fragment, and messages lose credibility, trust emerges as the most valuable strategic asset a brand—and, by extension,…
Read article →2025-11-18
The Invisible Challenge for Destinations: Rethinking Tourism and Place Branding in the Digital Era
Enrolling in the Sustainable Tourism Destination Management program at Cornell University, supported by UN Tourism, has been an opportunity to step back and look at the bigger pict…
Read article →2025-06-17
🇮🇳 India’s Place Branding Breakthrough. What Latin America Can Learn
When we think of global examples of successful place branding, India inevitably comes to mind. Campaigns like “Incredible India” did more than just put the country on the map; they…
Read article →Let’s work together
What does your place need next?
Tell me about your organisation, the challenge and your timeframe. We can explore the most useful scope, format and next steps.