The impact of social media on destination branding

Abstract

A one-way conversation with consumers in destination branding was pervasive when destination-marketing organizations created and generated their destination brands. However, social media has made a two-way conversation possible with consumers participating in the development of a destination brand identity/image. This study investigates consumer perception of destination brands created by consumer-generated videos and destination-marketing organization videos. The findings suggest that consumer-generated videos do not carry the same destination brand as destination marketer-generated videos. In addition, consumer-generated videos have little positive impact on a destination brand. This study provides insight into destination-branding strategies with respect to the roles that social media plays in creating destination-brand identity and image.

Community crosstalk: an exploratory analysis of destination and festival eWOM on Twitter

“…However, customers are not homogenous and their perspectives on a destination may vary from official representations (Sun, Ryan, & Pan, 2014). User generated content in the form of blogs and social media accommodates these views (Lim, Chung, & Weaver, 2012). As a result, the topics discussed by customers may encompass a wider range of interests and overall, create an emergent TDI that varies from official representations (Guerrero-Solé & Fernández-Cavia, 2013).…”

Tourism and online communication: interactivity and social web in official destination websites

“…This information affords a significant degree of credibility and tends to be perceived as more reliable than that offered by commercial or institutional sources (Murphy, Moscardo & Benckendorff, 2007;Litvin, Goldsmith & Pan, 2008;Leung et al, 2013). Therefore, it has a bearing on the image users create in their minds about a specific destination (Munar, 2011), even if the image does not necessarily match the one the DMO seeks to conjure up (Lim, Chung & Weaver, 2012).…”

Slovenian Tourism Industry: E-Disabled

“…going beyond the static webpage into the world of social media (Amersdorffer, Bauhuber, & Oellrich, 2012;Lim, Chung, & Weaver, 2012;Xiang & Gretzel, 2010;Turnšek, Kurež, Brumen, Rosi, & Rangus, 2013); growth in online exposure can boost tourism incomes to rise 20 (Tourism Economics, 2013). This leaves significant upside potential for the tourism industry to more fully embrace an online presence .…”