Week 6-7

Topic: Destination branding & marketing

Obj: Synthesize the application of strategies in destination branding and marketing.

What is branding, in general (commodities):

In consumer products, what is your brand on the following:

Rice: ex. Jasmine
Toothpaste:
Shampoo:
Milk:

In tourism destination
1. Branding is the destnation’s IDENTITY. It is the process of creating a slogan from
a message and then designing a symbol or logo; that together, will communicate to
potential visitors the image of the city along with the features, benefits, and values it
has to offer (Kolb 2006). is about establishing the identity of a tourism offering in the
minds of consumers or visitors (Lumsdom 1997). It is a distinctive name or symbol
which identifies a product or set of products which differentiates it from its
competitors (Cooke 1996).
Ex:

2. Destination image is commonly defined as “the sum of the beliefs, ideas, and
impressions that a person has of a destination” (Crompton 1979) (1999) defined
image as “an individual's mental representation of knowledge (beliefs), feelings, and
global impressions about a destination.” For Echtner and Ritchie (1993), destination
image studies have further defined destination image as a bidimensional construct,
comprised of a cognitive (perceptual) domain and an affective (evaluative) domain.

What image is formed in your mind when you hear:

a) Davao: Life is Here
b) La Trinidad Benguet: Salad Bowl of the Phil
c) Baguio City: Summer Capital of the Phil, etc
4. Branding Process is the systematic approach used to create, communicate and
strengthen a firm’s brand. It consists of a number of sequential steps. These steps may vary
depending on who is implementing the process and the specific outcomes the firm is trying to
achieve.
5. Branding will give ‘Sense of Place’ are those aspects that make a location
distinctive and memorable and thus communicate its personality.
Factors which are considered the ‘DNA of a place’ and which primarily consist of:
a) the place (the physical and cultural environment),
 b) the products with which the place is associated,
c) and the people.
Place marketing and branding have become important strategic tools to allow
destinations to create their own unique identity and to differentiate themselves from the
competition. Indeed, it is now accepted, that nations, regions, and cities must project a positive
brand image to facilitate inward investment and attract visitors, residents, and businesses. (Anholt,
2010; Baker and Cameron, 2008; Kotler and Gertner, 2015; Marzano and Scott, 2009; Pike, 2016; UNWTO, 2009).

According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Tourism

Highlights 2013, international tourist arrivals (overnight visitors) worldwide exceeded the one
billion mark for the first time ever in 2012, with 1,035 million tourists crossing borders, up from
995 million In 2011. Asia and the Pacific recorded the strongest growth with a 7% increase in
arrivals, followed by Africa (+6%) and the Americas (+ 5%).
What image is formed in your mind, when you hear the country of:
Country Image Website/Source

France Ex: Fashion Capital

Spain

Italy

Thailand

Activity 1: Provide an answer in the column under ‘image’. Upload answer in the LMS
Week 6-7

How destination brands invite visitors?

DESTINATION AS BRANDS- It is a place where people would want to travel to with
specific images, features, and characteristics in mind as perceived. Popular destinations
such as France and the Italy have established themselves as must-see destinations that
are in every tourist's bucket list of places to see.
Marketing, particularly branding, can play an important role in a tourist's choice of
destination. The destination image perceived by a prospective tourist plays an important
role in his choice of destination to visit. The challenge is on how to stand out amidst the
many destinations competing for the market’s attention.
France ranks first obtaining the highest number of international visitors, with a total of 83
million Tourists in 2012 with tourism receipts of $ 53.6 billion (Table 10.2).
The United States of America, on the other hand, has received 66.7 million international
visitors and ranks first in international tourism receipts at $ 126.2 billion.
Asia and the Pacific has recorded the strongest growth in tourism arrivals and receipts,
with Southeast Asia posting the highest growth among the subregions due to strong
intra-regional demand. Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, and Vietnam are the top five
SEA destinations. The Philippines received a measly 4.2 million international visitors compared
to Malaysia’s 25 million visitors in 2012.
It is important to assess how Southeast Asia, particularly the Philippines, can get a
portion of the expanding market. Malaysia is leading the Southeast Asian region as the top
tourist destination with a total of 25,000,000 international visitors in 2012.

What comprises branding of a destination?

Branding is about establishing the identity of a tourism offering in the minds of
consumers or visitors it is consist of:
a) distinctive name to be used
b) symbol which identifies a product or set of products which differentiates it from its
competitors (Cooke 1996).
c) Color combination
 There are many benefits of branding destinations:
- It helps build awareness by communicating a consistent message.
- encourages repeat visits which in turn builds customer loyalty.
- Consumers can easily identify with a destination that has a clear branding.

What are the attributes of a destination brand?

Cooke (1996) lists the attributes associated with a successful brand:
● Can be a name, symbol or both, and is well known
● Unique and cannot be copied, especially by competitors
● Reflective of the customer’s self-image
● Represents intangibles of a product
● Informs and influences a consumer at the point of consumption
● Provides the foundation for all marketing activity
The communications mix is very important to the development of brands (Lumsdon
1997). The brand security that a good brand image offers helps secure repeat purchase and
eliminates risks. Established brand secure repeat purchase and eliminate risks.

How destination brand help the would be tourist? \

- Brands should help simplify decisions,
- reduce purchase risks, and
- create and deliver expectations.

Where should DESTINATION IMAGE AND BRANDING start?

Destination image is commonly defined as “the sum of the beliefs, ideas, and
impressions that a person has of a destination”. Image is “an individual's mental representation
of knowledge (beliefs), feelings, and global impressions about a destination.”
Creating an image should start from the various stakeholders of the tourism industry
contribute to how images are formed:
- political condition
- environmental conditions
- as well as well- handled cultural differences
- reinforce word of mouth, especially with regard to residents as they are the most
important advocates of the branding process.
WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THE LOGO OF ITS MORE IN THE PHIL
Destination brand identity development essentially involves four stages:
1. Appointment of a brand champion. A brand champion is someone from the
community who is a leader and is responsible and accountable.
2. Identification of the brand community. The destination brand community is as
important a brand communications medium as any advertising campaign since it must
deliver the brand promised. A strong brand can be a unifying force for increased
cooperation by all stakeholders.
3. Conduct of a destination audit. Host community’s values and sense of place,
community’s view of the essence of the visitor’s experience, and the destination’s
tourism resources.
4. Production of a brand charter. Elements include a brand mission, brand identity or
essence, statement, brand values, and guidelines for implementation and auditing (Pike
2008).
HOW IS THE JINGLE/MUSIC ACCOMPANIMENT SOUND of ITS MORE FUN IN THE PHIL?
(a short slogan, verse, or tune designed to be easily remembered, especially as used in advertising.
Full video of Philippine’s promotion campaign, AVP (audio-visual presentation).

Is there any other Strategies for Promoting Destinations?

1. Film Tourism (New Zealand, Ireland, etc.)
2. Celebrity Endorsement (Psy of “Gangnam” Fame)
3. Hosting of Mega Events (Summer Olympics, Beauty Pageants, etc.)
4. Participation in Trade Fairs (World Expo)
5. Catchy Promotional Gimmicks (Australia’s “Best Job in the World”)
6. TV, Radio, and Internet commercials
Film-induced Tourism
According to Morgan and Pritchard (2002), placing a destination in a film is the ultimate
tourism product placement. Film is considered to be the most effective imaging medium (Croy,
2010). This new phenomenon has been labeled by scholars as film tourism, film-induced
tourism or movie-induced tourism. This refers to visitation of sites where movies and television
programs have been filmed as well as tours to production studios and film related theme parks
(Beeton 2005). The Universal Studios can be considered as the pioneering film related theme
park. A number of destinations have become popular because it has been featured in popular
television series and box office movies.

Marketing Nuggets: Film-induced tourism in Caramoan Islands, Camarines Sur

The Caramoan Peninsula is a hidden paradise with long sandy beaches, hills, mountains,
volcanoes and lagoons -- secret Eden at the South of Camarines Sur. What used to be
one of the provinces poorest municipalities is now a second-class municipality due to the
economic activity brought about by its rise to international fame through the “Survivor”
series.
25th and 26th episodes of “Survivor” USA in 2012. When the “Survivor” show filmed in
Gota Village Resort, they blocked off the entire resort and used it exclusively for a period
of six months. Local government estimates that 250 locals are employed directly by the
“Survivor” series and many more indirectly benefit from its presence in the island.
This prompted a lot of tourism activity in the area. Tourists, both local and foreign, have
taken notice of Caramoan. In 2001, Caramoan played host to a measly 107,206 tourists
(103,479 local and 3,781 foreign). Latest figures show that in 2010, there were 2, 565, 613
tourists who visited the islands (2, 140, 103 local and 425, 510 foreign). That figure shows
a 2,393 % growth in tourist arrivals. Local business have been encouraged to put up
accommodation facilities to respond to tourist activity especially since tourists do not have
a place to stay when Gota Village Resort was being exclusively used by the “Survivor”
Series.
Research has shown that the rapid development changes in Caramoan Islands have
resulted into more jobs for the local community, increased investment opportunities for
local businessmen, improved standard of living, and the improvement of infrastructure and
facilities. However, some negative socio-economic impacts such as displacement, rising
cost of commodities, and reduced enjoyment of facilities by locals have become evident
based on interviews with locals.
Caramoan holds so much promise for Philippine tourism. It is therefore recommended that
the Caramoan’s destination development should be well planned and implemented to be
responsive to the fast pace of tourist growth and activity in the area with careful attention
one protecting it, physical environment from exploitation and degradation.
 Point to Ponder
ACTIVITY 3:
● Research 1 (one) from the internet any destination both international & local
that was made popular thru a movie. Provide brief information & 1 photo of
the place. (25 pts).

Is there More STRATEGIES FOR ATTRACTING VISITORS

1) Infrastructure Marketing
Infrastructure plays a crucial role in the holistic development of a place. Most important
infrastructures that should be set in place include streets, highways, effective transport system,
airports and seaports, and telecommunications networks.
Sample Blog:
While in Hong Kong recently, I sat in the MTR (their version of our MRT) and was amazed at
how efficient their transport system is. Train transfers are so methodical and easy to navigate;
you can exactly predict your travel time. On our second day, we could already navigate the
streets on our own. With the Octopus card (a multipurpose reloadable prepaid card), commuting
from one place to another couldn't have been more convenient.
2) People Marketing
Human capital is what the Philippines has. We are a country of smiles. Our people speak
English, the universal language. We are touted as the world's most hospitable people. Our
overseas Filipino workers are known as the best. Filipino nurses are chosen over foreign
counterparts. This is our strength -- Our people.
What are the CHALLENGES OF DESTINATION BRANDING ?
Morgan and Pritchard (2002) suggest five key challenges faced by destination marketers
as follows:
(1) Limited budget,
(2) external environment,

Marketing Nuggets: The Zamboanga Crisis: How Political Unrest Hurts Tourism

September 2013 seemed like any other month in the Philippines, until the crisis started on
the 9th of the month. Clashes of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and a faction
of the More National Liberation Front (MNLF) resulted in deaths of AFP and the MNLF
members , as well as civilians. The situation has prompted officials to evacuate and clear
the area to minimize civilian casualties, as hostages have been taken by the rebels. The
AFP has resorted to using offensive tactics, in the hope that the rebels would give up or at
least lose some ground.
 The Zamboanga airport was also shut down for an indefinite period for the safety of the
airlines and their passengers. All flights to the town were cancelled and alternate routes
were offered, inconveniences that were met mostly with understanding by the thousands
of passengers affected -- residents and tourists alike. Safety had been compromised and
no one wanted to risk it.

Naturally, this incident hurt the Philippines’ image, not just Zamboanga’s. The political
unrest, which has been covered by local and international news, has provided another
reason for other countries to come up with travel advisories to its countrymen and ban
travel to the Philippines. The negative image it created in the minds of have prospective
visitors cannot be easily erased.

Thailand faces a similar situation, as political unrest between the government and
protestors continues to escalate. To date, 21 people have died and 800 have been injured
in the protests. Children had been killed. Apparently not enough warnings about the
violence were issued, as some tourists went around protest sites only to find out that
children had died on the spots where shrines had been set up.

Still, despite the situation, a lot of tourists would prefer to visit Thailand than the
Philippines.
is this because the image we gained through various political unrest has not been deleted
in people's memories? Acts of terrorism can truly damage a country's tourism as a whole.
News on isolated incidents of political unrest, such as that of Zamboanga and Bangkok,
should be managed well to deter their negative impacts.

Self-Help: You can also refer to the sources below to help you further
understand the lesson:

Badilla, Maricel (2015): Tourism Marketing 51-61, 63-81, 83-93. 95-108

DOĞANLI, B. (2017). The destination branding in tourism and the case of antalya. Journal of
Social and Administrative Sciences, 4(4), 420-426.
doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1453/jsas.v4i4.1553
Keshodkar, A. (2016). State-directed tourism branding and cultural production in dubai, UAE.
Urban Anthropology and Studies of Cultural Systems and World Economic
Development, 45(1), 93. Retrieved from
https://search.proquest.com/docview/1948442094?accountid=31259
Parmett, H. M. (2016). It's HBO: Passionate engagement, TV branding, and tourism in the
postbroadcast era. Communication and Critical Cultural Studies, 13(1), 3. Retrieved from
https://search.proquest.com/docview/1772427452?accountid=31259