Purpose: This study examines how city branding enhances Solo City’s international competitiveness through cultural identity and creative economy development.
Research Methodology: A qualitative descriptive approach was applied using semi-structured interviews, field observations, and snowball sampling involving government officials, cultural institutions, and creative economy actors. Data were analyzed through thematic analysis.
Results: Solo City strengthens its global positioning by utilizing cultural identity, local wisdom, international events, cultural symbols, creative products, and multi-stakeholder collaboration.
Conclusions: Successful city branding depends on synergy among tourism attractions, public services, security, and government-community coordination.
Limitations: This single-case qualitative study is limited by contextual scope, interpretive subjectivity, and the absence of international stakeholder perspectives.
Contributions: This study contributes to city-branding literature by linking cultural capital, public diplomacy, and international competitiveness while offering practical insights for culturally based cities.