Destination Branding

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Destination Branding

• Alastair M. Morrison
• Donald J. Anderson
• Purdue University
• June 10, 2002

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Topics

• The PIB Model
• What is a brand?
• What is destination branding?
• What is a destination brand?
• What a brand is not ..just!
• Destination branding successes
• Five phases of brand development
• Brand identity development
• Implications for CVBs

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Are You Confused about Destination Branding?
Perception
Image
Product Differentiation
A plethora of terms
Positioning
Branding
Sustainable Competitive Advantage
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The PIB ModelPositioning-Image-Branding

• Visitor

• Destination-CVB

Perceptions
Positioning
Image
Images
Branding
Product Development
Destination Choice
Marketing
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Destination Image
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Role of Image in Destination Choice

• Travelers images of destinations play an
  important role in destination choice.
• Image differentiates tourist destinations from
  each other and is an integral and influential
  part of the travelers decision process (Baloglu
  and Brinberg, 1997).
• One of the reasons is the intangibility of
  destinations. They cannot be sampled or tested
  out before the purchase like most products.

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Definition of Destination Image

• The sum of beliefs, ideas, and impressions that a
  person has of a destination (Crompton, 1979).
• A set of cognitions and affections that represent
  an entity to an individual (Mazursky and Jacoby,
  1986).
• A mental representation of an object or place
  (Fridgen, 1987).
• The visual or mental impression of a place, a
  product, or an experience held by the general
  public (Milman and Pizam, 1995).

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Components of Destination Image

• Gunn (1972) identified two components of image
• Organic Images formed by individuals themselves
  through such things as past experiences with
  destinations, and through unbiased sources of
  information (e.g., news reports, movies,
  newspaper articles, etc.).
• Induced Images created through information
  received from external sources, including
  destination advertising and promotion.

Branding
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Destination Positioning
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What is Positioning?

• Positioning starts with a product. A piece of
  merchandise, a service, a company, an
  institution, or even a person. But positioning
  is not what you do to a product. Positioning is
  what you do to the mind of the prospect. That is
  you position the product in the mind of the
  prospect.
• Al Ries and Jack Trout. Positioning The Battle
  for Your Mind.
• Positioning begins with the customer. But
  positioning is not so much what you say about
  your products or company as much as it is what
  your customers say about you.
• Regis McKenna. Relationship Marketing.

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What is Positioning?

• Positioning is the act of designing the
  companys offering and image to occupy a
  distinctive place in the target markets mind.
• Philip Kotler. Marketing Management The
  Millennium Edition.
• Positioning is the development of a service and
  a marketing mix to occupy a specific place in the
  minds of customers within target markets.
• Alastair Morrison. Hospitality and Travel
  Marketing.

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Positioning Success Stories
The Uncola
Wheres the beef?
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Destination Branding
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What is a Brand?

• A brand is a name, term, sign, symbol, or
  design, or combination of them, intended to
  identify the goods or services of one seller or
  group of sellers and to differentiate them from
  those of competitors.
• Kotler, Philip. (2000). Marketing management The
  millennium edition. Prentice-Hall, p. 404

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The Great Power of Brand Names
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Definition of Destination Branding

• Destination branding is a process used to develop
  a unique identity and personality that is
  different from all competitive destinations.
• Destination branding is selecting a consistent
  brand element mix to identify and distinguish a
  destination through positive image building
  (Cai, 2000)

Branding is perhaps the most powerful marketing
weapon available to contemporary destination
marketers (Morgan and Pritchard, 2002, p. 11)
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Definition of Destination Branding

• Destination branding is about combining all
  things associated with the 'place' (i.e., its
  products and services from various industries --
  agriculture tourism sports arts investment
  technology education, etc.) that collaborate
  under one brand. Its aim is to capture the
  essence of the destination, in a unified manner,
  and can be consumed simultaneously at a symbolic
  and experiential level. It is then used to market
  those unique added values to consumer needs and
  sustaining its success in the face of
  competition.

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What is a Destination Brand?

• A destination brand is
• A way to communicate a destinations unique
  identity to visitors
• A means of differentiating a destination from its
  competitors
• A uniform look that all destination partners
  can consistently use
• A symbol, name, term or design, or combination of
  these elements

Identity
Personality
Look
Essence
Image
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What a Brand is Not Just!

• A destination brand brand is not just
• An advertising slogan (or tag line)
• A logo to stick on a t-shirt
• A distinctive color scheme
• A brochure or Web site
• And definitely not
• A vacuous statement that locals have dreamed up
  to improve community self-image
• A pet idea of a local politician to drum up all
  types of economic development

Vacuous Vague or meaningless Explanation for
Don!!
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Challenges of Destination Branding

• Destinations are not a single product but
  composite products consisting of a mix of
  different components (the destination mix).
• Destination marketers have little control over
  the destination mix they are branding.
• There is a diverse range of organizations and
  partners involved in crafting and delivering on
  the brand.
• Often there is a lack of enough funding for
  branding efforts.
• Political influences may be felt.

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Corporate Tourism Brands
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Destination Branding Successes International
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Destination Branding Successes National
mid-1970s
1969
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Destination Branding SuccessesMidwest Regional
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Then What is a Good Brand?

• Attractive
• Consistent with positioning
• Conveys excitement and quality
• Expresses the destinations personality
• Memorable
• Simple
• Transportable to the Web as a domain name
• Unique
• Well-accepted by all partners

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Then What is a Good Brand?

• An emotional attachment to the destination must
  be built with a brand that is
• Credible
• Deliverable
• Differentiating
• Conveying powerful ideas
• Enthusing for partners and stakeholders
• Resonating with visitors
• Morgan and Pritchard, 2002, p. 27

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Five Phases of Destination Branding

• Phase 1 Market investigation, analysis and
  strategic recommendations
• Phase 2 Brand identity development
• Phase 3 Brand launch and introduction
  communicating the vision
• Phase 4 Brand implementation
• Phase 5 Monitoring, evaluation and review
• Morgan and Pritchard, 2002, pp. 26-30

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Brand Identity Development

• The Destination Brand Benefit Pyramid
• Developing the Brand Architecture
• Identifying Brand Drivers

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The Destination Brand Benefit Pyramid
What is the essential nature and character of
the brand?
Level 5
Level 4
What does value mean for the typical repeat
visitor?
What psychological rewards or emotional benefits
do people get by visiting this destination?
Level 3
Level 2
What benefits to the visitor result from the
destinations features?
Level 1
What are the tangible, verifiable, objective,
measurable characteristics of the destination?
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Developing the Brand Architecture

• What is the core personality of our area as a
  visitor destination?
• What positive images do visitors have of of our
  area?
• What positive images do residents have of our
  area?
• What positive images do industry partners have of
  our area?

What makes us different?
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Developing the Brand Architecture

• What are the words or phrases that best describe
  us?
• What symbols or key images are associated with
  our destination?
• What concepts, ideas, events, and people are
  associated with our destination?
• What do we have that no-one else has?

What makes us different?
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What Are Our Brand Drivers?

• Brand drivers are the essence of a place the
  destinations unique and own-able qualities that
  make it different from other places.
• Walter Landor, Landor Associates, San Francisco
  as quoted in More than a logo Building a brand
  identity by Kathleen Cassedy, HSMAI Marketing
  Review, Summer 2001

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Brand Architecture

• Positioning
• Rational Benefits

• Land of fire and stone
• Rugged, unspoilt, wilderness. Dramatic scenery.
  Romantic history, heritage, and folklore. Warm
  and feisty people.

Scotland
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Brand Architecture

• Emotional Benefits
• Personality

• I feel in awe of the elements in Scotland. I feel
  embraced by the warmth of the people.
• Independent. Warm. Mysterious. Rugged. Feisty.

Scotland
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Implications for CVBs
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Destination Branding Implications

• A CVB must
• Determine visitor (leisure and business) images
  and perceptions.
• Develop a positioning approach and statement.
• Design the brand identity to support positioning
  with input and support of all stakeholders.
• Implement and invest in the brand over the long
  term.
• Monitor and evaluate the brands success.

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Questions Answers
Missouri Association of Convention Visitor
Bureaus Annual Meeting June 10, 2002