Upload
hawaiiscott
View
637
Download
3
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
This article was downloaded by: [202.62.103.13]On: 12 December 2011, At: 18:18Publisher: RoutledgeInforma Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office:Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK
Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism ResearchPublication details, including instructions for authors and subscriptioninformation:http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rapt20
Towards a Mekong Tourism BrandPeter Semone a & Metin Kozak ba Lao National Institute of Tourism and Hospitality, Vientiane, Lao People'sDemocratic Republicb Mugla University, Mugla, Turkey
Available online: 08 Dec 2011
To cite this article: Peter Semone & Metin Kozak (2011): Towards a Mekong Tourism Brand, Asia PacificJournal of Tourism Research, DOI:10.1080/10941665.2011.635663
To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10941665.2011.635663
PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE
Full terms and conditions of use: http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions
This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantialor systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, ordistribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden.
The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that thecontents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae,and drug doses should be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall notbe liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand, or costs or damages whatsoever orhowsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of thismaterial.
Towards a Mekong Tourism Brand
Peter Semone1 and Metin Kozak2∗1Lao National Institute of Tourism and Hospitality, Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic
Republic2Mugla University, Mugla, Turkey
In early 2008, the Bangkok-based Mekong Tourism Office (MTO) led a noteworthyregional tourism brand development exercise, the objective of which was to create amore recognizable identity for the Greater Mekong Subregion’s (GMS) burgeoning hos-pitality and tourism industry. This paper provides a synopsis of the stakeholder-inclusiveapproach taken by the MTO to develop a tourism logo and slogan for the GMS. Thebranding exercise was part of a larger marketing plan for the subregion and applied avery practical methodology. In total, the Mekong Tourism brand development was con-ducted in five phases, each of which is described in this paper along with any relevant andpertinent lessons learned. The paper ends with a summary of implications for the practicalimplementation of the study findings.
Key words: destination marketing, destination branding, stakeholder approach, casestudy
Introduction
The United Nations World Tourism Organiz-
ation (UNWTO) forecast that well over one
billion international annual tourists would
spend almost one trillion US dollars annually
in over 100 countries around the world in the
2010s. When all of the direct and indirect econ-
omic and social benefits of tourism are con-
sidered, its contribution to a nation’s foreign
exchange earnings, employment, poverty alle-
viation initiatives and social inclusion pro-
grams can be hugely significant, particularly
to developing economies. With tourists
around the world spending an average of
US$2.7 billion a day, it is no wonder that the
competition among destinations is fierce.
With thousands of tourism destinations trying
to attract potential visitors with their golden
beaches, exotic cultures, snow-covered moun-
tains and smiling people, it is difficult for a
place to stand out from the rest; and with the
emergence of 24/7 cable television, social
media and an information-hungry public,
Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, iFirst article, 2011
∗Email: [email protected]
Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, iFirst article, 2011
ISSN 1094-1665 print/ISSN 1741-6507 online/11/000001–20 # 2011 Asia Pacific Tourism Association
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10941665.2011.635663
Dow
nloa
ded
by [
202.
62.1
03.1
3] a
t 18:
18 1
2 D
ecem
ber
2011
getting the international travelers’ attention is
no easy feat. For any destination marketer,
tourism entrepreneur or public policymaker,
the difficulty is in finding a way to stand out
from the competition. In today’s competitive
tourism marketplace, identifying and capitaliz-
ing on “destination differentiators” is the key
to success.
In early 2008, an exercise in tourism brand
development was undertaken by the Mekong
Tourism Office (MTO). The objective was to
create a more recognizable tourism identity
for the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS).
This paper provides a synopsis of the consulta-
tive approach that was taken to develop a
tourism brand through a stakeholder input
process. The branding exercise was part of a
larger marketing plan for the subregion, por-
tions of which are included in this paper and
which describe in considerable detail the
context of the branding exercise.
The five phases to the MTO brand develop-
ment approach can be summarized as follows.
1. Identity of a commonly agreed upon “desti-
nation theme” and “core messages” that
the Mekong Tourism brand should com-
municate and convey. During this phase
initial conceptual ideas both in terms of a
logo design and a supporting slogan were
developed. This was done through exten-
sive interactive focus group discussions
and the engagement of a graphic artist.
During this phase, the choice of logos/
slogans was narrowed to four.
2. Administration of an online survey in which
participants were asked to rank their visual
preferences of the four options developed in
phase 1. Survey participants were also asked
to provide relevant comments.
3. Administration of a second survey, following
further refinementof the logo/slogan options
presented in phase 2. Two options, represen-
tative of broad stakeholder input, resulted
from the online survey. The second survey
was conducted at a Bangkok SKAL Club
meeting. SKAL is an international grouping
of travel professionals. The 46 SKAL
members present at the meeting, all of
whom were engaged in one way or another
with Mekong Tourism, indicated a clear pre-
ference among the two options.
4. Final refinement of the logo was under-
taken based on the phase 3 outcomes. It
was thereafter presented to the GMS
Tourism Working Group (GMS-TWG),
which eventually adopted the resultant
logo and slogan as representative of the
official brand of Mekong Tourism.
5. Modification of the slogan was rec-
ommended by the GMS-TWG after nearly
a year in the travel and tourism market-
place. The GMS-TWG endorsed a more
comprehensive and descriptive slogan to
include the words “six countries . . . one
river”.
This paper provides a detailed description of
each of the above-mentioned phases and the
lessons learned. The paper begins with a
section that presents an overview of the
current literature on how to develop a path for
destination branding. It continues by describing
the institutional role of regional destination
marketing organizations such as the MTO,
which will provide the reader with the necessary
context to understand how and why the brand-
ing exercise was undertaken. The paper ends
with a summary of implications for the practical
implementation of the study findings.
Literature Review
Over the last decade, branding has become an
increasingly popular marketing tool because of
2 Peter Semone and Metin Kozak
Dow
nloa
ded
by [
202.
62.1
03.1
3] a
t 18:
18 1
2 D
ecem
ber
2011
a changing business environment marked by
increasing competition and consolidation of
corporations. In the tourism industry, both the
accommodation and restaurant sectors have
successfully applied the branding concept to
build unique identities and differentiate them-
selves from their competitors. Hilton, Sheraton,
Club Med and McDonald’s are some of the
examples of accommodation and food service
brands successfully implemented on the
national and international arena. Realizing the
benefits of branding in acquiring a competitive
edge in both domestic and international travel
marketplaces (Dwyer & Chulwon, 2003;
Heath & Wall, 1992; Kozak & Baloglu,
2011), many destinations have also been
trying to adopt branding strategies that are
used in product and service industries.
The basic assumption is that geographic
locations – much like products and people –
can also be branded. Thus, the literature
describes destination branding at the general
country level (Kozak & Baloglu, 2011) and
in some cases particular countries such as
Britain (Hall, 2004), New Zealand (Morgan,
Pritchard, & Piggott, 2003) or Denmark
(Ooi, 2004). Meanwhile, others focus on
branding nations (Fan, 2006) or states such
as Oregon (Curtis, 2001) and even regions
such as Central and Eastern Europe (Hall,
1999), Western Australia (Crockett &
Wood, 1999), the Alps (Pechlaner, Raich, &
Zehrer, 2007), Pays Cathare (Woods &
Deegan, 2003) and Alto Minho (Edwards,
Fernandes, Fox, & Vaughan, 2003).
Additional empirical evidence suggests the
branding of countryside such as Surrey Hills
(Nininen, Hosany, & Ekinci, 2007) or even
rural destinations (Cai, 2002). There are also
several examples of research on city branding
issues (Merrilees, Miller, Herington, &
Smith, 2007; Phillips & Schofield, 2007;
Trueman, Klemm, & Giroud, 2004).
According to Gnoth (2007), branding a
destination means offering place values for
tourist consumption. Ritchie and Ritchie (1998,
p. 103) define a destination brand to be “a
name, symbol, logo, word mark or other
graphic that both identifies and differentiates
the destination; furthermore, it conveys the
promise of a memorable travel experience that
is uniquely associated with the destination; it
also serves to consolidate and reinforce the recol-
lection of pleasurable memories of the destina-
tion experience”. In fact, marketing of many
destinations does not begin from a zero base
(Hankinson, 2004). Pechlaner, Raich, and
Zehrer (2007)explain reasonablebrandmanage-
ment as contributing extensively to a desti-
nation’s success or failure and ensuring an
effective use of resources actively to maintain
and reinforce unique values of the products as
signified by the brand. Morgan, Pritchard, and
Pride (2005) propose that a successful destina-
tion branding initiative should comprise trust,
quality and lifestyle connotations that consumers
can associate with them. Place branding there-
fore inevitably becomes a coordinated process
rather than a managed activity (Hankinson,
2004).
Every city has its own name, which can be
used as an analog to a brand for products
and services. Next, branding strategies take
into account direct and indirect competitors,
incorporating positioning strategies. Also, the
assessment of city branding includes evalu-
ations of marketing activities such as advertis-
ing effectiveness, positioning analysis,
competitive performance analysis and market
segmentation. Consumers are bombarded
with choices that are easily substitutable
because more and more cities try to attract
visitors to gain economic benefits. Most
places emphasize attributes of attractiveness
such as friendly people, beautiful scenery or
nice facilities, which no longer help potential
Towards a Mekong Tourism Brand 3
Dow
nloa
ded
by [
202.
62.1
03.1
3] a
t 18:
18 1
2 D
ecem
ber
2011
visitors distinguish and choose among
competing cities. Therefore, it is crucial for
countries or cities as tourism destinations of
varying sizes, regardless of their size, to differ-
entiate themselves from others by fostering
their “unique” identity or personality, based
on their core values (Kozak & Baloglu,
2011; Ritchie & Crouch, 2003).
On the other hand, branding major cities
could be relatively more effective and efficient
than branding other cities within a country,
ceteris paribus. Major cities are usually the
places that attract the highest proportion of
domestic or international tourists visiting a
country (e.g. London, Istanbul, Paris,
New York), particularly in the context of
business tourism. It is well known that Paris
is a major factor in drawing millions of tour-
ists to France. Generally speaking, major
cities in Europe are usually the capital cities
and have a higher rate of recognition owing
to their association with politics and the result-
ing high visibility in the media. Though not the
capital of Turkey, Istanbul, as a major urban
destination, is revealed as a highly recognized
city of Turkey. Jensen and Korneliussen
(2002) contend that particular places or cities
in a country, such as London, Paris, Rome
and Istanbul, can act as “halos” or
“summary constructs” for the whole country.
Additional approaches such as co-branding
and creation of partnerships in tourism desti-
nations are recommended by academics (Cai,
2002; Prideaux & Cooper, 2002; Telfer,
2001) because without common vision and
synchronization of branding and marketing
processes the implementation of branding is
not easy or effective. The idea of a strong
brand umbrella and the coordination of activi-
ties under the same brand concept (logo,
slogan, brand identity, mission, vision,
values, etc.) are crucial in brand extension
and developing the idea of cooperative brand-
ing. The existence of both private and public
sectors and different managerial approaches
also complicate the process of branding.
The creation of partnerships in destination
branding can also improve the funding
process and increase the availability of
finances for marketing and promotion pur-
poses. However, it is important to conclude
that “a successful brand campaign leading to
increased yields for local businesses does not
translate into increased revenue of DMOs
[destination marketing organizations]” (Pike,
2005, p. 181). The idea of partnerships in
order to improve branding has been developed
in Western Australia through the establish-
ment of advisory councils in order to support
marketing (Crockett & Wood, 1999).
Success of branding depends on the under-
standing by government of marketing con-
cepts. Henderson (2007, p. 269) discusses the
success of branding and tourism in Singapore
through good conceptual planning and finan-
cial support. This has enabled Singapore to
achieve a competitive position and to gain
new businesses and events (Henderson,
2007). An orchestra playing synchronized
music together serves as a strong metaphor
for successful destination branding; where all
partners play in unison the melody outlined
in the marketing strategy of a destination.
Mekong Tourism Office InstitutionalReview
This section of the paper describes the MTO
and its standing as the leading subregional
tourism institution for the six Mekong
countries. The MTO was formed in January
2006 as the coordinating institution for the
implementation of the GMS tourism develop-
ment and marketing agenda as outlined in
the GMS Tourism Sector Strategy (TSS).
4 Peter Semone and Metin Kozak
Dow
nloa
ded
by [
202.
62.1
03.1
3] a
t 18:
18 1
2 D
ecem
ber
2011
The stated institutional mission of the
MTO is:
to develop and promote the Mekong as a single desti-
nation, offering a diversity of good quality and high-
yielding subregional products that help to distribute
the benefits of tourism more widely; add to the
tourism development efforts of each GMS country;
and contribute primarily to poverty reduction,
gender equality and empowerment of women, and
sustainable development, while minimizing any
adverse impacts. (www.mekongtourism.org).
Prior to the establishment of the MTO, the
Agency for Mekong Tourism Activities
(AMTA) was charged with orchestrating subre-
gional marketing. AMTA, which was headquar-
tered at the Tourism Authority of Thailand
(TAT), was discontinued in late 2005 and the
responsibility of GMS subregional tourism mar-
keting was assumed by the MTO. At the time,
there was only a marketing-focused agenda
linked to AMTA and development-related
issues were relegated to the GMS-TWG, the
Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Pacific
Asia Travel Association (PATA). Throughout
this early period, the logo shown in Figure 1
was used to brand both the collaborative frame-
work of the GMS-TWG members as well as des-
tinationMekong.The thinking behind this rather
abstract logowas to show ariver flowing through
six countries, each depicted by a face.
The marketing mission statement of the
MTO is to increase the number of high yield
subregional travellers (ADB, 2005), whereby
high yield is defined as someone who stays
for 10+ days and/or has per diem expendi-
tures of US$100+ per day and subregional tra-
veler is defined as any person who visits two
or more GMS countries during any single
visit to the subregion. The marketing plan
slightly modified the marketing mission by
defining the focus market as long-stay and
above-average-spending visitors rather than
high yield (MTO, 2008). In the context of
the overall marketing strategies for the subre-
gion to 2015, the key marketing objectives to
2010 as set out in the TSS Action Plan are
to: develop and strengthen the subregional
institutional capacity to market the subregion
as a single destination; enhance subregional
product development and product quality;
and enhance the promotion of the subregion
as a single destination (ADB, 2005).
In recognition of resource limitations and
capacity constraints when the MTO was
launched in 2006, a modest step-by-step
approach to implementing the marketing
program was proposed in the TSS Action
Plan (ADB, 2005). These steps included:
1. Launch a modest campaign to present a
unified Mekong tourism branding through
a consistently updated web page presence,
collateral development engaging the ser-
vices of a professional PR/advertising
group, arranging travel trade familiariz-
ation tours, presenting “The Mekong” at
Figure 1. Initial Version of Logo for Mekong.
Towards a Mekong Tourism Brand 5
Dow
nloa
ded
by [
202.
62.1
03.1
3] a
t 18:
18 1
2 D
ecem
ber
2011
regional trade shows and rebranding
AMTA as the Mekong Tourism Office.
2. Organize interactions with core interest
groups of the private sector (e.g. investors,
ground tour operators, tour operators of
generating markets, infrastructure develo-
pers, etc.) to engage them in dialogue,
present views of the potentials of Mekong
tourism and seek support for the program
as partners.
3. Energize and stage a relaunch of “Mekong
Tourism” as the universal thematic tourism
focus of the GMS with supporting collat-
eral and strategies, including private
sector-driven initiatives.
At the time of the writing of the MTO Mar-
keting Plan in November 2007, the above-
stated marketing steps (as prescribed in the
TSS) had been implemented either partially
or not at all and significant marketing efforts
were required (MTO, 2008).
MTO Finances
Since its inception in 2006, the operational
costs of the MTO have been underwritten
by an annual contribution of US$15,000 by
each of the member governments (Cambodia,
China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and
Vietnam). At the close of 2007, the MTO
account held an operating surplus of some
US$40,000. In addition to US$90,000 in
annual operational funding, Thailand’s Min-
istry of Tourism and Sports provided office
space (including utility costs). From August
2007, the French government seconded a
senior-level tourism expert to coordinate and
oversee implementation of the 28 develop-
ment projects identified in the GMS Tourism
Sector Strategy, which are part of the MTO
development agenda. In addition to the oper-
ating budget, the MTO had a marketing
budget of US$25,000, which comprised
residual AMTA marketing funds that were
transferred to the Mekong Tourism Coordi-
nating Office (MTCO) in 2006. This market-
ing money was earmarked to be spent in 2008
on enhancing the Mekong Tourism brand, the
MTO website and supporting collateral,
public relations activities and trade show
attendance.
Going Forward with the MTO MarketingAgenda
The limited marketing budget of the MTO dic-
tated that in the short term the subregion did
not have the luxury of the massive spending
power enjoyed by many competitive desti-
nations to draw visitors to the subregion.
Any marketing project undertaken by the
MTO in the short term needed to be highly
focused and aimed at developing a strong mar-
keting framework. In order to attract private
sector support for its marketing programs,
the MTO had to revitalize its institutional
credibility, which was viewed as “weak” at
best by key stakeholders.
A Private Sector Advisory Group (PSAG)
comprising senior executives of regional
private sector organizations was formed to
provide advice and direction to the MTO’s
marketing program. During a 31 October
2007 meeting of the Advisory Group,
members expressed concern that the MTO’s
reputation had been seriously diminished as a
result of inactivity and lack of continuity. It
was unanimously agreed that if the MTO
were ever to receive financial support from
the private sector as prescribed in the TSS
Marketing Strategy it would need to establish
its relevance and authority as the “lead mar-
keting organization for cooperative GMS
6 Peter Semone and Metin Kozak
Dow
nloa
ded
by [
202.
62.1
03.1
3] a
t 18:
18 1
2 D
ecem
ber
2011
tourism” (MTO, 2008). It was furthermore
expressed by the private sector that in order
to be realistic, any financial contributions to
the MTO’s marketing activities must provide
clear and tangible returns on investment.
Comparable Regional TourismOrganizations
In light of the footprints of a benchmarking
exercise for tourist destinations (Kozak,
2002, 2004; Kozak & Baloglu, 2011), many
stakeholders have suggested that there are
lessons to be learned from understanding
how comparable regional tourism organiz-
ations market their respective subregions. An
Internet search using key words such as
“tourism association”, “regional tourism mar-
keting organization” and “regional tourism
cooperation” produced links to a number of
comparable tourism organizations similar to
the MTO. As a result of this desk research,
methods of marketing collaboration were
identified. Additionally, approaches to logos
and slogans in support of the regional brand
were reviewed. In total, six regional tourism
organizations were identified as being similar
to the GMS tourism endeavor. They are
described in the following subsections.
The African Travel and TourismAssociation
The African Travel and Tourism Association
(ATTA) creates a hub for the positive develop-
ment of travel and tourism in Africa. With over
350 members, it is Europe’s largest trade
association promoting Africa. Membership
covers all sections of the tourism industry.
They are drawn from those who supply the
product, including hotels, lodges, camps, air-
lines and ground operators, and those who
service the market throughout the world, tour
and web-based operators, travel agents, rep-
resentation companies, tourist boards and all
sectors of the media. The prime role of the
association is to channel information and
breaking news to its wide membership
through its sophisticated web distribution
email service “ATTAK”. National tourist
boards, the media, the British Foreign Office
and the membership itself use this distribution
facility to keep the industry informed.
Response time is fast and information is
quickly distributed. ATTAK enables members
throughout Africa and the UK to keep abreast
of the rapidly changing affairs of tourism.
Meanwhile, the ATTA logo and slogan
(Figure 2) were viewed as being strong in pro-
viding a sense of location and dimension of
the African continent as well as clearly stating
the organizational objectives of the associ-
ation. The logo seems to provide a strong insti-
tutional branding position for ATTA.
However, it does not appear to be directed at
the end user traveller.
The Baltic Sea Tourism Commission
The Baltic Sea Tourism Commission (BTC) is
a networking marketing association with the
aim of promoting tourism to the Baltic Sea
region in North America, Asia and Spain.
The main activities of the BTC include: press
Figure 2. An Example of a Logo for Africa.
Towards a Mekong Tourism Brand 7
Dow
nloa
ded
by [
202.
62.1
03.1
3] a
t 18:
18 1
2 D
ecem
ber
2011
and trade familiarization trips, an annual
tourism conference, participation in tourism-
related projects, advocacy of the tourism
industry among political decision-makers,
cooperation with other Baltic Sea organiz-
ations and the provision of tourism
information. The BTC logo is unremarkable
in terms of any branding for either the insti-
tution or the Baltic tourism region.
The European Quartet
The European Quartet is a group of central
European countries including the Czech
Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia.
The organization has an annual budget of
E200,000–400,000, which is funded by
member governments and, to a lesser degree,
the private sector. Activities include: mainten-
ance of a common website, www.european-
quartet.com; a multi-language promotional
brochure (Chinese, Japanese and English);
statistical information press releases and
photo library; a common promotional video;
road shows to key markets; marketing work-
shops; and special interest promotions. The
logo is shown in Figure 3.
Greater Tumen Initiative (Joint TourismPromotion)
Tumen River Region Development Area, com-
prising China, North Korea, the Russian Fed-
eration and Mongolia, offers cultural and
natural heritage, and historic and wildlife-
based tourism products, targeting mainly
North East Asian and European markets that
seek soft and hard adventure experiences in
this once secluded area. The United Nations
Development Program and the Tumen
Program supported a familiarization tour of
the Tumen Region for selected tour operators
and travel journalists in October–November
1999. The participants from China, South
Korea and European countries assessed the
tourist attractions, facilities and services of
the area. They also had meetings with local
tourism officials and inbound tour operators
and travel agents to generate ideas about
multi-destination tours in the region. The
project included publication of a promotional
brochure for the Tumen Region entitled The
Tumen River Area – New Horizons in
Travel, which has been translated into
Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Russian and
widely distributed to local tourism agencies,
tour operators and travel journalists. The
project has been successful at increasing
awareness of the Tumen Region’s tourism
resources in key markets, and has been
helpful in terms of development of tourism
products in the area. The project has been
complemented by Tumen Program partici-
pation in a number of international tourism
fairs in Asia, which are good opportunities to
draw international attention to the attractions
of the Tumen Region as a tourist destination
(total budget of US$70,000). There appears
to be no concise branding in the form of a
logo or slogan for this initiative.Figure 3. An Example of a Logo for Central
European Countries.
8 Peter Semone and Metin Kozak
Dow
nloa
ded
by [
202.
62.1
03.1
3] a
t 18:
18 1
2 D
ecem
ber
2011
The South Pacific Tourism Organization
The South Pacific Tourism Organization
(SPTO) is the mandated intergovernmental
organization for the tourism industry in the
South Pacific. In the early 1980s, an informal
association of South Pacific national tourism
organizations was formed, which sub-
sequently became the SPTO. The SPTO is an
organization with a membership that substan-
tially represents both the public and private
sectors. Current full government member
countries include The Cook Islands, Fiji,
French Polynesia, Kiribati, New Caledonia,
Niue, Papua New Guinea, People’s Republic
of China, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga,
Tuvalu and Vanuatu. Private sector members
include over 200 of the major tourism oper-
ators in the region. The SPTO’s mission state-
ment is: “to be an internationally dynamic and
leading tourism organization in the develop-
ment of public and private sector tourism
businesses in the South Pacific”. Key market-
ing activities of the SPTO include: regional
branding; overseas representation; travel
show/road show coordination and facili-
tation; regional collateral material; regional
tourism magazine; website development and
promotion; Internet marketing; lead gener-
ation; tourism products database; and Internet
and marketing training/consulting. Mean-
while, the SPTO logo and slogan are clearly
focused on branding the organization and
the website rather than the South Pacific
(Figure 4).
Tourism Vancouver Island
Tourism Vancouver Island is a destination
marketing organization whose vision is “To
Position the Vancouver Island Region as a
Premier Destination”. The organization is a
not-for-profit association representing the
tourism stakeholders within the Vancouver
Island region, which includes all the islands
located between Vancouver Island and the
mainland coast and also includes coastal
areas of the mainland coast between Moses
and Bute Inlets. Tourism Vancouver Island is
one of six regional DMOs in British Columbia
that are contracted by the Tourism British
Columbia to deliver marketing initiatives on
behalf of the region. As part of this contract
each region administers the Tourism Partner
Program for their respective region. Through
the Tourism Partner Program, Tourism Van-
couver Island is able to offer tourism stake-
holders within the region the opportunity to
participate in marketing initiatives at greatly
reduced costs. In partnership with tourism sta-
keholders and Tourism British Columbia,
Tourism Vancouver Island coordinates over
US$1.5 million in advertising and promotional
campaigns targeted at driving tourism business
to the Vancouver Island region. The associ-
ation is governed by a board of directors that
is made up of industry professionals from
various parts of the Vancouver Island region.
The marketing committee meets regularly to
evaluate and recommend strategies and
tactics that are focused on reaching the vision
Figure 4. An Example of a Logo and Slogan for the South Pacific.
Towards a Mekong Tourism Brand 9
Dow
nloa
ded
by [
202.
62.1
03.1
3] a
t 18:
18 1
2 D
ecem
ber
2011
of the association. The branding of Vancouver
Island is part of the overall British Columbia
logo and slogan of “Super, Natural”.
The above subregional groupings as well
as other individual competing destinations’
positioning concepts range over: landscape,
sightseeing and urban tourism based on shop-
ping and nightlife of Hong Kong, Macau,
Zuhai and Canton in the Pearl River Delta;
soft and hard adventure and Buddhist culture
in the Asia Subregional Economic Coop-
eration (SASEC); relaxation and fun in tropi-
cal island resorts of the South Pacific and
Caribbean; hard and soft adventure in the
Tumen River Area; and wildlife tourism in
the Southern African Development Commu-
nity (SADC). In Association of Southeast
Asian Nations, Malaysia positions itself as a
microcosm of Asia (Malaysia – Truly Asia),
whereas Singapore positions itself as an
urban tourism destination and gateway to
Asia (Uniquely Singapore). Within the broad
positioning framework among potential com-
peting regional destinations for its markets,
the GMS is distinctive in its ownership of the
Mekong River and its rich array of ethnic
peoples and cultures. What is clear from
seeing what comparable organizations are
doing in terms of marketing activities is that
any MTO marketing plan must include the
consideration of several core channels, includ-
ing: trade marketing, consumer marketing,
market research and intelligence, media and
public relations, global branding and Internet
marketing.
As for branding logos and slogans of the
various comparative regional tourism organiz-
ations, most appear to be more focused on the
positioning of the respective institution rather
than on the subregion being represented. The
exception to this is the European Quartet,
which has a brand that emphasizes the market-
ing of destinations more than institutions.
In the case of the MTO, the previously men-
tioned Mekong Tourism logo appears to be
trying to position both the institution and the
region. However, owing to the highly esoteric
nature of the logo, it arguably does neither
well. In the highly competitive global destina-
tion branding environment, it is unlikely that
the average consumer would have an appreci-
ation or understanding of the Mekong, or the
fact that it is comprised of six nations. This
reasserts the need for a destination brand
that is more explicit, understandable and
effective in its promotion of the Mekong
tourism region.
Case Study: The Mekong TourismBranding Exercise
This section describes how the MTO has
developed a subregional tourism brand for
the coordinated marketing efforts of Cambo-
dia, China (Guangxi and Yunnan Provinces),
Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam
(Figure 5). The evolution of the brand (and
supporting slogan) took place over a 2-year
period. The logo and slogan described in
phase 5 is the one the MTO is currently auth-
orized by the GMS-TWG to use for all subre-
gional marketing programs.
Phase 1: Defining Destination Attributesand Initial Logo/Slogan Designs
This phase entailed identifying Mekong
tourism attributes, developing supporting
descriptive words, and establishing an initial
slogan and logo. This phase lasted approxi-
mately 2 months and involved a lead consult-
ant as well as a focus group of 10
representatives of the public and private
10 Peter Semone and Metin Kozak
Dow
nloa
ded
by [
202.
62.1
03.1
3] a
t 18:
18 1
2 D
ecem
ber
2011
Figure 5. Map of Greater Mekong Subregion.
Towards a Mekong Tourism Brand 11
Dow
nloa
ded
by [
202.
62.1
03.1
3] a
t 18:
18 1
2 D
ecem
ber
2011
sectors. A graphic design artist was also
engaged at this stage.
Initially, an overall evaluation of Mekong
Tourism was conducted by one of the
authors of this paper, as lead consultant, in
collaboration with various tourism industry
public and private sector stakeholders. It was
clear from the outset that the objective of the
exercise was to create a brand with a support-
ing logo and slogan that would go beyond the
existing Mekong Tourism logo in supporting
consumer awareness building and marketing.
It was agreed by the GMS-TWG that the exist-
ing brand was overly focused on promoting
the MTO as an institution rather than the
Mekong as a tourism destination.
Through content analysis, and review of
grey literature from the Asian Development
Bank and other institutions (both private and
public sector) by the lead consultant, core
themes used in describing Mekong tourism
were identified. Three core elements emerged
immediately, namely: nature, community and
culture (Table 1). Ten focus group members
were identified, which included a cross
section of both public and private sector stake-
holder representatives. In informal ad hoc
meetings with focus group participants, the
three core elements were evaluated for their
individual suitability and merit. The focus
group participants were also asked to identify
activities that they strongly associated with the
Mekong, resulting in a list of core tourism
activities. From this wealth of words produced
by the focus group members, an initial slogan
was developed by the lead consultant:
“Explore Asia’s Last Frontier: the Mekong”.
Following the above-described exercise of
building a brand foundation, a graphic artist
was commissioned to develop visual themes
that supported both the destination attributes
identified and the aforementioned initial
slogan.
This initial phase of the branding process
resulted in 15 treatments of the logo and sup-
porting slogan, as shown in Figure 6.
Table 1 Core Themes used in Describing the Mekong Region
Nature Community Culture
Eco-(lodges, tourism, tours) Tourism Reigion
Sustainable Village Heritage
Green People Buddhism
Verdant Market Animism
Nature-based Local Native
Diverse Rural tourism Tribal
Agro tourism Home stays Huts
Soft adventure Mekong Rustic
Water Pure Authentic
Untainted Indigenous Real
River Simple Fresh
Note: Associated tourism-related activities: cycling, trekking canoeing, hiking, rafting, elephant treks, self-drive holidays,backpacking, cultural exploration and camping.
12 Peter Semone and Metin Kozak
Dow
nloa
ded
by [
202.
62.1
03.1
3] a
t 18:
18 1
2 D
ecem
ber
2011
Figure 6. List of Logos Included in the Branding Colour online, B/W in print Exercise.
Towards a Mekong Tourism Brand 13
Dow
nloa
ded
by [
202.
62.1
03.1
3] a
t 18:
18 1
2 D
ecem
ber
2011
Phase 2: Stakeholder Consultation
This phase entailed review of the initial logo
and slogan designs developed in phase 1 by
original focus group members as well as a
broader stakeholder audience through an
online survey. Various treatments developed
in phase 1 were first individually reviewed and
discussed with the 10 focus group members.
As a result of these consultations the lead
consultant was able to narrow the 15 logos to
a shortlist of four, as shown in Figure 7.
Subsequent to this phase of consultation
with the focus group members, an online
survey was administered using the open
source software Lime Survey (http://www.
limesurvey.org). The lead consultant circulated
an email to 200 individuals directly involved in
Mekong tourism asking them to participate in
the online survey and to rank from 1 to 4
(“1” indicating “most favorite” and “4” indi-
cating “least favorite”) the four logos and
provide any relevant comments. The email cir-
cular that was sent by the lead consultant in
early March 2008 appears in Appendix 1 of
this paper. The online survey was conducted
over a 2-week period and resulted in 120
responses (a 60% response rate), many of
which included detailed comments.
The online survey results identified logo
option C as the most preferred, with options
A and B a close second (see Appendix 2).
Perhaps more important than the ranking of
preferences was the variety of comments pro-
vided, which were incorporated into a
second round of logo and slogan development.
A particularly valuable comment was “why
not start off with your strongest brand asset:
MEKONG and say Explore the MEKONG,
Asia’s last Frontier”. This, along with other
comments, instigated the thinking that fewer
words may be more powerful in conveying
the Mekong Tourism brand and more easily
remembered by consumers. This resulted in
Figure 7. A Shortlist of Four Logos.
14 Peter Semone and Metin Kozak
Dow
nloa
ded
by [
202.
62.1
03.1
3] a
t 18:
18 1
2 D
ecem
ber
2011
the shortening of the slogan to simply
“Explore Mekong”.
Phase 3: Refinement and AdditionalStakeholder Engagement
This phase, which lasted 1 month, required the
re-engagement of the graphic designer and
another round of broad stakeholder consul-
tation. With a shortened slogan and a myriad
of comments on usage of colors and themes,
the graphic artist was asked to develop a new
version of the brand that incorporated this
common wisdom. This reaped two new treat-
ments, which were presented and voted on at a
Bangkok SKAL club luncheon. In total, 46
people voted on the two options, with the fol-
lowing results (see Figure 8). Four people
abstained from voting, indicating that they
did not like either of the options. Based on
the SKAL luncheon survey and additional
comments collected during individual inter-
views, the logo was refined further in an
attempt to incorporate as many constructive
observations as possible. The profile of the
Bangkok SKAL members is industry-focused
with mid- to high-level management represent-
ing travel agents, tour operators and hoteliers.
Phase 4: Consensus by the GMS TourismWorking Group (The MTO Board)
This phase, which lasted 1 month, entailed pre-
paring and delivering a compelling presen-
tation to the six country representatives for
final endorsement by the GMS-TWG or
Board of Directors, all of whom are public
sector civil servants. In May 2008, the final
version of the logo was presented to the
GMS-TWG by the lead consultant, and with
some final fine-tuning by the graphic designer,
responsive to Board-level comments, the
logo/slogan shown in Figure 9 was eventually
adopted as the Mekong Tourism brand. It
was used for all consumer marketing activities
of the Mekong Tourism Office on its consumer
website, www.exploremekong.org, from June
2008 onward.
Phase 5: Adjustments to the Slogan Text
This unanticipated phase, which occurred a
year later, led to the adjustment of the
Figure 9. The Logo Recommended.
Figure 8. Votes for the Two Shortlisted
Logos.
Towards a Mekong Tourism Brand 15
Dow
nloa
ded
by [
202.
62.1
03.1
3] a
t 18:
18 1
2 D
ecem
ber
2011
slogan. In mid-2009, the GMS-TWG at the
behest of the Mekong Tourism Office sec-
retariat determined that additional descriptive
words in the slogan would help enhance
consumer awareness and understanding of
Mekong tourism. At their annual meeting,
the MTO Board voted unanimously to adjust
the slogan to read “Explore Mekong Six
Countries . . . One River”. This additional geo-
graphic description was seen as an enhance-
ment to the brand, which would potentially
improve the effectiveness of the Mekong
tourism brand in attracting consumer atten-
tion. The resultant logo/slogan is shown in
Figure 10. Since 2009, this has been the official
logo and slogan of the Mekong Tourism sub-
regional marketing effort.
Interestingly, it is noted that this entire
brand development exercise was respectful of
the limited financial resources of the MTO
and the steps recorded in this paper were com-
pleted with a budget of less than US$2,500,
making this a low-cost approach that is
easily replicable for even the most financially
cash-strapped of destination marketing
organizations. Of course, the approach relied
heavily on the goodwill of key industry stake-
holders to share their opinions and time.
Conclusion and Implications
Part and parcel of being competitive in the
international tourism arena is the need for a
recognizable destination brand. Branding is
typically done at the national level as a single
destination; however, increasingly often an
agglomeration of destinations will attempt to
attract visitors to a region, of either a single
country or a group of countries. Developing
logos and slogans that underpin destination
brands in marketing and promotion cam-
paigns can be a costly and complicated exer-
cise. The verbal and graphic artistic nature of
logos and slogans makes liking or disliking
them subject to personal opinion and tastes.
It is therefore almost impossible to develop a
logo and slogan that will be agreeable to every-
one. This should be accepted as fact from the
onset of any branding or rebranding process.
Therefore, as suggested in the literature
(Crockett & Wood, 1999; Fyall & Garrod,
2005; Morgan & Pritchard, 1998; Morgan
et al., 2003), encouraging stakeholder partici-
pation is a critical success factor for any
branding exercise, e.g. the stage of developing
and practical use of brands.
The study findings are valuable for
suggesting several implications in specific refer-
ence to the case of tourism authorities in
Mekong. In addition to heeding the advice of
the PSAG, the MTO has had to abide carefully
by the following marketing guidelines, which
were incorporated in the Marketing Action
Plan: (1) to maximize the potential of the Inter-
net as an effective marketing tool and source of
comprehensive visitor information; (2) to
facilitate coordinated joint marketing and pro-
motional activities with all stakeholders and
Figure 10. Revised Version of the Logo
Recommended.
16 Peter Semone and Metin Kozak
Dow
nloa
ded
by [
202.
62.1
03.1
3] a
t 18:
18 1
2 D
ecem
ber
2011
partners; (3) to encourage more effective and
targeted subregional tourism marketing based
on sound market research and understanding
of consumer needs; (4) to establish a stronger,
more systematic and coordinated basis for sub-
regional destination marketing by MTCO
member countries and the private sector; (5)
to increase awareness of the GMS by creating
a strong and distinct image (brand) and clear
positioning in target markets; (6) to facilitate
awareness of the subregion; and (7) to comp-
lement existing national tourism marketing
and promotion campaigns with a unified subre-
gional program.
Consequently, the character of tourism pro-
ducts, the influence of not only attractions and
direct tourism services but also the support of
infrastructure and services, has a significant
impact on the success of branding strategies.
Morgan and Pritchard (1998, p. 215)
mention that destination managers might
cope with significant obstacles during the
implementation of marketing and branding
strategies, especially three unique challenges:
a lack of control over the total marketing
mix, their relatively limited budgets, and
often over-arching political considerations.
Cooperation and strategic marketing,
strengthening the role of DMOs in a destina-
tion and branding are important for tourism
destination competitiveness and success.
Finally, this study has some limitations to be
assumed as directions for future research. First,
the Internet provides a powerful platform for
conducting online surveys that are visual in
nature. It is important that these types of
survey are individualized in order to ensure
the authenticity of the responses. It is probably
wise, therefore, to ask for full contact details
including name, email address and telephone
number. Second, it is also important to
provide a mechanism for individual comment
through which creative input and ideas can be
conveyed. A strong focus group comprised of
people with strong verbal and visual creative
stills is invaluable. This group can and should
be consulted throughout all phases of the
brand development process as it provides a
degree of continuity and consistency.
References
Asian Development Bank (2005). GMS Tourism Sector
Strategy, Manila, Philippines.
Cai, L. A. (2002). Cooperative branding for rural desti-
nations. Annals of Tourism Research, 29(3), 720–742.
Crockett, S. R., & Wood, L. J. (1999). Brand Western
Australia: A totally integrated approach to destination
branding. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 5(3),
276–289.
Curtis, J. (2001). Branding a state: The evolution of brand
Oregon. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 7(1), 75–81.
Dwyer, L., & Chulwon, K. (2003). Destination competi-
tiveness: Determinants and indicators. Current Issues
in Tourism, 6(5), 369–413.
Edwards, J., Fernandes, C., Fox, J. & Vaughan, R. (2003).
Tourism brand attributes of the Alto Minho, Portugal.
In D. Hall & G. Richards (Eds.), Tourism and sustain-
able community development. Abingdon: Routledge.
Fan, Y. (2006). Branding the nation: What is being
branded? Journal of Vacation Marketing, 12(1), 5–14.
Fyall, A. & Garrod, B. (2005). Tourism marketing: A col-
laborative approach. Clevendon: Channel View Publi-
cations.
Gnoth, J. (2007). The structure of destination brands:
Leveraging values. Tourism Analysis, 12, 345–358.
Hall, D. (1999). Destination branding, niche marketing
and national image projection in Central and Eastern
Europe. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 5(3), 227–237.
Hall, J. (2004). Branding Britain. Journal of Vacation
Marketing, 10(2), 171–185.
Hankinson, B. (2004). Relational network brands:
Towards a conceptual model of place brands. Journal
of Vacation Marketing, 10(2), 109–121.
Heath, E. & Wall, G. (1992). Marketing tourism desti-
nations: A strategic planning approach. Canada: Wiley.
Henderson, J. C. (2007). Uniquely Singapore? A case
study in destination branding. Journal of Vacation
Marketing, 13(3), 261–277.
Jensen, O., & Korneliussen, T. (2002). Discriminating
perceptions of a peripheral “Nordic Destination”
Towards a Mekong Tourism Brand 17
Dow
nloa
ded
by [
202.
62.1
03.1
3] a
t 18:
18 1
2 D
ecem
ber
2011
among European tourists. Tourism and Hospitality
Research, 3(4), 319–330.
Kozak, M. (2002). Destination benchmarking. Annals of
Tourism Research, 29(2), 497–519.
Kozak, M. (2004). Destination benchmarking: Concepts,
practices and operations. Oxon: CABI.
Kozak, M. & Baloglu, S. (2011). Managing and marketing
tourism destinations: Strategies to gain a competitive
edge. New York: Routledge.
Mekong Tourism Office (2008). Mekong Tourism Office
Market Plan 2008–2011: A Living Document,
Bangkok, Thailand.
Merrilees, B., Miller, D., Herington, C., & Smith, C.
(2007). Brand Cairns: An insider (resident) stake-
holder perspective. Tourism Analysis, 12(5/6),
409–418.
Morgan, N., & Pritchard, A. (1998). Mood marketing –
The new destination marketing strategy: A case study
of “Wales the brand”. Journal of Vacation Marketing,
4(3), 215–229.
Morgan, N., Pritchard, A., & Piggott, R. (2003). Destina-
tion branding and the role of the stakeholders: The case
of New Zealand. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 9(3),
285–299.
Morgan, N., Pritchard, A. & Pride, R. (2005). Destination
branding: Creating the unique destination proposition.
Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.
Nininen, O., Hosany, S., Ekinci, Y., & Airey, D. (2007).
Building a place brand: A case study of Surrey Hills.
Tourism Analysis, 12, 371–386.
Ooi, C. (2004). Poetics and politics of destination brand-
ing: Denmark. Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality
and Tourism, 4(2), 107–128.
Pechlaner, H., Raich, F., & Zehrer, A. (2007). The Alps:
Challenges and potentials of a brand management. T.
ourism Analysis, 12, 359–369.
Phillips, L., & Schofield, P. (2007). Pottery, pride, and
prejudice: Assessing resident images for city branding.
Tourism Analysis, 12(1), 397–407.
Pike, S. (2005). Tourism destination branding complexity.
Journal of Product Brand Management, 14(4),
258–259.
Prideaux, B., & Cooper, C. (2002). Marketing and desti-
nations growth: A symbiotic relationship or simple
coincidence? Journal of Vacation Marketing, 9(1),
35–48.
Ritchie, J. R. B., & Ritchie, R. J. B. (1998). The branding
of tourism destinations: Past achievements and future
challenges. In: P. Keller (Ed.), Proceedings of the 1998
Annual Congress of the International Association of
Scientific Experts in Tourism, Destination Marketing:
Scopes and Limitations (pp. 89–116). Marrakech,
Morocco: International Association of Scientific
Experts in Tourism.
Ritchie, J.R. B. & Crouch, G. I. (2003). The competitive
destination: A sustainable tourism perspective. Oxon:
CABI.
Telfer, D. (2001). Strategic alliances along the Niagara
Wine Route. Tourism Management, 22(1), 21–30.
Trueman, M., Klemm, M., & Giroud, A. (2004). Can a
city communicate? Bradford as a corporate brand.
Corporate Communications: An International Journal,
9(4), 317–330.
Woods, M., & Deegan, J. (2003). A warm welcome for
destination quality brands: The example of the Pays
Cathare region. International Journal of Tourism
Research, 5, 269–282.
Appendix 1. Email Circular for OnlineSurvey
Dear Friends
The Mekong Tourism Office is currently
working on developing a Destination Brand
for Mekong Tourism. This will be a critical
element in the Visit Mekong 2010 destination
marketing campaign.
Through considerable creative input by a couple
of wordsmith friends the campaign slogan has
been narrowed to The Mekong: Explore Asia’s
Last Frontier. This encapsulates the positioning
of the Visit Mekong 2010 campaign which
intends to focus on The Mekong as a nature-
based, eco-friendly, culturally exotic destina-
tion. Very much in the spirit of Community-
based (experiential) tourism which features pro-
minently in the GMS Tourism Strategy and the
National Tourism Strategies of the seven
member destinations of the Mekong.
Of course, one of the key elements of the cam-
paign will be to establish the right look and
feel of brand “Mekong Tourism”. Again,
through the kind assistance of a few graphi-
18 Peter Semone and Metin Kozak
Dow
nloa
ded
by [
202.
62.1
03.1
3] a
t 18:
18 1
2 D
ecem
ber
2011
cally skilled friends – in exchange for a few
beers – a number of logos have been designed.
Now we need to get opinions from a broader
audience.
Can I ask that you take a few minutes to par-
ticipate in the on-line Logo survey by clicking
on the following link: http://www.
mekongtourism.org/surv/index.php?sid=1
I would also be appreciative if you would
pass the survey link on to as many people as
you can: the more input the better!
Thanks for helping to get Visit Mekong
2010 off to the right start.
Peter Semone
Senior Adviser
Mekong Tourism Office
Appendix 2
Table A1 Online Survey Results
Results
No. of records in this query: 120
Total records in survey: 120
Percentage of total: 100.00%
SQL: SELECT count(∗) FROM survey_1
Field Summary for 1[1]:
Please rank the logos by preference with “1” being your favorite and “4” being
least favorite.[Ranking 1]
Answer Count Percentage
A (A) 27 22.50%
B (B) 22 18.33%
C (C) 56 46.67%
D (D) 15 12.50%
Field Summary for 1[2]:
Please rank the logos by preference with “1” being your favorite and “4” being
least favorite.[Ranking 2]
Answer Count Percentage
A (A) 20 16.67%
B (B) 26 21.67%
C (C) 34 28.33%
D (D) 40 33.33%
(Continued)
Towards a Mekong Tourism Brand 19
Dow
nloa
ded
by [
202.
62.1
03.1
3] a
t 18:
18 1
2 D
ecem
ber
2011
Table 2. Continued
Results
Field Summary for 1[3]:
Please rank the logos by preference with “1” being your favorite and “4” being
least favorite.[Ranking 3]
Answer Count Percentage
A (A) 27 22.50%
B (B) 43 35.83%
C (C) 17 14.17%
D (D) 33 27.50%
Field Summary for 1[4]:
Please rank the logos by preference with “1” being your favorite and “4” being
least favorite.[Ranking 4]
Answer Count Percentage
A (A) 46 38.33%
B (B) 29 24.17%
C (C) 13 10.83%
D (D) 32 26.67%
PHPSurveyor
Version 1.0
20 Peter Semone and Metin Kozak
Dow
nloa
ded
by [
202.
62.1
03.1
3] a
t 18:
18 1
2 D
ecem
ber
2011