Revitalizing city branding through concerts? Fandom, passionate publics, and public relations of the TFBoys’ concert in Xi’an

Abstract

Guided by the cultural–economic model (CEM), this study employs structural topic modeling (STM) and critical discourse analysis (CDA) to explore the relationship between city branding and passionate publics, including fans, residents, and tourists. Revitalizing city images by hosting concerts has become a strategic choice for major cities in post-pandemic China. The TFBoys Ten-Year Anniversary Concert, held in Xi’an in August 2023, exemplifies this strategy. However, it also tested the city’s public relations capabilities. An analysis of 13,619 concert-related Weibo posts reveals that fandom-driven city branding created a triangular relationship among the government, fans, and nonfans at the regulatory level, with city and tourism branding authorities seeking to reduce tensions among these groups to facilitate interest-serving communication. In terms of the representation and identity elements core to public relations practices, there were conflicts and integration among city branding, fandom culture, and the rights of residents and tourists. The direct economic benefits of the fan economy are well recognized in the production and consumption chain. The indirect growth of cultural tourism has led the government to intervene in urgent incidents and public relations crises arising from concerts, playing a mediating role in conflict resolution. This study contributes to the understanding of city public relations based on social media by examining the dynamics of urban branding driven by fans and other passionate publics.