EcocNews, the only online newspaper entirely dedicated to ecocs, was also invited to the meeting. Mariateresa Cascino, editor-in-chief, participated for Ecocnews, together with Serafino Paternoster, founder and editorial director. Speakers included some of the most important European cultural managers (the full programme is attached to this news item).

Ecocnews, with Mariateresa Cascino, took part in the panel "What is an ECoC brand?" moderated by Beatriz Garcia.

Awaiting the publication of the report of the whole day, we publish below the answers of our editor-in-chief.

What is the future of ECoC Brand? 
To answer this question we would have to assume that the ECoC programme has a brand. Instead, it is probably only a brand limited to a specific place (the city taking part in this action) and at a specific time (the bid or the capital), but still a brand that is not autonomous because linked to the visual identity of the capital city. To establish a brand, as the experts know, it is necessary to define an audience, to define a logo, a visual identity linked to values, and a continuity of communication over time.

These are all conditions that do not seem to exist at the moment. And it is truly curious for a European Commission programme that, without its own investment, gets anyway important results in a high level of communication. A communication that, however, is entrusted to the single city and is not accompanied at European level. The result, as we all know, is the following: the greatest consequence of a city becoming a European Capital of Culture is its repositioning on the map and, therefore, in the tourist market.

And yet, even so, if we ask any European citizen today what the two European Capitals of Culture will be in 2025, we will get no answer except from those citizens who live in Chemnitz or Nova Gorica, i.e. those citizens who are already preparing to experience the ECOC. So, to come to the question, what is the future of the ECOC brand?

The ECOC brand will have to focus more and more on the values of European identity and increasingly distance itself from the influence of politics and the interests of the tourism industry. It is these two factors, in my opinion, that have led to certain moments of crisis in both candidate cities and capital cities. The future of the ECOC brand is also at risk for two other reasons. In the panorama of European cultural capitals, there are now more and more national cultural capitals. Even in some Italian regions, regional cultural capitals are being created.

And to all these cultural capitals are added all the other European capitals of green, sustainable mobility, Mediterranean cuisine, European youth capital, etc. etc. The multiplication of these capitals risks confusing ideas by weakening the ECOC brand if it does not find a different way of imposing itself at the European level in particular.

Another reason is that people are increasingly looking no longer at single cities, but at cultural districts comprising a region (see Salzkammergut in Austria) or several municipalities (see Bourges in France). This threatens to call into question the very concept of a capital city and create a great deal of confusion.

What works and what does not work when establishing a major / authoritative / trusted European event brand?
We believe that in terms of communication there is a before Matera 2019 and an after Matera 2019.

Let's give just one example: Matera was the first to make a commercial agreement with Euronews, spreading the ECOC Program to 21 European countries, through a TV programme "Go Matera" divided into five episodes of five minutes each. The results were extraordinary in terms of visibility and return because that show stimulated other journalists to come and see us and report on the work we were doing. We mentioned Euronews, but it could be any other television network that distributes content in Europe. We believe, however, that this model should not be managed by the single city, but by the European Commission, which through its communication office should accompany the work, year by year, of ECOC. Also through its social channels.

Instead, the Commission merely publishes the name of the chosen city and the reports of the evaluation panels.

In the ECOC programme, the Commission should not limit itself to a purely administrative function as is the case today.

And here we come to the second point. We must give great, great appreciation and applause to the magnificent work that Sylvain Pasqua and all his small staff do in following up the ECOC programme. But this office needs to be reinforced on the different subjects if the ECOC programme is to be upgraded. It must be more present not only on the administrative and bureaucratic level, but also on the level of communication strategies by sharing communication plans with capital cities on a European and international scale. Otherwise the brand will remain more and more recognisable in a limited place and over a certain period of time, losing more and more its main objective, which is to share and strengthen the values of European identity.

What does the immediate future look like for ECoC branding?

Clearly, action is needed on several levels to make the ECoC brand clearer. There is a problem related to visual identity, there is a problem related to targeting audiences that are too locally oriented, and there is above all a communication problem and an organisation problem. The issue of communication for us at ECoCNews is a fundamental problem. The work we do fills a gap that is felt in the ECoC programme. In fact, the capital cities are left alone in communicating their programme and often their communication is closed within regional borders and, when it goes well, within national borders.

We believe that the experience of Matera 2019 in the world has stimulated successive capital cities to do more in terms of communication both nationally and internationally.

What other key brand referents are out there (major events / culture sector / other)? What could be adapted or improved on?
Of course, in addition to all that has already been said, a visual brand identity would have to be defined, which is right now too closely linked to the European flag. The Olympic logo with the five rings travels alone now and is universally recognisable. And it does not change depending on the country where the Olympics take place. Unlike, for example, another major event like Expo, which is linked to the territory where it takes place. I believe that the Commission should, at least with the start of the post-cycle, endow the ECoC brand with a more precise visual identity capable of encapsulating the aims and values of this mission.

What kind of event brand makes sense in 2025 and beyond : in the era of social media / AI / communication immediacy /at a time of raising polarisation across Europe and the world?
Apart from a legitimate technological development as far as communication is concerned, we believe that it is imperative to put the person back at the centre. In the Matera team we used to repeat this phrase: less bricks, more brains. We need to put the cultural projects and the person back at the centre in a territory, like Europe, where we are used to intertwining cultures and making social inclusion an extraordinary value.

The European Capital of Culture must increasingly be a tool for investing in people's skills and for meeting the increasingly complex needs of the community. On these issues, the cultural programmes of the ECoCs are taking many steps forward by focusing on culture as a way of caring for people, as a tool to feel better and to look to the future with greater confidence. But in our opinion the ECoCs must do something more and open up together to European society, not remain closed in their own backyard.

Art and culture are better able than any other language to represent the needs of contemporary society, but the European Capitals of Culture must know how to intertwine their missions with the values of the European Union, also by intervening in difficult topics such as the war that is taking place on our doorstep.

As far as we are concerned, ECoCnews also remains open to discussions on these topics because we want it to become more and more the home of the European Capitals of Culture.