Climbing and craft beer part of Sheffield rebrand

The rebrand aims to make Sheffield 'stand out' and 'stand apart'

A rebranding exercise hopes to improve people's perception of Sheffield and subsequently boost economic growth and tourism.

Sheffield City Council's enterprise, development and skills committee heard on Thursday that the "Sheffield Inspires" brand would ensure the city was recognised as "one of the UK's top five most attractive cities for trade, tourism and talent".

Councillors were told it would highlight the impact Sheffield has had on the world, from the city's importance in the birth of football, to its place as a craft beer developer and world-renowned climbing centre.

Councillor Martin Smith said he was confident the brand development would have a positive impact on local businesses and residents.

He said: "We know from research the impact of place branding and perception on an economy.

"It suggests that a positive shift in perception equates to a significant rise in tourism and economic value.

"The work to develop our city's visual identity is nothing short of inspiring."

Sheffield currently scores 3.5 out of 5 on a scale that measures recognition, the Local Democracy Service reports.

Councillors heard that a positive shift of only 0.1 (to 3.6) would equate to a rise in economic value of 5%, which for tourism alone would mean an additional £70m for the city.

Louisa Harrison-Walker, chief executive of the Sheffield Chamber of Commerce, said the brand development went beyond just attracting tourists.

"One of our roles is to promote Sheffield as a place for investment," she said.

"We want to promote the city to talent who might want to come and make Sheffield their home, to individuals that want to come here and open sustainable businesses that provide job opportunities."

The Marketing Sheffield team, part of Sheffield City Council, has been working on developing the brand for the past 12 to 18 months, alongside partners, businesses and organisations across the city.

Councillor Nikki Belfield said: "I love it. I know there are always questions when you put money into branding, people say why are you spending money on this?

"I just think it's always worth remembering you wouldn't pay an amateur to design your house and build that, I think it's really important to get professionals working on this."

Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.