Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to examine the country image of Finland among potential travellers and potential consumers of Finnish products. Three research questions are addressed, each of which contributes to the overall aim: What is the level of awareness about Finland among the respondents? How is the awareness constructed in terms of dimensions? Where does the image stem from (the source)? Design/methodology/approach -A survey was conducted among US, French and Swiss university students. Given the high number of respondents who had not visited Finland, the analysis focused on non-visitors. Six hypotheses were formulated based on existing theory. Findings -Awareness is a key indicator of people's knowledge about the existence of a country. Branding may be an elementary tool in enhancing awareness as well as altering or reinforcing stereotypical views. The results of this study bring out the cross-cultural aspects. Research limitations/implications -Including the respondents' sources of information enhances the results of previous studies on country image. The findings contribute to the theoretical discussion on the source of the image and the factors that affect it. Practical implications -Knowledge of the information sources and their role in image building will help destination marketers to influence potential travellers, including non-visitors, and thereby increase the likelihood of a first or repeat visit. Originality/value -To the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to focus on awareness of a country among non-visitors.
Purpose -The paper aims to apply the co-creation paradigm to nation branding in order to analyze how the identity and image of a nation brand are inter-twined in terms of levels and dimensions, respectively.Design/approach/methodology -This explorative study was conducted among 178 Finnish university students, who were asked to build a program for branding Finland. The students worked in small groups of two or three. In all, 75 reports were handed in, of which those (67) targeted at tourists were taken for analysis. The analysis was conducted in accordance with a model modified from Gnoth.Findings -Its image is a critical stimulus in motivating tourists to visit a destination. A nation brand is at the crossroads of three levels of identity and a fragmented set of images. The idea is to exploit the right fragments in line with the destination and the target groups.Research limitations/implications -The empirical analysis was based on data gathered from MBA students. The intention is to extend the sampling to include branding experts, company representatives and delegates of the Finnish Nation Brand Committee in order to build up a more specific picture of a nation's brand identity and image. The examination is restricted to one, rather homogeneous country, Finland. It would be of interest to conduct comparable analyses in other, more heterogeneous countries. Another avenue for future research would be to test the market, in other words to question potential visitors about their perceptions, and thereby to determine whether the nation's brand identity and image coincide.Originality/value -This paper contributes to the theoretical discussion on the role of branding in the marketing of places, herein called nations. For practitioners, it highlights the importance of managing the brand ''bottom up'', in other words starting from the people.
Purpose -This paper aims to focus on managing networks within destinations, or destination network management. The purpose is to provide a conceptual definition of the term.Design/methodology/approach -Destinations are seen as networks, and networks are approached from a strategic perspective. Reviewing and drawing on the literature on destination management, tourism networks, strategic networks and strategic management the paper proposes a concept that could be of use in analyses of network management.Findings -It is suggested that managing is a value-creating activity embedded within a network, and that there are two approaches to network management: strategic management and the coordination of cooperation among the actors involved.Research limitations/implications -The paper is conceptual in nature. The authors intend to test the developed hypothesis in empirical case studies in the near future.Originality/value -The paper contributes to the literature on destination management in proposing a novel concept of destination network management, and introducing a dynamic, activity-oriented approach as opposed to the actor-focused destination management organization (DMO) view.
Purpose The aim of this study is to examine cruise destination branding as a new resource for a region to promote an area as a differentiated cruise destination. The authors specifically study how the perceived brand awareness of a destination moderates the relation between cruisers’ motivation and destination satisfaction and word-of-mouth (WoM). Design/methodology/approach A statistical model was adapted from relevant literature and applied in the context of cruise destination branding. The model was tested by measuring Cronbach’s alpha coefficients and the fit of the model through confirmative factor analysis. Hierarchical regression analysis and moderated regression analysis were also conducted. The sample consisted of British cruisers (n = 182) visiting the city of Pori in Finland. Findings The findings suggest that factors that impel people to take cruises (social recognition, self-esteem, discovery, socialization, convenience and value) have a significant impact on satisfaction with the destination, whereas brand awareness is recognized as a moderator in the relation between social recognition and destination satisfaction and WoM. Research findings provide a framework to discuss and analyze the cruise tourism business in a holistic way. Whereas the earlier studies have focused on onboard experiences, in this study, the focus of attention is on the onshore experiences of the cruisers. Research limitations/implications The study is focused on one Baltic Sea cruise destination, the British Cruise Company and a limited segment of senior British passengers. Practical implications By measuring cruisers’ internal travel motives and their perceptions of the brand awareness of the port-of-call during the cruise, or the destination, the results offer destination marketing organizations valuable information to develop their offerings to meet the needs of future travelers and visitors. Originality/value The study contributes to the cruise destination literature by linking the perceived brand awareness of a destination to motivational factors of the tourist and further to destination satisfaction and WoM behavior specifically in the context of onshore experiences.
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