Destination Branding:

Key trends, challenges and opportunities

Moscow, March 2016

 Today´s agenda

A B
3 minutes Ten “hot”
theory tendencies

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We operate at global level (70+ countries)

72 countries
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We operate at global level (70+ countries)

40+ Marketing Plans

20+ Branding projects
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1985…

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Some of THR´s destination brands

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Destination – Brand Strategy

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 Today´s agenda

A B
3 minutes Ten “hot”
theory tendencies

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 3 minutes theory

1. What is a brand?

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A brand is not a
logo…

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A brand is a set of images and
perceptions in the consumer’s
brain

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When the
consumer
sees a
brand
visual…

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…a number of images and perceptions arise
in his brain

Promise Key values Personality

 Easy  Design  Cool
 Simple  Innovation  Trendy
 Quality  Casual
 Reliable
 Funny
…which of course are different
from brand to brand

Promise Key values Personality

 Sun &  Family  Cheerful
beach  Hospitality  Passion for life
 Fun
The brand The brand
visual

Promise Key values Personality

 Sun &  Family  Cheerful
beach  Hospitality  Passion for life
 Fun
 Creating a brand requires managing
several sources affecting
the images and perceptions
Owned, earned
and paid User experience
communication

Organic Word of mouth

image (online &
offline)

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 3 minutes theory

2. What is a Brand concept ?

Target
To the travellers looking for unique destinations with wild nature and authentic
culture…

Frame of reference
…Romania offers explorer itineraries and places to stay to live rewarding travel
experiences…

Points of difference
… of true authenticity, in unspoiled nature and landscapes like the Carpathians or the
Danube Delta, and a unique cultural heritage…

Reasons to believe
…based on a unique mix of Latin and Byzantine cultures, a high share of protected
spaces and the preserved traditions of Europe’s most rural society

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 3 minutes theory

3. What is a Powerful Brand?

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The Brand Power is based in four pillars
Brand’s capacity to deliver revenue and profit

POWER

Differentiation

Relevance

Awareness
Esteem
Strength Stature
Y&R Model

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 Why destinations invest in branding?
Which are the main benefits of a powerful brand?

1.TO BOOST
SALES

2. TO INCREASE
REPUTATION/ MOTIVATION

3. TO IMPROVE COMPETITIVENESS

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 3 minutes theory

4 What is Branding

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 Branding = Building a
Powerful Brand and
inserting it in our target´s
brain
 What is Branding?

Brand User
Design Experience

Brand
BRANDING Powerful
Concept Brand

Communication Digital Branding

Branding Management

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 The results of branding

Vacations in Spain
Sun & good weather

82% Family
Fun & Joy of life
Good service
Hospitality
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 Today´s agenda

A B
3 minutes Ten “hot”
theory tendencies

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 10 Branding Tendencies and Strategies

Brand User
Design Experience

Brand
BRANDING Powerful
Concept Brand

Communication Digital Branding

Branding Management

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 10 Branding Tendencies and Strategies

Brand User
Design Experience

Brand
BRANDING Powerful
Concept Brand

Communication Digital Branding

Branding Management

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Tendency

ThePrism Method
& Big Ideas
 The Brand Identity Prism

Picture of Sender

Relationship
External

Internal
Culture
Picture of Recipient
Source: JN Kapferer approach; The brand identity prism, 2008.
 Oman’s Brand Identity Prism

 Great natural settings
 Awarded gastronomy
 Regional culture
 Strategic location
Social aspects (external)
Picture of the sender (brand)  Healthy and vital
 Open / social / warm /
friendly
 Reliable and confident

Physical Personality  Relaxed

Brand spirit (internal)

 Regional
 Professional and authenticity
educated Relationship Culture / values  Progressive
 Safe  Socially
 Fun, merrymaking responsible

 Active, healthy Reflection Self-image  Healthy / active

 Love for good life  Gourmet
 Discoverer, conscious  Trend setter
 Relax, peace seeker Picture of the receiver (target)
 Romantic

Proposal for Oman based on the identity prism based on Jean Noël Kapferer model
From brand prism to the
“big idea”
 Some “big ideas” we like

“Keep exploring”
“100% Pure”

“Truly Asia”
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Offer side Demand side
DIVERSITY SUN

Baseline
Everything
under the sun

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Offer side Demand side
Passion Enjoy Life

Baseline
Passion for Life

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 Greece slogans since 1990

 Chosen by the gods ’91-’93

 Come as a tourist, leave as a friend ’94

 Makes your heart beat ’95

 Never ending story ’96

 The authentic choice ’97-’99

 That's life ’00-’01

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 Greece slogans since 1990

 Beyond words ’02-’03

 Your best time yet ’04
 Wonderful Greece ’08
 The True Experience’11
 All time classic ’13

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Tendency

Brand visuals
& identity more scientifical
Tendency

TouristStyles &
Lifestyles
 6 Experiences-Related Profiles

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Relax seeker Conformist Dynamic Commitmentless Sophisticated Fearless
experimenter demanding discoverer explorer
“I look for a relaxing “I travel for relaxing “I enjoy exciting trips “I expect the best “I want to visit new “My life philosophy is
isolated bubble reasons. Destination is filled with activities” from my trips which places and know to explore authentic
where to have some secondary as long as must be fantastic in new cultures in a places which requires
rest” surprises are out of every possible sense” comfortable way.” me getting totally
the picture” involved as well as
demanding the best”

Woody Allen Hugh Grant Jim Carrey George Clooney Sean Connery Harrison Ford
9 Traveller types
 10 Branding Tendencies and Strategies

User
Brand
Design Experience

Brand
BRANDING Powerful
Concept Brand

Communication Digital Branding

Branding Management

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Tendency

Branded
Experiences
 Australia. The 7 great experiences

Coastal
Aboriginal Australian “Outback”
lifestyle
Australia Gastronomy Australia
“aussie”

Big Australian Australian “Aussie”

cities Nature Itineraries

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Tendency
Sub- Brands,
Endorsements &
rankings
New Zealand. Seals of quality services and activities

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The most charming villages of France

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Magic Towns in México
Art Cities in Italy

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Bike Tirol

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Luxury Spain Gourmet

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Tendency

Brand
architecture
An Explosion of Brands and Sub-Brands

300 +
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 Types of brand architecture

HOLDING ASYMETRIC MASTER BRAND

FLEXIBILITY EFFICIENCY

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 10 Branding Tendencies and Strategies

Brand User
Design Experience

Brand
BRANDING Powerful
Concept Brand

Digital Branding
Communication Branding Management

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Tendency

Branded content
 10 Branding Tendencies and Strategies

Brand User
Design Experience

Brand
BRANDING Powerful
Concept Brand

Branding
Communication
Digital Management
Branding

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Tendency

New apps &

Big Data
 Pre-Web
Post-Web
Marketing
Winners: The biggest
Marketing
Winners: The best content
pockets
 Travelers are online

68% 78% 42%

Researching Use Use mobile
before travel travel-related phone for
smartphone travel-related
app information while
on a trip

Source: Traveler’s Road to Decision. Google, 2014.

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We are entering the era of MOCIAL travel (Mobile + Social)

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Branding is a driver of Digital Marketing Strategy

Inform Relation-
Sales Service
and Inspire ship

Inspire Sell services Service Establish

tourism and the tourist relationships
experiences experiences in origin or and ties
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destination with tourists
 More than 500 tactics and tools !!!!!

Inform
Sales Service Relationship
and Inspire

Strategy 1

Strategy 2

+50 +30 +80 +40

+500 Tools

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UGC Boom!
More & more in-destination apps
Evaluate & respond to reviews
 10 Branding Tendencies and Strategies

Brand User
Design Experience

Brand
BRANDING Powerful
Concept Brand

Communication Digital
Branding
Branding
Management

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Tendency

Cooperation
2+2=5

&
World class fly fishing (20 partners)

“World Class Fly Fishing”

Tendency
Integrated
Management
The Office of the Branding Manager
 4 areas of responsibility
2

2. User experience
1. Project Management

3. Digital branding
1
Brand 3

4. Brand Loyalty

Página 76
 Brand adoption process representation

Total universe

Awareness of the Unaware of the

1 offer offer

Understanding
2 of the offer
Don’t understand the offer

Attractiveness of
3 the offer
Don’t think the offer is attractive

Affordability of
4 Can’t afford the offer
the offer

Purchase intention
5 Don’t intent to buy the offer in the long term
(long term)

Purchase intention
6 Don’t intent to buy the offer in the short term
(short term)
 Research to monitor the
Brand Image Competitiveness

Performance of Destination XYZ on top 10 most important aspects for selecting a short-break trip destination
6 7 8 9 10
Price (level of
expensiveness)
Elements of the ideal destination for seaside vacation,

Hospitality

Gastronomic offer
according to respondents

Variety of events

Authenticity

Quality of life

Preservation of traditions

Proximity to airports

Shopping

Relax by the seaside

Source: Ipsos, market research commissioned by CNTB, 2013

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Example: Canary Islands

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THANK YOU

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