高雄市是台灣首先實行都市行銷的城市，高雄市自1992年開始由學者提出並大力推廣都市行銷觀念，1994年起更以都市行銷為理念而成立非營利組織，投入都市行銷具體的工作。根據高雄市政府研究發展考核委員會委託亞太綜合研究院所研究的《高雄2020年願景》，對於未來高雄市發展面臨的課題之一「缺乏具有魅力的都市意象」，因此，研究欲探討如何打造高雄市城市品牌，透過品牌打造的策略及過程，來達到高雄城市行銷及發展之目的。 本研究透過CIS(Corporate Identity System)的概念架構，從城市的MI（城市理念識別）、VI（城市視覺識別）及BI（城市行為識別）為框架，以高雄市政府轄區範圍內執行品牌計畫的單位及市民與非高雄市居民為調查對象，找出在高雄市政府大力推動改造高雄形象的同時，研究執行單位與高雄市民所親身認知到的高雄品牌有何落差。高雄市民與非高雄市民之間對於高雄的形象與品牌在認知的上落差。並找出執行者與民眾之間的認知癥結(Gaps)，同時調查居住者與非居住者對於高雄品牌之間之形象落差。 研究結論發現高雄市應該持續建構以「海洋」為中心的城市發展理念，並建立高雄特有的人文精神。持續推動以「海洋首都」形象為中心的城市品牌形象、並深化「海洋首都」品牌的應用。透過現有的logo建立城市視覺系統應用體系及規範，並持續以海洋意象為中心城市旅遊品牌之打造。

Kaohsiung city is the first city in Taiwan that started to implement marketing of itself. Kaohsiung city proposed and popularized the idea of city marketing through a cost-effective manner. This research passes the concept structure of CIS (Corporate Identity System), using MI (Mind Identity), VI (Visual Identity) and BI (Behavior Identity)in its frame. The municipal government area brand strategy carries the brand plan of its citizens and residents. The city of Kaohsiung will be responsible of finding out whether the government of Kaohsiung promotes and transforms images of Kaohsiung in a more cost-effective manner. In the cognitive brand of Kaohsiung every single citizen will play a part. Kaohsiung city government is responsible of the Kaohsiung image. Kaohsiung city residents and non-residents of the city will together and use GAPS as a measurement of how well Kaohsiung city performs. Further on, the research will discover what proposes Kaohsiung should develop and make stronger, constructing the city using "ocean" as the centre of branding Kaohsiung, and set up a peculiar humane spirit in Kaohsiung. There should be promotion for using the image of "Marine Capital" as the centre brand image continuously, and deepen this "Marine Capital" as an application of brand. Another factor would be to set up urban vision systems and use already existing logos for this system, and promote it in order to let the marine image be in the center of the city brand. The urban brand of Kaohsiung can be developed in six major strategies; key brand development strategies in Kaohsiung, interaction strategy between industry and economic; six major strategies in the direction of changing strategy in the development strategy of the urban tour, the convention and exhibition industry development, strategy for the exchange of academics, culture and sports.