DESTINATION NATION BRANDING: WHAT FOR?

Destination Branding might be defined as the set of marketing activities that (1) support the creation of a name, symbol, logo, word, mark or other graphic that readily identifies and differentiates a destination; that (2) consistently convey the expectation of a memorable travel experience that is uniquely associated with the destination; that (3) serve to consolidate and reinforce the emotional connection between the visitor and the destination; and that (4) reduce consumer search costs and perceived risk, all with the intent purpose of creating an image that influences consumers’ decisions to visit the destination in question, as opposed to an alternative one.

The perplexity of the tourism destination concept is based on a myriad of different products, services and experiences, which are all managed, distributed and ‘consumed’ by different stakeholders (hoteliers, travel agents, tour operators, transportation companies, local authorities and residents, destination management organizations, tourists etc.) with a variety of ownership forms, and often without an appropriate hierarchy with a set of rules for stakeholders to adhere to .

Destination Branding Framework

During the stage of “Destination Brand Development”, three steps are important and necessary for the formation of a successful destination brand:

• Brand Analysis: It refers to the development of a thorough knowledge regarding tourists’ brand needs, competitive brand offerings and internal brand destination capabilities. This step can lead to a deep understanding of: 1) what target tourists need and desire from an ideal destination, 2) what functional, emotional, and/or self expressive benefits are offered by the other competitive destinations, and 3) what are the strengths and limitations of the destination under investigation as these are set by the history of the destination, its culture, as well as its geographical and morphological settings. Through all the above, a stable ground is formed for the development of an appropriate positioning.
• Brand Positioning Development: Based on a thorough tourist, competitor and self-analysis, a destination should be in a solid position to clarify its unique brand identity, namely what the destination “stands for”, providing direction and purpose for the future. This step results in the selection of a brand positioning that successfully reflects the part of the brand identity that is to be actively communicated to the target audience, setting the direction of marketing activities and programmes and creating key brand associations in the minds of tourists and other important stakeholders that differentiate the destination brand in a meaningful way. To be effective, a destination brand positioning must be close to reality, believable, simple, appealing and distinctive. It should not promise what a destination cannot and will not deliver .
• Shared Brand Values: The destination brand positioning must be effectively communicated to all the internal stakeholders, in order to create a common understanding of the destination brand values, form positive beliefs and attitudes towards the brand and facilitate the proper delivery of the brand promise to tourists and visitors. Local community as well as the private and public sector need to agree with, subscribe to, and enact the destination’s vision of what it is, what it stands for, and where it is going

After a destination brand is successfully developed, it must be maintained and enhanced over time through (“Destination Brand Maintenance over time”):

• Continuous coordination of marketing activities: It is pursued in order for the essence of the destination brand to remain consistent across all tourist contact points. Getting   many independent people and organizations (all with very different interests, opinions and agendas) to speak with a single voice is a hard thing to achieve. But it is clear that unless such a homophony is accomplished, a destination brand programme is guaranteed to fail.
• Government long term commitment: If it is ensured, it should be directed in a way to support the development and infusion of the destination brand values across multiple stakeholders, in order to generate an ongoing commitment of all people to the destination brand, encourage brand supportive behaviour and facilitate the necessary consistency mentioned earlier.  Governmental bodies don’t need to interfere with the specific business (e.g. hotels) but they should be interested in the impact of it on the national tourism destination strategy. That would be a really participative approach.  Government commitment to the destination brand’s vision is not a matter of choice, it is a matter of necessity.
• Proper destination brand portfolio management: It represents the necessity of successfully managing the multiple different “product” brands of a destination, in such a way that synergies are fostered, brand assets are leveraged, tourism market relevance is maintained and confusion of the destination brand to tourists’ minds is avoided . Different tourism products require special branding efforts without ignoring the ‘national destination brand umbrella. Consistency between different tourism products under the same “destination brand” is a sine qua non.
• Periodical monitoring of brand performance: This process should be based on primary and secondary findings accumulated through tourist and internal based research, in order to identify gaps between tourist and locals perceptions regarding the destination brand and consequently refine, if necessary, the branding efforts. How did tourism market perceive the branding efforts? Which part of the market did we actually ‘touch’ with our activities? Did anything go wrong? You may have a powerful brand, you  may believe in that, but at the end of the day, what’s the experience the traveler gets? What else do you need to do as a country destination? And what are the challenges lying ahead?  We should mind the gap, and if it does exist, then destination branding should be modified.

As a nation’s valuable asset, a positive brand image provides the national identity with a robust, tangible, communicable and useful character. From a nation branding standpoint, it is imperative that specific steps are followed by all potential actors in the tourism sector in order for a powerful destination brand to be established. On the grounds that the nation brand can also be supported by organized national tourism efforts, destination brand building can facilitate the process of nation branding. Inter alia, effective destination branding provides tourists with an assurance of quality experiences, reduces visitor search costs and offers a way for destinations to establish a unique selling proposition . This is the case of the ‘favoured few’ countries that enjoy remarkable growth . A long-term macro-destination branding strategy might have a direct, highly promising impact on nation branding.

From tourism practitioners’ point of view, the coordination under a coherent ‘destination branding umbrella’ provides opportunities for synergies such as targeted marketing activities within the same frame of reference (i.e. destination profile, tourist segments etc.). DMOs and other tourism stakeholders can altogether share a common vision expressed through daily marketing practices based on a cohesive strategy.

National tourism development strategies can be supported by both private and public sector, reaching a consensus built upon a widely accepted destination branding framework. In this case, public private partnerships (e.g. regarding tourism projects) may be more easily cultivated. Besides facilitating context-specific policies (i.e. tourism), a robust model of destination brand policy might indirectly support the communication with potential investors and publics overseas, raising country’s awareness. By and large, in the area of public diplomacy, international relations and countries’ position in the global arena may be partly influenced, promoting national interests and advancing foreign policy goals.

However, it is difficult for a nation to have “a consistent persona” since it seems to be a constellation of various images . The overall reputation of a country has to be measured, managed and influenced by a partnership between tourism, culture, government and civil society. By applying destination branding strategies, a country might attract more tourists, but it won’t do nearly as much to affect the ‘nation brand’ as when all stakeholders work together around a single, visionary national strategy.

Countries have to go a very long way before they can prosper in the global market for tourists, investors, consumers, the respect and attention of the world’s media and other governments. Provided that a strong national destination brand may not be easily engendered, “destination branding” might be considered an additional and distinct form of sustainable, nationwide, competitive advantage.