Destination

Branding
Workshop
By: Manolis Psarros @about_tourism
 in this part:

Creating a Place Brand

 Creating a Place Brand

Why branding matters?

Brand Brand Brand
Knowledge Trust Loyalty

For Tourists:
Because they would choose a destination brand only when they can trust it.

For Destinations:
Because a trusted brand brings about tourist loyalty.

Source: Brand Knowledge, Trust and Loyalty { A Conceptual Model of Destination Branding/ Cathy Hsu Liping - A. Caiy
 Creating a Place Brand

“Destination branding, is
about creating a sense of
place and telling a story’’

Tom Buncle, Yellow Railroad International Destination Consultancy

 Creating a Place Brand

‘... the worst thing an aspiring community,

country or any other type of place could
do is not intervene in their own image
creation and ignore branding concepts’’.

Joao R. Freire, Place-Branding Expert

 Creating a Place Brand

The Challenge
“Every time you communicate with your
audiences, you either build equity in your
brand, ……………. or you destroy it.”

Martin Homlish, Chief Marketing Officer SAP

- Wall Street Journal, September 2000
 Creating a Place Brand

The Facts
Image and identity are becoming more important in enabling
destinations to stand out in the crowd (YouGov 2008)

– 55% of corporate decision makers found it difficult to

differentiate between locations on the basis of ‘hard’
economic facts – 65% say it is becoming harder

– 92% say that image and profile are becoming more

important

– 60% say that factors such as culture have become more

important in the last 5 – 10 years

– 85% of investment decision makers want to invest in a

place whose values reflect their own company
 Creating a Place Brand

The Answer
Distinctive
Memorable
Personality - sense of place - a story
Authentic
Co-Creative
Place-Making (policies, innovations, events,
structures, investments and symbolic
actions)
 Creating a Place Brand

In order to manage place-brands

successfully and therefore reduce the
gap between identity and the
standardised true (or image), it is
necessary to understand the variables
that compose the brand.

Joao R. Freire, Place-Branding Expert

 Creating a Place Brand

Place
History
Topography /scenery

Public realm
Architecture

Place
© 2007-2009 LondonEditions.com
Public art
 Creating a Place Brand

Products

“Own” products

Products Claimed products

 Creating a Place Brand

People
Reputation Famous / infamous

Culture
Attitude
 Creating a Place Brand

A good place to: Tourism

live Quality of
Life
Immigration
(new skills)

work
(residents)

Feel of a
do business Place
invest Exports Diplomacy

buy from
visit
Inward
Investment
 Creating a Place Brand
The Branding Process
Incorporate Brand in
Brand Development
Destination Audit (brand pyramid/wheel)
Marketing
Communications

Stakeholder Consultation
Segmentation to close gap between Create a Brand Advisory
Analysis consumer & stakeholder Group
perceptions

Competitor Monitor Brand

SWOT Analysis Performance
Analysis

Refine Brand (including

Stakeholder Consumer Perception any new consumer
Perception & in depth TO research & stakeholder
interviews consultation on an ETC/UNWTO Handbook on
Consultation Tourism Destination
ongoing basis
Branding
 Creating a Place Brand

The Brand Development Model

Brand
What is the essential nature &
Essence
character of your destination?
What Makes the Destination
Positioning Stand Out from Everywhere
Statement Else?

How would the Destination like to be

seen and described by its main
audience Brand Personality

How Do they Feel

Emotional Benefits about the Place?

What do visitors like to see and

do? What influences Rational Attributes
business/investments decisions
 Creating a Place Brand

Brand at the Core of all Marketing Activities

Imagery

Design
Behaviour Style

Brand
Marketing
Logo Campaigns

Brochures,
Website Print, etc.
Strongly Branded DestiNations generally:
Make very clear promises that are kept over time
Stay relevant—functional attributes coupled with “intangibles”
Provide value for the resources required to invest / visit in that
country
Have loyal stakeholders
Deliver the benefits that stakeholders desire and hold credible
Have unique brand equity involving strong thoughts and feelings
Are dependable and deliver consistently against expectations
Have an ability to be identified under different conditions
Are less vulnerable to competitive neighbouring markets

Source: Ruth Stanat via the Branding Strategy Insider Blog

Poorly Branded DestiNations generally:
Make vague promises that change over time

Have very low general equity and low emotional commitment

Have “spotty” reputations, create doubt

Have little loyalty, rely on pricing and promotional incentives

Source: Ruth Stanat via the Branding Strategy Insider Blog

‘In fact, if destination marketers only
remember one piece of advice, it had
better be this. Do not think about what
to say next; think about what to do’’.
Simon Anholt
 Coming Soon..

Branding Strategies in Action