Island Place Branding and Investor Perceptions: A Structural Analysis of Corsica and Kerkennah

Island territories increasingly compete for investments, talent, and legitimacy in a globalized environment, positioning themselves not only as geographic spaces but as place brands shaped by symbolic, institutional, and functional signals. While place branding research has extensively examined cities and nations, island place branding remains underexplored, particularly in comparative and stakeholder based perspectives. This study reframes territorial attractiveness as an outcome of island place branding, constructed through the interactions between strategic, socio-economic, and governance-related brand drivers. Adopting a prospective and qualitative methodology, the research applies structural analysis using the MICMAC method to identify and classify the key determinants of island place branding as perceived by investors, considered here as external place brand audiences. Empirical evidence is drawn from a comparative analysis of two Mediterranean islands with contrasting institutional and development contexts: Corsica (France) and Kerkennah (Tunisia). Data were collected from two groups of investors (25 per island) and analyzed through influence–dependence maps generated by MICMAC. The results reveal distinct place brand architectures, highlighting differences in brand drivers, relay mechanisms, and brand outcomes, particularly in terms of reputation and attractiveness. The findings contribute to the place branding literature by demonstrating how investor perceptions structure island place brands through complex interdependencies between governance, infrastructure, culture, and human capital. From a policy perspective, the study emphasizes the role of public action and institutional signaling in shaping island reputation and investment attractiveness, offering actionable insights for place branding strategies and public diplomacy in island contexts.