BrandingaDestinationinCrisis:

MoreThanJustaLogo, LessThanRocketScience
AthensConventionBureau Athens Convention Bureau 22ndFeb2012
Tom Buncle, Managing Director, Yellow Railroad

 Managing Director, Yellow Railroad

CEO, Scottish Tourist Board CEO, Visit Britain: USA, Scandinavia, Southeast Asia C Consultancy: Consultancy: lt
destination branding/marketing strategies tourism policy community / eco-tourism strategy ecoorganisational development & crisis recovery

Writer & lecturer on destination branding g, & marketing, travel trends Associate in Greece:

Consultancy Projects
Bosnia Nice,France Norway Dominica

Jordan

Kenya KenyaLaikipia

England

Cameroon

Tunisia

Malta

Namibia

Wales

Gabon

Rwanda

Scotland

Mozambique

Barbados

Yorkshire,England

Outline
1. Some thoughts on crisis 2. What is a brand? 3. 3 Why brand a destination? 4. How do we form impressions of other p p places ? 5. Destination branding: dos and donts 6. When to refresh the brand? 7. Implications for Athens

1. Some Thoughts on Crisis

Crisis What Crisis?

Danger + opportunity g pp y

Realism + mindset + focus = way forward

Crisis What Crisis?

Media Power

International Herald Tribune 22 Feb 2012

Crisis What Crisis?

Communication:

Clear Quick Q i k 24 / 7 Credible Honest

Crisis What Crisis?

Crisis What Crisis?

YES! Athens is safe 17 June 2011, 23:22

2. What is a Brand?

Destination Branding: Whats It All About?

Any damn fool can put on a deal, but it takes genius, faith and perseverance to create a brand

David Ogilvy, The Father of Advertising, 1911-1999

 Personality Distinctive Memorable

* Distinguish from competitors g p * Build loyalty * Premium price

FUNCTIONAL. D FUNCTIONAL Does it work ? k EMOTIONAL How does it feel ? SELF EXPRESSIVE .Is it me ?

British Ai B iti h Airways

Traditional Conservative Formal Unexciting Big Suit & tie Blue
Reliable: AB Safe Punctual

Virgin Vi i
Unconventional Anti - establishment Innovative Fun Young Open necked shirt Red

Never!

Regularly

Pepsi tastes better, but Coke sells more :

Blind test 51% prefer Pepsi 44% prefer Coke

Open test

23% prefer Pepsi 65% prefer Coke

* * * * * * *

Product ? Logo ? S oga Slogan ? Image ? Marketing campaign ? Design style ? Spirit / essence / DNA ?
Makes us different Makes us stand out

Competitive Identity

The DNA of a Place

Sense of Place Place

Place

Produce

People

The DNA of a Place

Place Produce People

Scenery Public realm Public art History Architecture

Own products

Culture Attitude Accent Reputation Famous / infamous

Branding is different from marketing: g g

* *

Branding = who you are personality essence personality,

Marketing = how you communicate this to your customers

What is a Brand?
You do not change peoples perceptions of a country You people s with advertising. You change peoples perceptions by finding the truth finding an idea truth, that embraces that truth and putting it through everything they do
Wally Olins
Logo Imagery Behaviour

Design style

Brand
Marketing campaigns Website Brochures, print etc.

4 Principles p

Branding is not rocket science Branding is no substitute for substance Your brand already exists. It just needs clarification, commitment & communication A brand is not budget-dependent. Communicating it g p g is what costs

What is a Destination Brand?

A destination brand is the mix of the core characteristics of the place that make it distinctive and memorable. It is the enduring essence of the place that makes it different from all other places (and competitors). Importantly, the brand exists in the eyes of the beholder. It , has to be credible and real, it cannot be manufactured. It is the way in which a destination nurtures, develops and presents its core characteristics to its main audiences that enables it to establish, reinforce, or even eventually change its reputation
Source: Yellow Railroad

3. Why Brand a D ti ti ? Destination?

Why Brand a Destination? y

In the globalised world in which we now live, every In place has to compete with every other place for share of mind, share of income, share of talent, share of voice. voice Unless a place can come t stand for something, it U l l to t d f thi stands little chance of being remembered for long enough to compete for any of this precious attention attention. Most of us spend no more than a few seconds each year thinking about a country on the other side of the world.
(Simon Anholt, Branding Places and Nations)

Why Brand a Destination? y

So, unless that country always seems exactly like itself every time it crops up, there is little chance that those few seconds will ever add up to a preference for its products, a desire to go and visit the place, an interest in its culture, or, if we were prejudiced beforehand a change of heart beforehand, heart.

(Simon Anholt, Branding Places and Nations)

4. How D W H Do We Form Impressions of Other Places?

How Do We Form Impressions of Other Places ?

Export brands P Promotion of trade, tourism, i i f d i inward i d investment and inward recruitment Domestic and foreign policy I Iconic public fi i bli figures Events How citizens behave when abroad . and h d how th t t strangers at h they treat t t home

How Do We Form Impressions of Other Places ?

Bush era

How Do We Form Impressions of Other Places ? Obama inauguration

How Do We Form Impressions of Other Places ?

Built and natural environment World media coverage Membership of international organisations Other countries it associates with Cultural expression inclusive/exclusive Sport and entertainment p

5. Destination Branding: Dos and Donts

DestinationBranding:Must Dos DestinationBranding:Must D D ti ti B di M t

Destination strengths - audit Core values & essence - brand Customer perceptions - research Residents buy-in Competitor analysis Objectivity / honesty Focus Distinctive Qualitative research Consultation

Impact / memorable !!

Destination Branding : Risks

Stakeholder interests Political compromise Dishonesty Unclear thinking Bland Indistinct

Forgettable

Destination Branding The Harsh Reality

* Perception is more powerful than reality * People are less interested than you think * You cant avoid the truth

Clarity, focus, honesty

Delivering the Promise *

Unspo Unspoilt nature:

Delivering the Promise *

Unspo Unspoilt nature:

Delivering the Promise *

Unspo Unspoilt nature:

Delivering the Promise

Credibility:

Destination Brand Values

New Zealand
Natural

Active

Destination Brand Values

Ireland

Friendly Fun Welcoming Traditional Contemporary

Ireland _Discover Your Very Own TV ad (2007-2011) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVOECPwkNCE&feature=related

Destination Brand Values

India E ti Exotic Mysterious Sensual

Destination Brand Values

India E ti Exotic Mysterious Sensual

Destination Brand Values

India E ti ? Exotic? Mysterious? Sensual?

Destination Brand Values

Las Vegas (Sep 2010)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bukUZqqupU&feature=player_embedded

6. When to Refresh the B th Brand? d?

Destination Brand Fashion Curve

Fashionable F hi bl Famous F Familiar F ili Fatigued

Refreshment?

Morgan & Pritchard, Destination Branding: Meeting the Destination Branding Challenge, Elsevier 2004

Rebranding Spain
From commodity.. to cool y

Rebranding Spain g p

Rebranding Colombia
From pariah state to progressive economy

Rebranding Colombia
Safety Domestic tourism rutas seguras Infrstructure investment Reform taxation, business regulations etc.

National self-confidence International confidence

Colombia: Results

Visitors doubled (2003 2008: 624,990 1,22,012) GDP growth x 332% (2002 2007) Exports up 150% Unemployment down 29% Road mobility up by 41% Hotel occupancy up by 32% Confidence iindex of C l bi population up b 75% C fid d f Colombian l ti by FDI = 5% GDP in 2007 ($US 8.65 bn) Doing Business Index of 181 countries: 66th in 2007 Doing Business 53rd in 2008 World Bank prize 2007 Forecast income per capita by 2032: from $US 3,000 3 000 18,000 18 000

Rebranding Glasgow
From deprivation & violence to cultural capital

Rebranding Glasgow
I Importance of events t f t Internal marketing campaign

Rebranding Barcelona
From industrial port to vibrant, artistic, beach city , , y

Rebranding Barcelona
Olympics + urban regeneration

Rebranding New Zealand

From faded .. to fresh!

Rebranding New Zealand

Synergy:tourism+food

Athens

Branding in a Digital World

Peoples desires & travel motivation New channels of communication N h l f i ti More friends More clutter

Make those f M k th few seconds count d t Let others help you

Branding in a Digital World g g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ozgB2GOrw&feature=player_embedded

City Logos

and and it must tell a story t t ll t

Sense of Place The Story y

Sense of Place The Story y

Stockholm

Barcelona Athens

Place of Origin The Story g y

Sardines

Place of Origin The Story g y

Sardines

Cornish Pilchards

Place of Origin The Story g y

A fishy tale

Yellow Railroad

your story must be y y compelling

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7MVtgXMclI http:// htt //www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7MVtgXMclI t b / t h? X7MVt XM lI

7. Implications for Athens

Athens A Snapshot p
Perceptions

Image? Short break? Competitors?

Athens A Snapshot p
What do we want from a short break?
The short break, though, is one of the great pleasures of travel the two or three night escape that combines a dose o culture, of cu tu e, a couple of decent meals and the discovery of somewhere new with an escape from routine

Telegraph - UK, Sat 04 Feb 2012

Athens A Snapshot p
Top 5 =
Athens overview Once known for smog, traffic and tacky architecture, Athens is a city reformed thanks to fortunes brought by the 2004 Summer y g y Olympics. Spotless parks and streets, an ultra-modern metro, new motorways, an accessible airport and all signs in perfect English make the city easily negotiable Meriting more than a negotiable. stopover en route to the islands, sophisticated Athens sites include many pillars of Western history, from the Acropolis to the Temple of Olympian Zeus, as well as treasures in the National Zeus Archaeological Museum.

Athens A Snapshot p

Athens A Snapshot p
5th century BC UK Perceptions Gateway to islands Summer

Athens A Snapshot p
hot, dusty, g , congested, chaotic, urban sprawl

UK Perceptions
Acropolis .what then?

After the

Athens A Snapshot p
Quotes
Great to wander around Rome .. But what is there in Athens apart from the Parthenon? Back streets are interesting . felt safe..but not part of the tourist thing You have to see the Parthenon. but after youve been once, why go back? Loads of museums but they were all closed because of a strike

Athens A Snapshot p
Quotes
Good long weekend destination (never been) lots to do...would go outside the hot season Taxi drivers are a bunch of crooks..rip-off crooks..rip.my wife wouldnt g back y go Theres the city and then places outside the city .. can go swimming temples . lots to see g g p Id love to see the new Acropolis museum

Athens A Snapshot p
Competitors:
Rome Barcelona Istanbul

Athens A Snapshot p
Competitors:
Rome
= romantic

Istanbul Barcelona
= vibrant

= exotic

Athens

= historic

Athens A Snapshot p
Competitors:
Romantic Rome

Barcelona B l

Istanbul

Athens

Exotic

FUNCTIONAL. D FUNCTIONAL Does it work ? k EMOTIONAL How does it feel ? SELF EXPRESSIVE .Is it me ?

Athens A Snapshot p
FUNCTIONAL. Does it work ? FUNCTIONAL Does ? History / culture y Airfare reasonable Accessible time

Athens A Snapshot p

EMOTIONAL EMOTIONAL How does it feel ? Romantic Exotic Vibrant ? Historic

Athens A Snapshot p
Conclusion

Perceived as one-dimensional Been once seen it all Historic but not for me

But. But + Out-of-date perceptions

+ +

Awareness of new Acropolis museum Olympics probably changed things

Athens A Snapshot p
Could Athens claim to be Passionate? Passionate about history / culture Passionate about drama Passionate about democracy Passionate about philosophy Passionate about hospitality

Athens A Snapshot p
The Way Forward

Clear, emotive brand character Update perceptions Brand ambassadors & advocates Reflect brand /sense of place in public realm, events & marketing , g PR & social media

Athens A Snapshot p
Target T t

Stand for something Different from what I expected Must go there Must there Competitive w Rome & Istanbul Crisis = opportunity

More visits

Marketing a destination without first establishing its competitive identity is like j p g jumping out of a p plane without a parachute

Tom Buncle, Yellow Railroad


Tom B l T Buncle Managing Director tom@yellowrailroad.com www.yellowrailroad.com