PARIS is considered cool. New York is thought hip, but what brand metaphors do the northern towns of England deserve?

Well, cool or hip are not in Wigan’s brand lexicon, that’s for sure. From Huddersfield to Halifax, from Bolton to Bradford, from Rochdale to Rotherham, the dour towns of the North have brand attributes that are not replicated throughout most of Western Europe. Only the formerly communist Eastern Europe can match our Northern towns with a similarly depressing nature.

Is there anyone to blame for this situation? Well, perhaps.

It’s probable that any urban vision went wrong during the industrial revolution in the 18th century. The English “North” was in the vanguard and there’s evidence to indicate most mill owners were disinterested in their towns, building their homes well away from the grime, dust and the proletariat.

Sadly, only four enlightened owners of the time—Lord Leverhulme (Port Sunlight), George Cadbury (Bournville), Joseph Rowntree (New Earswick) and Sir Titus Salt (Saltaire) — exemplified a vision for the future of their town and their workforce’s welfare.

Yet in Europe, industrialisation went ahead too, though with a vision that the North has never witnessed.

Worst still, the current recession has heaped even more misery by creating partial “ghost towns” in most High Streets.

Even TV retail expert Mary Portas will struggle to reverse this trend because you cannot open a shop without having customers; but where will they come from, if they have no money to spend?

Some economists are forecasting little or no growth in consumer spending for at least 10 years, so growing household debt, food and petrol needs will always surely trump the sales of candles or pastrami sandwiches. We haven’t even mentioned the negative effects of the internet, nor the damage to town centre investment caused by decisions to allow hypermarkets and out of town shopping centres such as the Trafford Centre.

So with the life-blood sucked out of the high streets of Northern towns, paralleled with the increase in the binge drinking culture of younger generations, what exactly are the brand attributes of the likes of Bolton town centre? Are there any positives to be found at all?

NEXT WEEK: The big challenges