旅游目的地品牌差异化定位研究——基于品牌个性视角

品牌个性是旅游目的地品牌定位的重要视角。文章以西湖、西溪湿地、大运河·杭州3个地理区位相近、旅游吸引物相似的旅游目的地为样本,从品牌个性视角对旅游目的地品牌的差异化定位进行了探讨。研究结果发现,尽管3个旅游目的地的投射品牌个性在一定程度上具有相似性,但它们之间的感知品牌个性则显现出显著的差异性。自身投射与感知品牌个性的一致性在3个旅游目的地之间存在显著差别:西湖景区一致性最高,西溪湿地景区次之,大运河·杭州景区最低。在此基础上,文章就3个旅游目的地品牌定位给出了方向性建议,并从品牌个性视角对旅游目的地品牌差异化定位模式进行了探究。     

旅游目的地非功用性定位研究——以目的地品牌个性为分析指标

随着旅游目的地之间竞争的日趋激烈,目的地定位的重要性变得格外突出.然而,当前国内外关于目的地定位的系统研究还很有限,特别是这一研究分支表现出对旅游者非功用性消费需求关注不足、滞后于最新旅游需求发展态势的局限.鉴于此,文章构建并实际阐释了一个以目的地品牌个性为核心定位分析指标的目的地非功用性定位模型.阐释案例为大连作为一个海滨城市目的地在国内消遣旅游市场上相对于其北方4个紧密竞争对手的定位分析.调研工具为自填式问卷,其中的海滨城市目的地品牌个性量表通过实施文献回顾法、经验调查法和预测试加以确定.通过采用探索性因子分析、多变量方差分析、单变量方差分析和t检验等统计分析方法,研究识别出对大连非功用性定位最有用的目的地品牌个性特质为题目“多才多艺的”.文章的主要理论创新为将目的地定位工作纳入了目的地品牌化研究框架之下,而实际管理启示则是有助于大连品牌定位主题的开发和相关目的地品牌化工作的开展.     

从业者对目的地品牌绩效评估的非技术性讨论

为进一步提高本刊的学术水平和国际影响力,本栏目2013年起进行了全新改版,特邀请相关领域的专家学者担任本栏目的特邀责任编辑,由这些特邀责任编辑约请各自领域国内外有一定影响力的专家学者参与讨论。     

旅游目的地品牌个性:理论来源与关系辨识

在回顾国外相关研究文献的基础上,文章从理论来源与关系辨识两方面对国外目的地品牌个性研究进行了归纳,清晰了目的地品牌个性研究与品牌个性理论、个性心理学之间存在着明确的层级递进关系,个性心理学中的特质与大五(Big Five)研究成果是品牌个性与目的地品牌个性研究的核心理论来源。同时也说明了,目的地品牌个性是目的地品牌资产研究中极富生命力的研究分支方向。学者们对目的地品牌个性的研究既有效继承了目的地形象的前期丰硕成果,同时也通过自我一致性理论,构建了目的地品牌个性、形象、目的地品牌化与游客自我形象之间的相互关系。这不仅在一定程度上丰富了品牌个性理论乃至个性理论的丰度与广度,同时,也为目的地品牌化研究指明了发展方向。     

进化论之于品牌“升”者生存

《升位:中国品牌革命》书评一部《失去的地平线》让香格里拉成为了众人向往的圣地,一篇沈从文的《边城》让凤凰这个安静、幽深的小寨得到了青睐,究竟是什么样的力量让这些名不     

北京国际饭店业培训中心培训品牌创建研究

本文以培训品牌创建为课题 ,以我国旅游市场特别是北京旅游饭店业培训市场的现状为背景 ,将北京国际饭店业培训中心作为主要研究对象 ,通过对北京国际饭店业培训中心成立 10年来的历程 ,尤其是近 3年来品牌创建过程中的重点项目剖析 ,明确品牌创建的必要性和重要性 ,研究、解决在创建中遇到的障碍、问题 ,并提出了解决的措施与办法。     

中国旅游的奥运品牌机遇

北京奥运会不仅仅是体育的顶级盛会,更是中国旅游品牌的盛宴。2008,中国旅游的宣传主题是中国奥运旅游年。北京奥运会是展现中国全新品牌形象的绝佳平台。全国各地也在组织、策划一系列品牌营销措施和宣传推介活动,来支持和关注北京奥运,把北京奥     

Brand Recovery: A Quick Fix Model for Brand Structure Collapse

Exploring the gap between brand profile and brand identity, this study discusses destination branding strategies from the supply-side perspective using well-being tourism development in Finland as a case study. To apply branding strategies to destination marketing is a challenge, especially when brand structures are created by external experts in a top-down manner with minimum coordination. Few destination branding researchers have focused on strategies for restoring the brand structure. The strategic quick-fix model developed in this article comprises three phases: learn, coordinate, and organize. It is presented as a destination brand management tool for brand recovery, which highlights the importance of knowledge transfer, active actors, and external support.     

The missing link in building customer brand identification: The role of brand attractiveness

The brand management literature has long acknowledged the strategic importance of managing brand identity. However, prior empirical research has largely ignored brand attractiveness in building such identity in the eyes of consumers. Focusing on the airline industry, this study investigates the role of brand attractiveness in fostering customer brand identification. The empirical testing of the conceptual model suggests that brand prestige, brand distinctiveness, and memorable brand experiences have a significant indirect effect on customer brand identification through brand attractiveness, while brand social benefits contributes directly to such identification. The results also challenge prior empirical findings by providing strong support for the need to include brand attractiveness in cultivating identification. When brand attractiveness is incorporated in the model, the effects of brand prestige, brand distinctiveness, and memorable brand experiences became non-significant in predicting customer brand identification. The findings highlight the importance of projecting a brand identity that is attractive to target consumers in order to achieve customer brand identification.     

Brand knowledge and non-financial brand performance in the green restaurants: Mediating effect of brand attitude

The restaurant business has been increasingly recognized for its ability to help mitigate many negative environmental impacts. To develop a competitive advantage, green restaurants may adopt an innovative branding strategy. Marketing management recognizes that understanding brand attitude is critical for marketing strategies. Studies have examined the relationship between brand knowledge and non-financial brand performance. However, it remains unclear how the green restaurant brand attitude affects this relationship.This study aims to fill this research gap by identifying the composition and structure of the brand attitude in Taiwan’s green restaurants and examining the mediating effects of brand attitude on the relationship between brand knowledge and brand performance. The findings of this study broaden and deepen the current knowledge of the role of brand attitude in Taiwan’s green restaurant industry. In practice, it is suggested that green restaurant management should develop well-known brand knowledge to form brand attitudes and foster brand performance.     

Examining strategies for maximizing and utilizing brand prestige in the luxury cruise industry

The purpose of this research was to examine the antecedents and consequences of brand prestige in the luxury cruise industry in order to provide luxury cruise managers with practical strategies for maximizing and utilizing brand prestige. Based on the existing theoretical background, it was hypothesized that eight types of cruise experience factors influence the formation of brand prestige: food quality, service quality, staff/crew attractiveness, entertainment, ship facilities, ports of call, programs/places for children, and cabin quality. In addition, it was proposed that brand prestige can result in three managerial outcomes: well-being perception, customer brand identification, and brand loyalty. A conceptual model was developed and tested using the empirical data collected from 330 U.S. luxury cruise passengers. The results showed that all of the proposed hypotheses were statistically supported. The key theoretical/managerial implications that were derived from the analysis are presented and discussed in the last part of the article.     

Investigating emotional commitment towards a region and a hotel brand

This study examines emotional commitment, brand identification and place attachment’s role in hotel brand loyalty and subsequent behavioral intentions. Data for the study stemmed from 823 quantitative and qualitative responses to an online questionnaire by Finnish customers of a Finnish hotel chain. K-Means cluster analysis identified three customer commitment levels, which along with qualitative comments enhance understanding emotional commitment and its role in hotel brand loyalty. A specific place, Lapland, in the hotel’s brand name helps extend place attachment and introduce the concept of brand identification with Lapland’s geographic region. The customer cluster most emotionally committed to the hotel brand also reported the strongest commitment to the Lapland region.     

Impacts of cruise industry corporate social responsibility reputation on customers’ loyalty: Mediating role of trust and identification

Despite the high relevance of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in service businesses, investigations of its influence on the cruise sector are scarce. Relying on institutional theory, this study proposes a model with cruise customers’ trust and identification as the key factors between CSR reputation and customers’ loyalty. Using data from 292 cruise customers, results support the impact of customers’ perceived CSR reputation of cruise companies on two relational constructs and loyal behavior. Only customers’ identification mediates the relationships between reputation and brand loyalty. Thus, findings suggest that cruise customers likely form high-level loyal behavior when they perceive companies’ CSR activities and their similarities with such companies. From these significant findings, the authors draw several theoretical and practical implications, including the importance of enhancing the company’s focus on its CSR reputations. This study also provides directions to promote identity strengths for enhancing the impact of CSR reputation on company performance.     

An Examination of the Relationship Between Employee Perception and Hotel Brand Equity

Brand management stresses the importance of satisfying the needs of external customers. Employee branding management shows an evolving trend as employees begin living the brand. It is, therefore, necessary that employees are convinced by the hotel brand prior to having confidence to “sell” the brand to customers. The present study aims to investigate employee perception toward hotel brand equity, particularly in the Hong Kong hotel industry. Factor analysis is used to identify four underlying factors—namely, employee commitment, employee engagement, employee identification, and service quality. The four constitute the perception of the employee on the evaluation of the brand. Correlation analysis is employed to examine relationship among the underlying factors and three dimensions of hotel brand equity—including brand image, brand awareness, and perceived quality. Moderate association is generally noted, and perceived quality has the most significant relationship with employee perception on brand equity. Managerial implications on employee branding management are introduced to hotel management. Topics for future research are also recommended.     

Online branding: Development of hotel branding through interactivity theory

The present study aims to develop and test a theory-based model of website interactivity as an online branding tool. It explores the relationships among website interactivity, the dimensions of brand knowledge, and brand value in the context of hotel booking websites. An online questionnaire was completed by four hundred forty two (n = 442) responses who booked a hotel room in the previous year. Leaning on the fundamentals of branding literature and the website interactivity theory, a model was designed and seven hypotheses were tested. A two-phase analysis was considered, first a Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and then a Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) were conducted to test hypotheses. The results of the study show that the dimensions of website interactivity, namely two-way communication and user control, positively impact the dimensions of brand knowledge, namely brand awareness and brand image, which in turn impact brand value. We offer both theoretical and managerial implications.     

Branding the destination versus the place: The effects of brand complexity and identification for residents and visitors

This article contributes to a broader understanding of how the branding of places affects both residents and tourists. While branding often relies on simplified messages, the effectiveness of such strategies for complex brands remains questionable. Residents in particular possess a confounded knowledge of the place and could disagree with simplified destination brands. To test the role of brand complexity for residents and tourists, we conducted two empirical studies (N = 765; N = 385), showing that, for residents, positive place attitude (i.e., place satisfaction, identification, and attachment) and place behaviour (i.e., positive word-of-mouth) increase with a higher brand complexity. The second study shows that the positive relationship of brand complexity is stronger for residents than for tourists, supporting the conclusion that brand complexity is relevant for place brands, but that the place brand for residents requires more complexity than a destination brand, while it imperative that both are integrative parts of an overall brand.     

A model of destination branding: Integrating the concepts of the branding and destination image

Despite the significance of destination branding in both academia and industry, literature on its conceptual development is limited. The current study aims to develop and test a theoretical model of destination branding, which integrates the concepts of the branding and destination image. The study suggests unique image as a new component of destination brand associations. It is proposed that the overall image of the destination (i.e., brand image) is a mediator between its brand associations (i.e., cognitive, affective, and unique image components) and tourists’ future behaviors (i.e., intentions to revisit and recommend). The results confirmed that overall image is influenced by three types of brand associations and is a critical mediator between brand associations and tourists’ future behaviors. In addition, unique image had the second largest impact on the overall image formation, following the cognitive evaluations.