11/28/10

Destination
SANJEEV REDDY C K
Branding and
Indian Institute of Tourism and
Positioning
Travel Management
Gwalior. M.P.
 SESSION COVERAGE

• Destination positioning & branding: what are they & why are they
important to destination strategy?
• Destination brand development & architecture
• Destination image – determinants & influences
• Strategic image management tools & techniques
11/28/10 1 • Role & importance of the media
• Dealing with crises
• Evaluating marketing effectiveness

SANJEEV REDDY
SANJEEV C KC K
REDDY

Indian Institute
Indian of Tourism
Institute andand
of Tourism
Travel Management
Travel Management
Gwalior. M.P.
Gwalior. M.P.
 DESTINATION POSITIONING
• Unique position in relation to competitors, based on
• Differentiation of offering
• Cost of offering
• Specialized focus of offering
• Positioning should
• Be consistent with market requirements
• Cost and value for money (high cost-low volume, low cost-high volume)

11/28/10 2 • Market trends and preferences (exploration, experiential, romanticism, relaxation)

• Convenience of purchase (ease of access, packaging, time limits, etc.)
• Demographic trends (family/individual, age groups, etc.)
• Be consistent with resources
SANJEEV
SANJEEV REDDY
REDDY C
CKK
• Features and Resources
• Capability to deliver requirements

Indian
Indian Institute
Institute of
of Tourism
Tourism and
and
Travel Management
Travel Management
Gwalior.
Gwalior. M.P.
M.P.
 GENERIC POSITIONING STRATEGIES

11/28/10 3

SANJEEV REDDY C K

Indian Institute of Tourism and

Travel Management
Gwalior. M.P.
 DIFFERENTIATING THE DESTINATION
Strategy to
Assess current Select desired Implement
achieve desired
position position strategy
position

• Using Unique Selling Proposition(s) (USP)

• Unique/exceptional when compared to competitors
• Unique/exceptional appeal in relation to market needs
• Could be a single factor or a combination of factors, e.g. broad based
11/28/10 4 (time, cost and general experiences)
• Core, broad based proposition across market segments + focused
propositions for particular market segments

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• Signaling the destination position through destination branding
SANJEEV REDDY
REDDY C
CKK

Indian
Indian Institute
Institute of
of Tourism
Tourism and
and
Travel Management
Travel Management
Gwalior.
Gwalior. M.P.
M.P.
 THE BRAND: PERSONIFYING THE DESTINATION
• Unique combination of product characteristics and added values, both tangible and
non-tangible, which have taken on a relevant meaning that is inextricably linked to the
destination, awareness of which may be conscious or intuitive
• Not only a trademark (logo or icon), but an experience and image that signals a value
system – e.g. airline from advertising to flying
• Destination branding challenges
• Budget limitation – Sony ($300m p.a.) vs global destination advertising ($350m p.a.) –
outsmart rather than outspend
• Political interference, dynamics and changes
• External environment
11/28/10 5 • Product challenges – delivering the brand
• Differentiation challenges – sustainable, believable and relevant
• Major potential value – Vodacom $700 m; Malibu rum GBP540m; Coca Cola $69
billion; David Beckham at Man United $100 000/week
• Strong movement towards emotional , less tangible benefits – the hearts and minds
SANJEEV
SANJEEV REDDY
REDDY C
CKK

Indian
Indian Institute
Institute of
of Tourism
Tourism and
and
Travel Management
Travel Management
Gwalior.
Gwalior. M.P.
M.P.
 THE BENEFITS OF EFFECTIVE DESTINATION BRANDING

• Customer loyalty
• Commercial value
• Serves as base to co-ordinate private sector efforts
• Sound base for establishing “seamlessness” between
communication tools
• Serves as base for promotion of other products (Film
11/28/10 6
brands, agricultural product brands, etc.)
• Irishness and Scottishness

SANJEEV REDDY C K

Indian Institute of Tourism and

Travel Management
Gwalior. M.P.
 BRAND WINNERS: RICH IN EMOTIONAL APPREAL, GREAT
CONVERSATION VALUE AND HIGH ANTICIPATION

Emotional pull Potential Stars Celebrities

11/28/10 7
Losers Problem Places
Low

SANJEEV REDDY C K
Low High
Celebrity Value
Indian Institute of Tourism and
Travel Management
Gwalior. M.P.
 BUILDING THE BRAND

• 5 Key Phases
• Market Investigation, analysis and strategic recommendations
• Brand identity development
• Brand launch and introduction – communicating the vision
• Brand implementation
• Monitoring, evaluation and review
• Requirements of a successful brand
• Credible
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• Deliverable
• Differentiating
• Conveying powerful ideas
• Enthusing for trade partners
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SANJEEV REDDYCCK
K
• Resonating with the consumer

IndianInstitute
Indian Instituteof
of Tourism
Tourismand
and
Travel Management
Travel Management
Gwalior.M.P.
Gwalior. M.P.
 BRAND BUILDING ELEMENTS AND BENFITS

6. What is the
essential nature
and character of Brand Essence
the destination

5. What does the value mean for

the typical repeat visitor Brand Values

4. What key traits and characteristic s of the

destination are communicated by the brand – both Brand Personality
head and heart?
11/28/10 9
3. What psychological rewards or emotional benefits do tourists
receive by visiting this destination? How does the tourist feel?
Emotional Benefits

2. What benefits to the tourist results from this destination’s

feature?
Rational/physical benefits
SANJEEV REDDY C K
1. What are the tangible, verifiable, objective, measurable characteristics
of this destination?
Primary Attributes
Indian Institute of Tourism and
Travel Management
11/28/10
Gwalior. M.P.
 BRAND ARCHITECTURE

•Blueprint to guide brand building, development and marketing

•Should reflect positioning, rational (head) and emotional (heart)
benefits and personality
•Take cognizance of destination composition (national, regional, city
and town) and facilitate synergy
11/28/10 10 •Identify suprabrands and sub-brand, based on geographical and
product differentiations (e.g. Cape: South Africa, Cape Garden
Route, Cape Wine, etc.)
•Brand architecture reflected in destination trademarks (logos,
SANJEEV REDDY C K insignia), marketing collateral, advertising concepts, etc.

Indian Institute of Tourism and

Travel Management
Gwalior. M.P.
 Least Degree of Separation Most

Branded Master Brand Endorsed House of

House Sub brands Brands Brands
11/28/10 11
BMW VW: Jetta, Strong or token SAB,
Mercedes Golf, etc. Endorsements Unilever

SANJEEV REDDY C K

Indian Institute of Tourism and

Travel Management 11/28/10
Gwalior. M.P.
 BRAND AUSTRALIA (ATC, 1997): Logo yellow kangaroo
against red sun over background of green and blue sea

Brand Values Brand Personality

Youthful, energetic, optimistic, Youthful
stylish, unpretentious, genuine, Stylish
open, fund Vibrant
Diverse
Adventurous
11/28/10 12
Colours:
•Red: Earth, desert, centre, outback
•Blue: Sky, sea, cool, endless
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•Green: Bush, rainforest, environment, clean
•Yellow: Warm, nights, life, energy, sun youth, friendly
Indian Institute of Tourism and
Travel Management
Gwalior. M.P.
 EVOLVING BRAND AUSTRALIA POST-OLYMPICS:
“AUSTRALIA: IN A DIFFERENT LIGHT”

•Rejuvenating the brand to fit with futuristic image

•Olympics etc. put Australia on map as youthful, energetic,
“can do”
•To remain fresh and vibrant and relevant : future focus on
11/28/10 13 light, colours
•Re-enforce energy, but more mature and futuristic
•See brand clips
SANJEEV REDDY C K

Indian Institute of Tourism and

Travel Management
Gwalior. M.P.
 BRAND ARCHITECTURE: BRITAIN (BTA, 1997)

Area Positioning Rational Benefit Emotional benefits Personality

Britain Traditional Heritage, landscape, arts and I feel stimulated by the enriching, Great/solid yet
heritage and culture, people often paradoxical experience of accessible. Cold in
the uncon- Britain. At ease among the open appearance yet friendly.
ventional friendly culture Traditional yet innovative

London Pageantry Diverse culture, arts, glamour I feel liberated by the vibrancy of Open-minded. Casual,
and pop pageantry, nightlife, music, London. Stimulated by the wealth of Unorthodox. Vibrant.
cosmopolitan, fashion heritage and culture Creative

Scotland Fire and Rugged, unspoilt, wilderness, I feel in awe of the elements in Independent. Warm.
11/28/10 14 Stone dramatic scenery, romantic Scotland. Embraced and rejuvenated Mysterious. Rugged.
history, heritage/folklore, warm by the warmth of the people Feisty
& feisty people

Whales Nature and Natural, dramatic beauty, I feel inspired by the lyrical beauty of Honest. Welcoming.
legend poetry and song, legend and Whales. Uplifted by the spirituality of Romantic. Down to
SANJEEV REDDY C K mystery the environment Earth. Passion

England Lush, green Afternoon teas, quaint pubs, I feel fulfilled by experiencing the Conservative. Pleasant.
discovery cathedrals, rivers, canals, lakes quaint culture. Relaxed by the Refined. Hearty.
harmonious countryside. Soothed by Humorous.
Indian Institute of Tourism and the outdoors Approachable
Travel Management
Gwalior. M.P.
 INTERNALIZING THE BRAND

•For the brand to be authentic and deliver on its promise the local
community and stakeholders should believe in it and live it
•Best brand champions are our citizens – could also be worst
enemies if they don’t subscribe to brand essence
•Strategy required to communicate and advocate the brand
internally
•Practical ways of instilling the brand values within the community
11/28/10 15
•Capacitate and enable leadership figures to live the brand and
infuse the population
•See “Alive with Possibilities” video clip
SANJEEV REDDY C K

Indian Institute of Tourism and

Travel Management
Gwalior. M.P.
 UNDERSTANDING TOURISM DESTINATIONS

•What is a tourist destination?

* one product – but also many
* many stakeholders with different goals
* both physical & socio-cultural aspects
* mental concept for potential visitors
11/28/10 16 * subject to a wide range of influences
* subject to historical, real & fictitious events
* evaluated subjectively for value-for-money
SANJEEV REDDY C K
* no two destinations the same!!

Indian Institute of Tourism and

Travel Management
Gwalior. M.P.
 INFLUENCES ON DESTINATION’S IMAGE

• Education
• Personal contacts
• Media
• Advertising
11/28/10 17
• Brochures & website
• Own experience

SANJEEV REDDY C K

Indian Institute of Tourism and

Travel Management
Gwalior. M.P.
 STRATEGIC IMAGE MANAGEMENT

Ongoing process of:

* researching a place’s image
* segmenting & targeting its image & audiences
* positioning the place’s benefits to support existing or
changed image
11/28/10 18
* communicating those benefits to the target
audiences (Kotler, Haider & Rein, 1993)
Ongoing process because images change over time and in response to
SANJEEV REDDY C K
events, media coverage etc
Consider: Iraq: good to bad
Indian Institute of Tourism and South Africa: bad to good
Travel Management
Gwalior. M.P.
 ASSESSING PLACE IMAGE

Two-part process:
* select target segments
* measure the image held by those segments
Three approaches to measuring image:
11/28/10 19
* familiarity-favourability scales
* semantic differential

SANJEEV REDDY C K
* evaluative maps

Indian Institute of Tourism and

Travel Management
Gwalior. M.P.
 FAMILIARITY-FAVOURABILITY SCALES

• Familiarity – awareness
• Scale of responses:
• Never heard of it > Heard of it > Know a little about it >
• Know a fair amount about it > Know it very well

• Favourability – positive/negative perception

• Scale of responses:
• Very unfavourable > Somewhat unfavourable > Indifferent > Somewhat favourable > Very
11/28/10 20 favourable
• Helps define what image issues a destination needs to address and to which target segments

SANJEEV REDDY C K

Indian Institute of Tourism and

Travel Management
Gwalior. M.P.
 SEMANTIC DIFFERENTIAL

Tests respondents’ perceptions on a set of relevant dimensions

for a particular theme eg factors in choosing a holiday destination
* weather
* cost
* natural features
11/28/10 21 * cultural interest
* shopping
* friendliness of host people
SANJEEV REDDY C K
Each factor measured on a five-point bipolar scale from positive to
negative extremes i.e. very poor to very good
Indian Institute of Tourism and
Travel Management
Gwalior. M.P.
 EVALUATIVE MAPS

Inventory of target segments’ visual impressions of a place

Words that represent opposites placed at either end of the scale
Respondents asked to indicate where between the two extremes
the place fits

11/28/10 22
Cold>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Friendly
Natural>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Artificial
Simple>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Sophisticated
SANJEEV REDDY C K

Indian Institute of Tourism and

Travel Management
Gwalior. M.P.
 GUIDELINES FOR DESIGNING PLACE IMAGE

To be effective, an image must be:

* valid
* believable
* simple & used consistently
11/28/10 23 * appealing
* distinctive

SANJEEV REDDY C K

Indian Institute of Tourism and

Travel Management
Gwalior. M.P.
 TOOLS TO COMMUNICATE AN IMAGE

• Slogans, themes, positions

11/28/10 24 • Visual symbols: diverse, humorous, denying,

consistent

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• Events & deeds

Indian Institute of Tourism and

Travel Management
Gwalior. M.P.
 IMAGE SITUATIONS

• Positive – focus on amplifying & delivering image to target groups

• Weak – places that are small, lack attractions or do not promote
• Negative – requiring fundamental change prior to image redevelopment
• Mixed – strategy to emphasise selected aspects & rectify others
• Contradictory – different groups with opposing images, stress positive points to
groups with negative perceptions
• Overly attractive – withdraw publicity, planning restrictions
11/28/10 25

SANJEEV REDDY C K

Indian Institute of Tourism and

Travel Management
Gwalior. M.P.
 PREVAILING DESTINATION IMAGE THEMES

• Warm welcome – smiling, positive body poses

Diversity – beach +, different segments
Amazing Thailand, Incredible India
• Old & New, Traditional & Modern – variety
Culture – Malaysia: Truly Asia
• Unspoilt– pristine natural and/or socio-cultural aspects eg
100% Pure New Zealand
11/28/10 26
• ESCAPE, SIMPLICITY – often combined eg Ireland – “live adifferent life”; or
focused on self-pampering – “happiness” Eg. Dubai
• Safety post 9/11 – “new”, “international”, “safe”, “welcome”
SANJEEV REDDY C K

Indian Institute of Tourism and

Travel Management
Gwalior. M.P.
 ROLE OF FOREIGN MEDIA

Consumer is exposed to:

• Newspaper travel supplements
• Magazines dedicated to one aspect or another of travel & tourism
Television travel programmes
• Guide books
• Independent websites
11/28/10 27

Potential friends for destination but many have minimal commitment

SANJEEV REDDY C K
as their primary motive being to generate subscription or advertising
revenue

Indian Institute of Tourism and

Travel Management
Gwalior. M.P.
 CRISIS MANAGEMENT

1. Never underestimate the possible harm a crisis can do

2. Never discount the scale & influence of the media
3. Be prepared – have a crisis plan, and update it regularly
4. Set up a Communications Centre as the source of information during the
crisis
5. Act fast, then issue regular updates
6. Do NOT impose a news blackout
11/28/10 28 7. Train your spokespeople
8. Put the crisis in context
9. Ensure follow-up coverage is positive
10. Do not lie! Trust is the key component of destination:
SANJEEV REDDY C K
foreign media relationship

Indian Institute of Tourism and

Travel Management
Gwalior. M.P.
 EVALUATING MARKETING EFFECTIVENESS

• Big challenge for tourism marketers seeking to justify budgets

• Difficulty of separating out impacts of paid advertising etc from other influences
• Tools:
• * coupon response rates
• * website hit rates
• * tracking surveys
• Australian State of Victoria uses:
• * Pre-testing through focus groups
11/28/10 29 • * visitor surveys
• * omnibus surveys weighted to whole population
• * tourist accommodation surveys
• * research among regional, national & international markets
SANJEEV REDDY C K

Indian Institute of Tourism and

Travel Management
Gwalior. M.P.
 KEEP UP-TO-DATE

• Tourism market place constantly changing in response to the many

influences & determinants of tourism

• Vital for tourism marketer to keep abreast of all relevant

developments and to understand implications for the tourism
product/service
11/28/10 30

• Trade magazines, regional organisations, tourism news websites,

etc.
SANJEEV REDDY C K

Indian Institute of Tourism and

Travel Management
Gwalior. M.P.
 BRAND ARCHITECTURE: BRITAIN (BTA, 1997)

11/28/10 1

SANJEEV REDDY C K

Indian Institute of Tourism and

Travel Management
Gwalior. M.P.
 BRAND ARCHITECTURE: BRITAIN (BTA, 1997)

11/28/10 1

SANJEEV REDDY C K

Indian Institute of Tourism and

Travel Management
Gwalior. M.P.