Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Unlike classical subjects of branding like products, services, companies or even people,
strategizing a destination brand, particularly a nation or a city is a much more complex process.
This complexity is largely the result of the sheer numbers and diversity of the stakeholders in
the process. Effective destination brands are therefore the result of both cutting-edge marketing
innovation and the successful managing of local, regional and national politics and interest
groups. 'In this sense, DMOs are less responsible for the management and more for the
stewardship of destination reputations' (Morgan
et al
. 2011b: 6). Nonetheless, theirs is still a
key role in supporting and facilitating destination brand management, speaking not only to
the consumer but to the whole tourism system, developing and nurturing stakeholder
partnerships. Collaborations require encouragement and leadership and here the DMO has a
pivotal role as the brand steward, leading, guiding and coordinating the destination's online and
offl ine 'critical promise points': all those interactions when the destination brand promise
is encountered and evaluated by its key target markets (Baker 2007). The challenges of such
stewardship should not be underestimated in today's rapidly changing world of accelerated and
intensifi ed globalization.
Simply desiring a strong reputation will not deliver a powerful and sustainable destination
brand. So, regardless of their organic reputations, most countries and cities now have a strategic
destination brand, whether it is 100 per cent Pure New Zealand, South Africa it's Possible,
YourSingapore, Incredible India or Iamsterdam. Today, over 80 per cent of DMOs have an
offi cial brand strategy and a toolkit explaining how to apply the brand (WTO and ETC 2009),
whilst the Destination Marketing Association International, the world's largest offi cial
organization for DMOs designates a brand strategy as an essential requirement of its Destination
Marketing Association Accreditation Programme (Baker 2007). Some countries have achieved
very powerful place brand equity. For example, the value of the 100 per cent Pure New
Zealand brand is estimated at around US$13.6 billion, ranked just outside the world's top
20 most powerful brands, just behind Samsung but ahead of brands such as Dell (10yearsyoung.
tourismnewzealand.com).
Such destinations have achieved high levels of brand saliency - the development of an
emotional relationship with the tourist through highly choreographed communications
campaigns focused on conveying the spirit of a place (Morgan and Pritchard 2002).
Developing and refreshing strong destination brand strategies
As we have outlined, their lack of management control and the sheer diversity of their
stakeholders, audiences and partners pose unique challenges for destination marketers.
Yet destination brand saliency - the emotional attachment between a tourist and a place - can
hold the key to powerful and sustainable destination differentiation. After all, despite accelerating
globalization and commoditization, every place on earth is unique and each one potentially
holds special attachments for residents and visitors alike. In our world of social media
recommendations, reputation is all important, so DMO staff must establish how their desti-
nation's image compares with those of its key competitors, its so-called competitor set. How
does their destination rate on 'wish you were here appeal' or 'celebrity value'? Yet, when
DMO managers ask themselves, 'what can we do to make our destination more appealing,
more famous or more visible?', they are actually asking the wrong question. They would do
better to ask 'what can we do to make our destination more relevant, do our brand stories pass
the “re-tweet” test and do they have pinterest?' To build a destination brand, which is motivating
and appealing for relevant audiences, it has to be meaningful, relevant and - if possible - hold the
promise of connection on an emotional level for potential tourists. This is why the recent brand
