How can we revive Mumbai as a city?

How can we make brand Mumbai more appealing?

Context

Once called the Maximum City (like New York), Mumbai was once known world over for being the business and financial capital of India. Mumbai also has a rich heritage, a unique culture, enterprising spirit, a cosmopolitan vibe and is of course the headquarters of Bollywood. But times have changed. And it is changing fast with other cities and places competing with Mumbai.

Challenges for brand Mumbai

Mumbai has many challenges that have damaged its reputation and appeal

1. The most profitable companies and global MNCs are setting up base in Gurgaon / NCR / Bangalore and even Hyderabad. They are skipping Mumbai.

2. Though Mumbai has many advantages, it is an extremely expensive city for startups, new companies, tenants and hence people are choosing to live and work in other cities. Even new university marketing centres are moving to Delhi / NCR.

3. Places like Ahmedabad and others are competing for financial investment and aggressively marketing themselves with investment roadshows and pitches as an alternative.

4. The status of the financial capital also is changing with many financial companies, banks and institutions moving out to other cities.

5. Cinema from other parts of India are being discovered by urban audiences post the launch of platforms like Netflix, Jio and Prime. It is no longer Bollywood centric.

6. Visitors don’t see Mumbai as a destination, but rather a gateway city / port of entry and exit. So tourists don’t view Mumbai as fondly as a tourism destination like Jaipur, Delhi, Chennai or Cochin. Though Mumbai has plenty for tourism it is becoming difficult to compete.

Trouble? What we want you to hack and solve.

How can you reimagine, reinvent and design Brand Mumbai? In a way or manner that it attracts visitors, talents, companies and investments and increases civic pride. What can make your Brand Mumbai more powerful and appealing?

Your work / final presentation should cover the following:

1. What would your Brand Mumbai story be? (presented visually and digitally?) What will your brand be called?

2. How would you design brand Mumbai? Identity, logo, style, mnemonic? In a manner that best represents your Brand Mumbai.

3. What experiences would be part of your brand revival and how would you present these experiences before audiences? You can even ideate your recommended experiences if you want.

4. What will your communication design look like - posters, OOH, website mock (a landing page design is fine) and 8-10 social posts, print ad. You might choose one route that works for all audiences or choose different routes for different audiences.

5. If Brand Mumbai (or whatever you brand and call it) was to present itself in international forums what will be its pavilion or exhibition design?

6. What would the merchandise design for your Brand Mumbai be and what would they look like?