# How do you make Edinburgh Scotland bring the sexy? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 5, 2013, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-edinburgh-scotland-bring-the-sexy/662754 "2013-07-05T21:20:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2013, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-edinburgh-scotland-bring-the-sexy/662754/1 "2013-07-05T21:20:44Z")
[This is the man with a plan!](http://www.scotsman.com/edinburgh-evening-news/transport/marketeer-john-donnelly-to-revamp-edinburgh-image-1-2988486) What is the image of Edinburgh currently? Is it so dire it needs a professional marketing campaign? A MARKETING guru who helped launch T in the Park and was the commercial brains behind Glasgow 2014 has been appointed to spearhead the publicity firm promoting Edinburgh across the world. > [@](#): > > Renowned marketeer John Donnelly, who dreamt up a ground-breaking Coca-Cola promotion that appeared on 400 million cans, has been charged with injecting a little fizz into Marketing Edinburgh (ME). > > The 49-year-old will fill a seven-month void in the chief executive’s chair sparked by the departure of his predecessor, Lucy Bird, following last year’s much derided “Incredinburgh” Winter Festival campaign. > > The former chief executive fell on her sword after the Christmas TV advert flopped and ME’s loyalty to the 
tagline – which spawned the wordplay “paint the town redinburgh” and “shop here instedinburgh” – was described by one city source as “one very long suicide note ---
**Author:** ![movingfinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@movingfinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/movingfinger)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-edinburgh-scotland-bring-the-sexy/662754/2 "2013-07-06T07:21:40Z")
My suggestion: Show a sour, cranky old Scotsman reading a quote from P G Wodehouse: “It is not difficult to tell a dour Scotsman from a ray of sunshine.” As he reads this a grin slowly spreads over his face, and he begins to laugh with great enthusiasm as a ray of sunlighht shines on him. I’ll send you my bill. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-edinburgh-scotland-bring-the-sexy/662754/3 "2013-07-06T10:23:21Z")
Edinburgh doesn’t really need much marketing, imo, it’s already jam-packed full of visitors for much of the year. ---
**Author:** ![Vicullum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/6de8d8/32.png) [@Vicullum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vicullum)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2013, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-edinburgh-scotland-bring-the-sexy/662754/4 "2013-07-07T06:48:32Z")
What strange timing–I was just there last week. There were hordes of tourists around Edinburgh Castle and walking up and down the Royal Mile. How much more do they need? ---
**Author:** ![alexandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e68b1a/32.png) [@alexandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alexandra)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2013, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-edinburgh-scotland-bring-the-sexy/662754/5 "2013-07-08T15:30:34Z")
It’s a hugely popular destination for New Year’s Eve, it’s got the Edinburgh Festival and the Fringe, it boasts an excellent university- it more than punches above its weight. Compare Edinburgh’s cultural reputation to that of Birmingham, which is double its size. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2013, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-edinburgh-scotland-bring-the-sexy/662754/6 "2013-07-08T16:05:09Z")
So why all the fuss about an effective marketing campaign? The way the article made it sound the marketing campaign was vitally necessary to revamp the city’s image. I had the impression it was some tired and grimy urban dystopia full of Trainspotting types. > [@](#): > > Marketeer John Donnelly to revamp Edinburgh image ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2013, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-edinburgh-scotland-bring-the-sexy/662754/7 "2013-07-08T16:31:21Z")
Off the top of my head, I can’t think of anything to see in Edinburgh other than the Royal Mile and the castle. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2013, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-edinburgh-scotland-bring-the-sexy/662754/8 "2013-07-08T16:51:33Z")
> [@Vicullum](#): > > What strange timing–I was just there last week. > > There were hordes of tourists around Edinburgh Castle and walking up and down the Royal Mile. How much more do they need? As many as they can get. There’s nothing weird about marketing your city, pretty much everywhere does it. Paris, London and New York put out ad campaigns overseas, and they’re the last cities that are struggling for visitors. ---
**Author:** ![Lungfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d78d45/32.png) [@Lungfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lungfish)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2013, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-edinburgh-scotland-bring-the-sexy/662754/9 "2013-07-08T18:11:26Z")
A waste of money. Still what’s £300,000 compared to the £750,000,000 and counting being spent on the trams. ---
**Author:** ![Cinnamon\_Imp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@Cinnamon\_Imp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cinnamon_Imp)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2013, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-edinburgh-scotland-bring-the-sexy/662754/10 "2013-07-08T18:23:20Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Off the top of my head, I can’t think of anything to see in Edinburgh other than the Royal Mile and the castle. The Scottish Parliament, Holyrood Palace, Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh Zoo, various museums I can’t remember the names of, climb Arthur’s Seat… yeah, I should probably venture over again sometime. And to have a pint with \*\*Scougs \*\*too. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2013, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-edinburgh-scotland-bring-the-sexy/662754/11 "2013-07-08T19:36:59Z")
Okay, perhaps I should say “anything worth visiting Edinburgh for.” The SP, zoo and Holyrood don’t really seem like things you’d go all they way there to do. Dunno what Dynamic Earth is. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2013, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-edinburgh-scotland-bring-the-sexy/662754/12 "2013-07-08T19:56:36Z")
If it was a marketing contest, why not: “Edinburgh: the prize at the top of the hill.” with in smaller print underneath: “We’re worth the effort.” ---
**Author:** ![spotthegerbil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@spotthegerbil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spotthegerbil)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2013, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-edinburgh-scotland-bring-the-sexy/662754/13 "2013-07-08T22:04:35Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Off the top of my head, I can’t think of anything to see in Edinburgh other than the Royal Mile and the castle. You forgot about the floral clock. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2013, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-edinburgh-scotland-bring-the-sexy/662754/14 "2013-07-09T10:13:51Z")
I can think of a number of pubs worth visiting. ---
**Author:** ![Virgil\_Tibbs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c4cdca/32.png) [@Virgil\_Tibbs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Virgil_Tibbs)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2013, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-edinburgh-scotland-bring-the-sexy/662754/15 "2013-07-09T11:33:18Z")
_Edinburgh - half a day’s sightseeing awaits! Edinburgh - the Canterbury of the north!_ ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2013, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-edinburgh-scotland-bring-the-sexy/662754/16 "2013-07-09T11:47:52Z")
“Edinburgh. We have castles and shit.” ---
**Author:** ![Cinnamon\_Imp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@Cinnamon\_Imp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cinnamon_Imp)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2013, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-edinburgh-scotland-bring-the-sexy/662754/17 "2013-07-09T12:15:25Z")
> [@spotthegerbil](#): > > You forgot about the floral clock. Probably got it mixed up with Quirm. ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2013, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-edinburgh-scotland-bring-the-sexy/662754/18 "2013-07-09T12:16:42Z")
> [@Virgil\_Tibbs](#): > > _Edinburgh - half a day’s sightseeing awaits! Edinburgh - the Canterbury of the north!_ Ha! More waste from a council that’s profligate even by British local authority standards. If they were serious about bringing more visitors in they’d: sort out the parking situation, promote variety amongst shops in the City Centre, stop the existing shops in the City Centre from shutting because their trade has been cut off by the tram works and overzealous parking wardens preventing deliveries, never have consented to digging up Princes Street in the first place, ruining the view of the castle that everybody who visits the city comes to see! ---
**Author:** ![Cinnamon\_Imp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@Cinnamon\_Imp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cinnamon_Imp)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2013, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-edinburgh-scotland-bring-the-sexy/662754/19 "2013-07-09T12:20:01Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Okay, perhaps I should say “anything worth visiting Edinburgh for.” The SP, zoo and Holyrood don’t really seem like things you’d go all they way there to do. Dunno what Dynamic Earth is. Ah, apparently it’s called “[Our Dynamic Earth](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Dynamic_Earth)” - a science centre that 'takes you on a journey through our planet’s past, present and future, with interactive exhibits and impressive technology, including a 4D and 3D experience. Beginning with the Big Bang, children and adults alike can witness the creation of the Earth, follow the planet through its evolution and even catch glimpses of its future. From dry tundra to the bottom of the ocean, a journey through Dynamic Earth is exciting, fun and engaging. ’ I really do see a daytrip, or weekend visit, to Edinburgh coming up in my future sometime. Oh, and of course must drop into the [Jekyll & Hyde](http://www.eerie-pubs.co.uk/jekyll-hyde)too. ---
**Author:** ![Busy\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@Busy\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Busy_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2013, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-edinburgh-scotland-bring-the-sexy/662754/20 "2013-07-09T16:30:01Z")
Edinburgh is in the top echelon of European cities to visit - wonderfully atmospheric and interesting city. Bit off the beaten track maybe if you were planning a European trip, so consistent marketing probably helps people keep it in mind as a destination. The one area Edinburgh could improve on is figuring out how best to face the sea - in common with a lot of old port cities in the UK it doesn’t really know how to do this IMHO. Lived there for several years and it felt like the city has it’s back to the sea. Some localised developments but long stretches of dead land as well. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-make-edinburgh-scotland-bring-the-sexy/662754.md?page=2)