This document discusses key concepts related to destination branding. It defines destination branding as selecting consistent branding elements to identify and distinguish a destination through positive image building. A destination brand communicates a unique identity and differentiates a place from competitors. The document outlines the PIB model of positioning, image, and branding for destinations. It also discusses challenges of destination branding and provides examples of successful destination branding campaigns.

1. Destination Branding

2. 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

3. Are You Confused about
Destination Branding?
Image Perception
Positioning
Sustainable
Competitive
Advantage
Product
Differentiation
Branding

4. The PIB Model
Positioning-Image-Branding
Visitor Destination-
CVB
Perceptions
Image
Images
Positioning
Branding
Product
Development
Marketing
Destination
Choice

5. Destination Image

6. 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 traveler’s 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.

7. 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).

8. 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

9. Destination Positioning

10. 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.

11. What is Positioning?
“Positioning is the act of designing the company’s
offering and image to occupy a distinctive
place in the target market’s 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.

12. Positioning Success Stories
The Uncola
Where’s the beef?

13. Destination Branding

14. 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

15. The Great Power of Brand Names

16. 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)

17. 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.

18. What is a Destination Brand?
A destination brand is:
A way to communicate a destination’s
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

19. 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!!

20. 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.

21. Corporate Tourism Brands

22. Destination Branding Successes:
International

23. 1969
mid-1970s
Destination Branding Successes:
National

24. Destination Branding Successes:
Midwest Regional

25. Then ……What is a Good Brand?
Attractive
Consistent with positioning
Conveys excitement and quality
Expresses the destination’s personality
Memorable
Simple
Transportable to the Web as a domain
name
Unique
Well-accepted by all partners

26. 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

27. 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

28. Brand Identity Development
The Destination Brand Benefit Pyramid
Developing the Brand Architecture
Identifying Brand Drivers

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

30. 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?

31. 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?

32. What Are Our Brand Drivers?
Brand drivers are the essence of a
place – the destination’s 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

33. 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

34. 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