This document discusses the importance of destination branding and creating a strong place brand. It notes that image and identity are becoming more important for destinations to stand out. A good brand is distinctive, memorable, authentic and co-created. The branding process involves understanding a place's attributes like culture, history and reputation and developing a brand essence, positioning and personality. A strong brand is consistent, relevant, loyal and less vulnerable, while a poor brand makes vague promises and has low commitment. The key is for destinations to focus on actions, not just words, to build their brand.

1. By: Manolis Psarros @about_tourism
Destination
Branding
Workshop

2. Creating a Place Brand
in this part:

3. Why branding matters?
Brand
Knowledge
Brand
Trust
Brand
Loyalty
Creating a Place Brand
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

4. “Destination branding, is
about creating a sense of
place and telling a story’’
Tom Buncle, Yellow Railroad International Destination Consultancy
Creating a Place Brand

5. ‘... 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

6. Martin Homlish, Chief Marketing Officer SAP
- Wall Street Journal, September 2000
“Every time you communicate with your
audiences, you either build equity in your
brand, ……………. or you destroy it.”
The Challenge
Creating a Place Brand

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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.
Creating a Place Brand
Joao R. Freire, Place-Branding Expert

10. Place
Place
Creating a Place Brand
Topography /scenery
Public realm
Public art
History
Architecture
© 2007-2009 LondonEditions.com

11. Products
Products
Creating a Place Brand
“Own” products
Claimed products

12. People
Creating a Place Brand
Culture
Attitude
Reputation Famous / infamous

13. A good place to:
live
work
do business
invest
buy from
visit
Feel of a
Place
Tourism
Immigration
(new skills)
Diplomacy
Inward
Investment
Exports
Quality of
Life
(residents)
Creating a Place Brand

14. The Branding Process
ETC/UNWTO Handbook on
Tourism Destination
Branding
Destination Audit
Segmentation
Analysis
SWOT Analysis
Stakeholder
Perception
Consultation
Consumer Perception
& in depth TO
interviews
Competitor
Analysis
Stakeholder Consultation
to close gap between
consumer & stakeholder
perceptions
Brand Development
(brand pyramid/wheel)
Incorporate Brand in
Marketing
Communications
Create a Brand Advisory
Group
Monitor Brand
Performance
Refine Brand (including
any new consumer
research & stakeholder
consultation on an
ongoing basis
Creating a Place Brand

15. Brand
Essence
Positioning
Statement
Brand Personality
Emotional Benefits
Rational Attributes
What is the essential nature &
character of your destination?
What Makes the Destination
Stand Out from Everywhere
Else?
How would the Destination like to be
seen and described by its main
audience
How Do they Feel
about the Place?
What do visitors like to see and
do? What influences
business/investments decisions
The Brand Development Model
Creating a Place Brand

16. Brand at the Core of all Marketing Activities
Brand
Imagery
Design
Style
Marketing
Campaigns
Brochures,
Print, etc.Website
Logo
Behaviour
Creating a Place Brand

17. 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

18. 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

19. ‘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

20. Coming Soon..
Branding Strategies in Action