Developing a strong, recognised and consistent brand and image is important for promoting a destination. The development of a brand proposition for a destination should be based on the values of the destination and build upon the point of difference or unique selling point of the region. One overarching brand proposition that is agreed on by a wide range of stakeholders is important in developing a coordinated and consistent approach to position and promote a destination. A successful brand is emotionally appealing, targeted to visitor preferences and values and efficient in the delivery of that message as highlighted in the long-term success and consistency of Noosa’s brand, values and image.
Brand Recognition and Salience
A destination’s brand and positioning should guide all marketing activities, campaigns and strategies to ensure consistency and create destination awareness and recognition.
Brand salience, the propensity of a brand to be noticed or be considered, has been increasingly considered as a determinant of consumer behaviour. Understanding a consumer’s goals when developing a brand and identifying effective communication strategies can help to increase brand recognition with potential visitors. A brand that is developed based on the experiences and places of a destination is likely to be more salient than a brand that presents a set of generic destination images. Visitor surveys and market research can be used to assess a destination’s brand strength through an analysis of destination awareness and image. Victoria provides a best practice example through its regular Regional Awareness Perceptions Study that assess regional brand health and awareness to inform strategic planning and marketing.
Brand as a Motivator for Destination Choice
A destination’s brand or image can be a significant motivator for a visitor’s decision making process when choosing a destination. The consumer decision process will vary based on the type of holiday or experiences being sought. Therefore, understanding visitor motivations and travel preferences is important for developing a destination brand. This is also supported by research indicating that a visitor’s destination choice can be influenced by a link between the destination’s image and the visitor’s self-image.
The Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre’s body of research in brand development and management has focussed on the concept of brand salience and brand alignment with the values of a destination.
The study was undertaken to investigate the consideration and choice of Australian holiday destinations from a brand salience perspective. The primary objective was to describe a product category structure for Australian holiday destinations. A qualitative research methodology was adopted in ...
The objective of this report is to provide a framework for the sustainable development of the travel and tourism industry in the APEC region, through public/private partnerships, and to deliver a sustainability strategy for tourism destinations.
This project has progressed the understanding of the event contribution to the marketing of destinations, by developing a framework for assessing the brand equity effect (for a destination) for and during the period in which events are held; clarifying the relationships between ...
The research in this report was an investigation of the criteria pertinent to establishing a destination brand. The research project investigated the role of destination brand and image as a motivator for destination vacation choice. The project made a ...