compelling destination

8/3/2019 Compelling Destination

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Advisory Board

The Robert A. and Jan M. Beck Center at Cornell University

Cornell Hospitality Reports,Vol. 11, No. 2 (January 2011)

2011 Cornell University

Cornell Hospitality Report is produced orthe beneft o the hospitality industry byThe Center or Hospitality Research atCornell University

Rohit Verma, Executive Director Jenni er Macera, Associate Director Glenn Withiam, Director o Publications

Center or Hospitality ResearchCornell UniversitySchool o Hotel Administration489 Statler HallIthaca, NY 14853

Phone: 607-255-9780Fax: 607-254-2922www.chr.cornell.edu

Back cover photo by permission o The Cornellian and Je Wang.

Raanan Ben-Zur , Chie Executive O fcer,French QuarterHoldings, Inc.

Scott Berman , Principal, Industry Leader, Hospitality & LeisurePractice,PricewaterhouseCoopers

Raymond Bickson , Managing Director and Chie ExecutiveO fcer,Taj Group of Hotels, Resorts, and Palaces

Stephen C. Brandman , Co-Owner,Thompson Hotels, Inc.Raj Chandnani , Vice President, Director o Strategy , WATGRod Clough , Managing Director , HVSBenjamin J. Patrick Denihan , Chie Executive O fcer ,

Denihan Hospitality GroupKurt Ekert , Chie Commercial O fcer,Travelport GDSBrian Ferguson , Vice President, Supply Strategy and Analysis,

Expedia North AmericaChuck Floyd , Chie Operating O fcerNorth America ,

Hyatt

Anthony Gentile , Vice PresidentSystems & Control ,Schneider Electric/Square D CompanyGregg Gilman , Partner, Co-Chair, Employment Practices ,

Davis & Gilbert LLPSusan Helstab , EVP Corporate Marketing,

Four Seasons Hotels and ResortsJeffrey A. Horwitz , Chair, Lodging + Gaming, and Co-Head,

Mergers + Acquisitions,ProskauerKevin J. Jacobs, Senior Vice President, Corporate Strategy &

Treasurer, Hilton WorldwideKenneth Kahn , President/Owner , LRP PublicationsKirk Kinsell,President o Europe, Middle East, and A rica,

InterContinental Hotels GroupRadhika Kulkarni, Ph.D., VP o Advanced Analytics R&D,

SAS InstituteGerald Lawless, Executive Chairman, Jumeirah GroupMark V. Lomanno , President , Smith Travel ResearchDavid Meltzer , Vice President o Global Business Development ,

Sabre Hospitality SolutionsWilliam F. Minnock III, Senior Vice President, Global

Operations Deployment and Program Management ,Marriott International, Inc.

Shane OFlaherty , President and CEO, Forbes Travel GuideThomas Parham , Senior Vice President and General Manager ,

Philips Hospitality Americas

Chris Proulx, CEO, eCornell & Executive EducationCarolyn D. Richmond , Partner, Hospitality Practice, Fox

Rothschild LLPSteve Russell, Chie People O fcer, Senior VP, Human

Resources, McDonalds USAMichele Sarkisian , Senior Vice President , MaritzJanice L. Schnabel , Managing Director and Gaming Practice

Leader , Marshs Hospitality and Gaming PracticeTrip Schneck, President and Co-Founder , TIG Global LLCAdam Weissenberg, Vice Chairman, and U.S. Tourism,

Hospitality & Leisure Leader,Deloitte & Touche USA LLP
http://http//www.hotelschool.cornell.edu/industry/executive/http://http//www.hotelschool.cornell.edu/industry/executive/


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FriendsAmerican Tescor, LLC Argyle Executive Forum Berkshire Healthcare Center for Advanced Retail Technology Cody Kramer Imports Cruise Industry News DK Shif et & Associates ehotelier.com EyeforTravel 4Hoteliers.com Gerencia de Hoteles & Restaurantes Global Hospitality Resources Hospitality Financial andTechnological Professionals hospitalityInside.com hospitalitynet.org Hospitality Technology Magazine Hotel Asia Paci c Hotel China HotelExecutive.com Hotel Interactive Hotel Resource HotelWorld Network International CHRIE International Hotel Conference International Society of Hospitality Consultants iPerceptions JDA Software Group, Inc. J.D. Power and Associates The Lodging Conference LodgingHospitality Lodging Magazine LRA Worldwide, Inc. Milestone Internet Marketing MindFolio MindshareTechnologies PhoCusWright Inc. PKF Hospitality Research RealShare Hotel Investment & Finance Summit Resort and Recreation Magazine The Resort Trades RestaurantEdge.com Shibata Publi shing Co. Synovate The TravelCom Network UniFocus USA Today WageWatch, Inc. The Wall Street Journal WIWIH.COM

T a k t C at M m

PartnersDavis & Gilbert LLPDeloitte & Touche USA LLPDenihan Hospitality Group

eCornell & Executive EducationExpedia, Inc.Forbes Travel GuideFour Seasons Hotels and ResortsFox Rothschild LLPFrench Quarter Holdings, Inc.HVSHyattInterContinental Hotels GroupJumeirah GroupLRP PublicationsMarriott International, Inc.Marshs Hospitality PracticeMaritzPricewaterhouseCoopersProskauerSabre Hospitality SolutionsSchneider ElectricSouthern Wine and Spirits o AmericaThayer Lodging GroupThompson HotelsTravelportWATG

Senior PartnersHilton WorldwideMcDonalds USAPhilips HospitalitySASSTRTaj Hotels Resorts and PalacesTIG Global


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4 e Center for Hospitality Research Cornell University

AbouT The AuThors

r t J. Kw t k, Ph.D., M.B.A., is an associate pro essor o services marketing at the Cornell School o HotelAdministration. His research ocuses on consumer behavior in service contexts, with special attention to service

experience management. He has published in the Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Service Research,International Journal of Research in Marketing,and theCornell Hospitality Quarterly , among others. He has been

honored seven times as a Teacher o the Year by students at the School o Hotel Administration. Prior to his careerin academics, Kwortnik held several professional positions in marketing and was a travel industry consultant.

et a hawk , a graduate o the Cornell School o Hotel Administration and holder o an M.B.A. rom theJohnson Graduate School of Management, is a consultant with McKinsey & Company. Prior to McKinseadvised on USAID tourism development and marketing projects in Lebanon and Zambia. He is co-author oConnecting with the Culture: A Case Study in Sustainable Tourism.

In addition to the authors, Cornells Brand Zambia team included the ollowing holders o the MaManagement of Hospitality (MMH) degree: Ghim Chuan Chia, Ashvin Iyengar, Joy Lin, Karl von Ram

Chan. The team was supported in Zambia by Leah Corgel (MMH 09) and Mark ODonnell of Protea H

Positioning a Place:

by Robert J. Kwortnik and Ethan Hawkes

Developing a Compelling Destination Bra


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Cornell Hospitality Report January 2011 www.chr.cornell.edu 5

exeCuTive suMMAry

The process of building a brand begins with a clear understanding of what consumersdesire from a particular product or service. is understanding is then translated into apromise, which is the basis of the brand and tells consumers what they will receive. isreport details a methodical six-step process for brand building, the Process Framework

for Strategic Brand Development, using the case of Zambia. at nations tourism o cials engaged ateam of graduate students from the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration to develop anew destination brand. Using data from potential visitors to the country, the team rst identi ed themotivational factors for Zambia tourism. ey next evaluated the nations value proposition andassessed its competitive brand position, as compared to the nearby African nations that constitute itscompetitive set. e next step was to develop core brand elements, based on the traveler motivations.With the brand elements in place, the group created possible brand promises and tested them with key suppliers and sponsors in Zambia. A re ned set of potential brand concepts was tested with potentialcustomers. Finally, a set of symbolic brand touch points was developed to become part of brandmessages and images. e method used by the Cornell Brand Zambia team is applicable to any tourism destinationand to hospitality products that aim to create an emotion-inducing, memorableguest experience.


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Cornell hospiTAliTy reporT

by Robert J. Kwortnik and Ethan Hawkes

D estinations that rely on tourism to drive economic progressespecially thosedestinations that are relatively unknown to the traveling publicneed an e cientmeans to create a sense of place on travelers mental maps. Travelers (and traveldistributors) encounter a growing number of messages from established andemerging destinations, all competing for limited mind space and discretionary spending on scarce vacation time.

Positioning a Place:Developing a Compelling Destination Bra

Destination marketers are becoming increasingly so-phisticated in their approach to targeting markets, buildingemotional appeal, and applying best practices re ned in theprivate sector for disseminating marketing messages. Weargue that to compete in the cluttered travel environment,destination marketers need to borrow from the consumer-goods playbook and develop a destination brand.

e use of slogans to market destinations to travel-ers is hardly new. New York launched the phenomenally successful I Love New York campaign in 1977, the sameyear that Its Better in the Bahamas appeared. However,sustainable destination marketing requires more than just acatchy slogan. It demands a strategic approach to buildinga destination brand. A strategic brand is one that aligns key


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stakeholdersgovernment tourism agencies, non-govern-mental organizations, private sector tourism suppliers, themedia, and travel consumers. e brand must communicatethe travel assets of a destination in a way that connects withthe needs and wants of the traveling public. A destinationbrand is essentially the promise of an experience, one that thetraveler desires and that the destination can deliver.

A successful destination branding e ort can drive realresults. A er consecutive years of decline in tourism arriv-als, Indias launch of Incredible India in 2002 yielded a neardoubling of international arrivals from 2.4 million to 4.6million in the four years immediately following its rollout. 1 Similarly, a er years of sluggish growth, South Africalaunched a campaign titled, Its possible, and increased visi-

1 India Overnight International Arrivals (2002-2006). World Travel andTourism Council. 2010; www.wttc.org.

tors from 6.8 million to 9.7 million in the following fouryears. 2 Other destinations have achieved similar successwith their branding campaigns, including Hong Kong, LasVegas, Malaysia, and Singapore.

is report explains how to develop a successful desti-nation brand. We re ned the framework and methods dur-ing a Cornell University project to help rebrand Zambia;several of the examples reference insights from this work.Our team of Cornell students and faculty combined an aca-demic approach to problem identi cation with a consultingprocess for problem solving to create a conceptually robust,data-driven model applicable to almost any destinationbrandor, indeed, any experiential product.

e Point of Departure: Understand Your Brand

In conceptualizing what a brand is, weve found it helpfulto use the following metaphor that translates well acrosscultures: a destination brand is like o ering a gi . is gicomprises the best experiences and products that a destina-tion has to o er guests when they visit. e brand image ishow this gi is packaged and wrapped. While guests can-not experience the gi until they arrive, e ective packagingshould create appeal, provide insight into the contents, andultimately be harmonious with the gi without over orunder promising.

What Is a Brand?Recent theory and research have established that e ectivebrand marketing connects consumers self-identity to theirmotivational desires and, further, to experiential elementsof a product. 3 Marketers can achieve this e ect by creat-ing a clear promise about what the experience will deliver

2 South Africa Overnight International Arrivals (2004-2008). WorldTravel and Tourism Council. 2010; www.wttc.org.3 Robert J. Kwortnik and William T. Ross, e Role of Positive Emo-tions in Experiential Decisions, International Journal of Research in

Marketing , Vol. 24, December 2007, pp. 324-335.

Africa

Western Sahara(Morocco)

Canary Islands(Spain)

Madeira Islands(Portugal)

Cabinda(Angola)

Reunion(France)

Congo

MozambiqueMadagascar

Mauritius

Seychelles

Comoros

Swaziland

Lesotho

Senegal

Gambia

Cape Verde

Guinea-Bissau

Sierra LeoneLiberia

Togo

Sao Tome &Principe

EquatorialGuinea

Algeria Libya

Sudan

KenyaDemocraticRepublic ofCongoGabon

Rwanda

Uganda

Burundi Tanzania

Malawi

Angola

Namibia

Botswana

Zambia

South Africa

Zimbabwe

Ethiopia

Somalia

Eritrea

DJibouti

African Rep.Central

Camaroon

Mauritania

GuineaBurkina

D'IvoreCote

Ghana

Benin

Mali NigerChad

Nigeria

Morocco

Tunisia

Egypt

occ a a a t a t a t at T a ,a ck Zam a a v ct a Fa w t Z m a w .


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ence. e promise provides an encompassing and memo-rable idea and is o en explicitly stated in a slogan. Examplesinclude the following:

Costa Ricas No arti cial ingredients promises anenvironmentally friendly beach-and-nature vacationexperience;

Egypts Where it all begins presents a dual proposition,that the country is the origin of civilization for visi-tors who want to experience antiquity, and also that itprovides modern vacation experiences;

Malaysias Truly Asia promises an authentic Asianexperience; and

South Africas Its possible suggests that travelerscan nd any experience they seek (e.g., safaris, sports,beaches, shopping, wineries).

A brand promise works for destinations o ering a broad

range of activities to di erent segments as well as thosedestinations with a highly focused o ering. e State of NewYork, for instance, o ers the experience of its eponymousworld-class city, but also a remarkably unexpected wilder-ness experience in the Adirondack Mountains, not to men-tion the tourist favorite of Niagara Falls. Taking all this intoaccount, New Yorks slogan I Love New York promises that visitors will love New York, though the reason why may dif-fer for each person. Some visitors love New York for Broad-way performances, while others love it for the citys restau-rants or shopping, and still others enjoy a natural experiencein its state parks, or on Long Islands beaches. Travelers can

interpret this brand by projecting their own desires ontoNew York; across all experiences, the promise remains that visitors will nd something to love about New York.

Develop the Brand Touch PointsBrand touch points are the physical elements by which aguest can experienceor touchthe brand. Ultimately,touch points make the brand elements and brand promisereal for the traveller. For example, the With Love, Philadel-phia XOXO campaign that extends Philadelphias identity as the City of Brotherly Love features such touch pointsas the Liberty Bell Center, images of the citys burgeoningrestaurant scene, and the Rocky Steps at the Philadelphia

Museum of Art. (Many people have run up those steps sinceSylvester Stallone did it.) An inventory of touch points willhelp determine how well a destination can deliver on brandelements and a particular brand promise.

How to Build a Strategic Destination BrandBuilding a compelling destination brand requires creativity,but also the systematic analysis of numerous factors, bothinternal (e.g., destination strengths and weaknesses) and

(what the consumer will take away from the experience) andeliciting self-relevant imagery around that experience. Moreprecisely, creating a strong brand requires the connection of three components of what we call the brand hierarchy: thebrand promise, brand elements, and touch points.

A notable example comes from Las Vegas and the

What happens here, stays here brand campaign introducedin 2003.4 Following the opening of family-friendly hotels inthe 1990s, Las Vegas took a mass-market-brand tack withthe plain vanilla Its anything and everything campaign.is campaign failed to resonate with the citys core

customers and was criticized for not being true to the LasVegas experience. e What happens here brand refocusedLas Vegass adult-oriented entertainment, Sin City image,and the promise of adult freedom through escape, fantasy,and decadent fun (the brand elements). e self-relevanthook involved promoting Las Vegas as the destinationwhere visitors can explore their wild side and let loose

with impunity. Clever, edgy advertisements showed guestsenjoying the citys bright lights, dancing, and gambling (thebrand touch points). For example, one ad showed a sexy woman in the back seat of a limo, breathily enjoying thesmell of the seat leather, and irting with the driver, but thenemerging from the car at the airport conservatively dressedas a businesswoman.

Identify the Brand Elementse foundation of a brand is tourist motivations. ese are

the whys for buys that most in uence traveler choice. 5 Inthe strategic destination-brand framework, these motiva-tions are translated into core brand elementsthe sup-

porting sub-themes that provide meaning and connect thetourist motivations to the travel product. Brand elementsshould represent the top motivational factors that speak towhy a guest selects a destination, what they seek from theexperience, and what a destination promises to deliver. Aswe discuss later, solid and compelling brand elements arederived from consumer research, and not just based on thetravel marketers impression of what makes a destinationdistinctive.

Build a Brand PromiseAt the highest level, a brand promise is a distillation of the brand elements that conveys the experience a travelerdesires and a destination promises to deliver. is shouldprime a positive reaction and be formulated as a succinctand compelling promise about what the guest will experi-

4 Interestingly, the Las Vegas brand slogan is o en misstated as Whathappens in Vegas, stays in Vegas, which illustrates the power of the actualslogan to connect with meanings people associate with Las Vegas.5 Sidney J. Levy, Symbols for Sale,Harvard Business Review, Vol. 74, No.4 (1959), pp. 117124.


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external (e.g., traveler types and motivations). To guide theendeavor, we created a comprehensive and transferable pro-cess framework for strategic-brand development (see Exhibit1), which we applied in our e orts to rebrand Zambia. eframework is particularly useful in setting a course for therebranding process and ensuring that critical factors areconsidered.

Step 1:Identify Customers and Motivational FactorsBranding e orts need to apply a customer-centric listeningapproach or risk missing the mark. Listening to the voice of the customer through surveys, focus groups, online forums,and feedback is the foundation of brand development andneeds to be built into early stages of an audit of currentbranding as well as later testing of potential new brandconcepts. For years Zambia has used the slogan e RealAfrica. e intent of the brand was to convey authentic-ity in an African experience; however, when we surveyed

potential tourists, more than half said this message raisednegative imagery including con ict, disease, poverty, and anarrogant attitude towards other African countries who were,by implication, faking it and not delivering a real Africanexperience.

e brand-marketing message is a vital strategic tool tohelp proactively shape the future of a tourism destination by encouraging target customers to self-select into the experi-ence. As such, the rst step for developing that message is to

Exhibit 1

p c am w k t at c a m t

identify the target market, and this requires strategic thoughtabout desired tourism volume, segment mix, nancial im-pact, and community impact. Studying only current visitors,though a logical place to start, can also be misleading, as thecurrent market may not be the desired market. at said, itis also usually unrealistic to target groups with little history of coming to a destination. us, immediate marketing ef-forts, both in terms of research and destination promotion,should target the most likely visitors from under-penetratedmain source markets, with later e orts targeting the poten-tial markets, assuming that resources are available for suchoutreach. For example, information culled from a variety of secondary sources, including Zambian Ministry of Tourism

ndings and World Tourism Organization reports, showedthat fewer than one million people visited Zambia in 2009.Of those visitors, only one out of four came for leisureand50 percent of these tourists came from just three countries:South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States,with Germany and Australia as smaller potential markets.

Target market identi cation demands more than justassessment of geographic feeder markets. Its also importantto identify key factors of target markets, including demo-graphic (e.g., income and education), psychographic (e.g.,activities and interests), and behavioral (e.g., travel pur-pose and occasion) bases. While this may require primary research to ask questions of current or prospective visi-tors to determine market-segment pro les, useful insightsabout the market are o en available from published reports

Brand Audit i t a a :

h w t a c ac t m a wa t

Brand Development C at a m a t a at t a c c t:

h w t a w c mm cat a


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comments made on online travel discussion forums aboutZambia, we arrived at such travel-motivation factors as con-necting with the culture, experiencing wildlife and nature,pursuing novelty and escape, feeling excitement and otherpositive emotions, and enhancing knowledge about di erentsites and people.

Taking a data-driven approach to identifying and under-standing the travel market helps to ensure that decision mak-ers hear the voice of the customer and dont simply imposepersonal beliefs and assumptions from the most convincingor vocal participant. is can be particularly problematic fordestination marketing, where the preferences of long-timeresidents may di er signi cantly from rst-time visitors whowish to see and do things they have repeatedly seen in thetravel media.

Step 2:Evaluate the Providers Value PropositionA promise is only good if it can be delivered. us, it isimportant to candidly assess how well tourism suppliers canactually provide desired experiences. By evaluating the sup-ply side, this step serves as a ltering process to identify whatmarket segments to focus on and also helps ensure that thebrand messaging is consistent with the actual experience. Forexample, a large market of potential travelers seeks relaxationat a sea, sand, and sun location. Zambia, a land-locked coun-try, would be unable to deliver on the promise to providesuch an experience to these fun-and-sun seekers. Meanwhile,other travelers, such as those seeking adventure along withcultural and natural contact, will be pleased with the assortedsafaris and adventure activities available throughout thecountry.

To evaluate value propositions, it is useful and e cientto tap secondary research from published reports and travelguides, interview travel suppliers and intermediaries, andanalyze reviews from visitors. Online sites such as Trip Advi-sor provide a wealth of candid evaluations about likes anddislikes that can be content analyzed to provide insight into adestinations capabilities in delivering promised experiences.

Step 3:Assess the Competitive Brand PositionTo di erentiate the brand promise, marketers need to iden-tify and evaluate a destinations competitive set and uniqueselling proposition. Points of di erentiation may includespeci c features (e.g., physical landmarks) or even a focuson di erent experiences (e.g., adventure vs. retreat). Writingout the brand hierarchythe brand promise, elements, andtouch pointsfor each competing destination helps provideinsight into positioning. Some similarity in themes in thecompetitive set may indicate that a concept speaks well to theexperience. However, areas where a given destination has anadvantage or is truly di erent should be actively promoted.

In the case of Zambia, a handful of nearby countriesare part of the competitive set, including Botswana, Mo-

produced by government tourism agencies and destinationmarketing organizations of nearby regions. For example,the Cornell research team explored market analyses froma wide range of sources and arrived at a set of characteris-tics that de ne target visitors to sub-Saharan Africa and toZambia speci cally. ese characteristics included relativea uence and higher education, global travel and interest incultural experiences, and leisure tourism that features noveland adventurous activities.

Following identi cation of target markets, the nextstep is to understand the customers underlying motiva-tional factors for their travel purchases, as these motiva-tions should be intimately linked to the destination brand.Developing this understanding requires going beyond themore obvious statements of reasons for travel (e.g., to go ona safari or to meet new people) to assess key motivationalfactors. ese can be derived from multiple sources, includ-ing online user-generated content, interviews, and surveyswith open-ended questions. Questions may include, Whatwas the best vacation you took in recent years? What moti- vated this vacation choice?; and Why would you travel to[this destination]? Although the answers to such questionscan produce a wide range of detailed responses, by group-ing these responses into common, higher-level categories,clues about travel motivation emerge. For instance, usingdata from a survey of target travelers to Zambia, as well as

ZAMbiAs CurrenT brAnd iMAge isZAMbiA: The reAl AFriCA.

This rAised negATive iMAgesFor soMe TrAvelers.


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zambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe.Analysis of their web sites, destination-promotion materials,online reviews by visitors, and evaluations by travel writers,provides the inputs to their competitive brand hierarchiesand how Zambia can stake a di erentiable position. Forexample, Zambia shares Victoria Falls, a UNESCO WorldHeritage site, with the troubled nation of Zimbabwe. efalls o ers not only remarkable vistas, but also a range of

adventure activities (e.g., bungee jumping). Both countriesalso possess huge national parks that permit unspoiledand uncrowded game viewing. However, Zambia, unlikeZimbabwe, is politically and nancially stable, and Zambiais known for friendly people and little crimeattributesthat facilitate a close interaction between visitors and thelocal culture. ese points of competitive di erentiation, if aligned with traveler motivations, can become symbols for acustomer-based brand strategy.

Step 4:Determine Core Brand ElementsBrand elements are the fundamental themes that re ecttraveler motivations for visiting a place. In the case of Zambia, our customer-listening research revealed doz-ens of reasons why people travel to Africa. An analysishighlighted a few main experiential themes involving na-

ture, adventure, and culture that captured most travelersmotivations for visitingtheir whys for buys. esethemes can be translated into brand elements, assuming

the destination is well positioned to deliver an experiencethat meets the identi ed travel motives. Linking motivationsto brand elements in this manner is important for brandmarketing for two primary reasons. First, brand elementsform the main story lines for messages and imagery. A PRcampaign for Zambia might, for example, focus on the na-ture and adventure themes that research shows will resonatewith target travelers. Second, clarity in brand elements helpsensure congruence between a brands touch points and itsbrand promise. For instance, a promise that Zambia willprovide visitors with an extraordinary escape though natureand adventure focuses imagery selection on such touchpoints as encountering wildlife during a walking safari orthe thrills of ra ing the Zambezi River at Victoria Fallsex-periences that o er the means toward the desired ends of thebrand promise.

Brand elements derived from traveler motivations needto be communicated at the right level: encompassing enoughto cover a range of related reasons for travel to a destination

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yet not so broad as to lose meaning. Individual motivationsfor travel are remarkably diverse and nuanced. History bu s,nature enthusiasts, and families each have di ering motivational needs, yet the brand element of learning throughtravel may resonate with all groups. Similarly, motivationaldesires to experience something new, create memories withfriends and family, explore, relax, and so on all have a spec-trum of sub-motivations but are clear enough to form brandelements.

Step 5:Create the Brand PromiseSelecting a compelling and executable brand promiserequires consideration of ndings from earlier stages, a

ltering process, and alignment of stakeholders. For example,

the Cornell University team started the Zambia branddevelopment with a grounded analysis of customer research(markets and motivations), destination asset analysis andcomparison with the competitive set, and a mapping of thesedemandsupply areas to derive potential brand elements.

With this base, the team brainstormed brand promisesand slogans, yielding more than 40 potential concepts (seeExhibit 2). Applying a series of lters that involved focusgroup responses, supplier feedback, and team analysis

brought this down to the following ve viable concepts:(1) Zamazing Zambia: intended to re ect that propositionZambia o ers amazing and extraordinary travel experiencesthrough nature, adventure, and culture; (2) Dream Africa.Zambia: intended to re ect that Zambia o ers the experi-ences that travelers envision when they imagine Africa; (3)

Live, Learn, Love Zambia: intended to re ect that Zambiacan enrich travelers personal perspectives through experi-ence, exploration, and emotion; (4) Zambia: Where AfricaComes Together: intended to re ect that Zambias locationo ers a geographic hub for visiting nearby countries andalso that Zambia brings together the experiences that travel-ers seek from Africa; and (5) Zambia: Paint Your Africa:intended to re ect that visitors to Zambia can create their

own experience in a vibrant, unspoiled context.ese ve concepts were presented along with their

supporting research to the key public- and private-sectorstakeholders. Using a feedback exercise, the sponsors cri-tiqued the concepts. e team applied this information toanother round of brand-concept re nement and discussion.A further ranking exercise with brand sponsors brought thenumber of concepts to three: Zamazing Zambia, DreamAfrica. Zambia, and Live, Learn, Love Zambia. ese

Exhibit 2

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Initial List of 40+ Prioritized List of 10 Mockup of 5 Selection of 1

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brand concepts and mock-up logos (see Exhibit 3) were thenroad-tested using presentations with key suppliers to ensurealignment of vision and buy-in between the public tourismorganizations (brand promotion) and private tourism rms(brand execution). Involving stakeholders in the branddevelopment process in this manner helps to achieve buy-in

for the strategic brand vision. A brand that lacks commit-ment internally is doomed before launch externally.

Finally, the team returned brand development to itssourcethe customer. is involved an online survey of more than 500 past and future visitors to Zambia to solicittheir impressions of the candidate brands. Using a vari-ety of perceptual, attitudinal, and preference measures, aswell as comment data, this analysis converged on a rank order for the brand concepts, with Dream Africa. Zambiaranked rst, Live, Learn, Love Zambia ranked second, and

Zamazing Zambia ranked third. An important nding thatemerged from the comment data was that none of the brand

concepts evoked negative perceptions or imagery of Zambia,unlike the current e Real Africa brand. Additionally,one theme associated with the Zamazing Zambia conceptwas a concern about its seeming too slick, and even silly.However, a second study using a di erent sample populationshowed that Zamazing Zambia was more than three timesbetter recalled than the other brand concepts.

Step 6:Symbolize Brand Touch PointsBrand touch points are the physical manifestation of how adestination delivers a certain experience. ose touch pointsthat best symbolize the brand elements and promise shouldbe incorporated into messaging and imagery. Touch points

can become instantly recognizable and attached with con-siderable meaning. e Ei el Tower, Route 66, the Matter-horn, and the Pyramids are just a few noteworthy examplesof touch points that universally conjure a strong sense of place and have been heavily symbolized in pictures, replicas,and art. ese touch points become must-see activities andplaces for visitors.

For Zambia, we identi ed such touch points as Victo-ria Falls, where visitors hear the thundering water and getdrenched by rising mist; safaris, with lions and leopards onthe prowl; and village tours, which are led by tribal membersand provide visitors with grounded insight into the life of

community members. Salient touch points such as these notonly thrill visitors, but can also help convey the experienceto those who havent been to the destination when incorpo-rated in marketing imagery, writing, and brand symbolismthereby bringing the brand to life. Presenting these brandtouch points as part of a conceptual brand hierarchy helpsdestination-marketing stakeholders to visualize the brandand how it can be messaged to target markets (see Exhibit 4,on the next page).

Exhibit 3

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Resistance to change and to taking bold steps can be ex-pected, especially in those contexts where consensus-baseddecision making and conservative strategy is the norm. Inthe case of Zambia, where a primary goal was to put Zambiaon the map as a tourism destination and to triple visitationnumbers in just three years, analysis of the market situationand the brand-study data argued for an aggressive, creativeapproach. erefore, the Cornell team recommended the

Zamazing Zambia brand concept for immediate implemen-tation because it is memorable, novel, and potentially viralas a catchphrase for travelers and travel writers. As a secondoption or one for future brand consideration, the Cornellteam recommended a brand that combined the two remain-ing concepts: Dream AfricaLive Zambia. is brandconcept was viewed as more sophisticated, though lesslikely to cut through competitive clutter. As of this writing,government tourism leaders have not yet selected a brand,despite the call by private-sector tourism organizations andsuppliers to adopt or adapt one of the Cornell-developedbrands. Consequently, a year a er the rebranding initiativecommenced, Zambia: the Real Africa remains the destina-tion brand for the countryand Zambia remains a hidden

jewel of the African continent. n

Epiloguee process framework for strategic-brand development

presented in this report can help destinations build a clearand compelling brandone that resonates with both targetmarkets and internal stakeholders. Destinations need totranslate a deep understanding of how their o ering ad-dresses customer motivations into a compelling promise.Brand elements and brand touch points that e ectively com-municate and package the experience support this promiseand provide images and ideas for brand messaging.

Applying the process framework can also help facilitatealignment among stakeholders, by establishing a transpar-ent, data-driven ltering process for selecting the nal brand.Upon recommending a destination brand, the branding ef-fort is largely dependent upon identifying brand championswho will promote the brand and take ownership over it topave the path for a successful launch. With deep knowledgeof the brand and process, a brand champion helps ensurecontinued alignment of stakeholders by addressing ques-tions and advocating a path forward. Building an exceptionalbrand requires both a robust process and committed people.e brand champion is vital to ensuring this commitment.

Nevertheless, launching a new brand or adapting anexisting brand is fraught with riskboth real and perceived.

Exhibit 4

b a a c Zamaz Zam a c c t

b a

p m Zamaz Zam a

A tnat C tb ae m t

b aT c

p t

Victoria Falls National Parks Game reserves Big fve wildli e Stunning vistas

Sa aris Ra ting Air tours Bungee jumping

Guesthouses Markets Cuisine Dances and events Shopping Museums

n t The recommended brand needs to be designed in three parts:1. Encompassing and memorable idea (e.g., Zamazing Zambia) that primes a positive reaction;2. Supporting brand elements that provide meaning and connect to tourist motivation (e.g., nature); and3. Brand touchpoints that make the theme tangible or the traveler (e.g., national parks).

The brand promise should be explicitly stated: brand elements can be written or expressed visually.


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2011 Reports

Vol. 11 No. 1 e Impact of HealthInsurance on Employee Job Anxiety,Withdrawal Behaviors, and Task Performance, by Sean Way, Ph.D., Bill

Carroll, Ph.D., Alex Susskind, Ph.D., andJoe C.Y. Leng

2010 Reports

Vol. 10 No. 18 How Travelers UseOnline and Social Media Channels toMake Hotel-choice Decisions, by LauraMcCarthy, Debra Stock, and Rohit Verma,Ph.D.

Vol. 10 No. 17 Public or Private? eHospitality Investment Decision, by Qingzhong Ma, Ph.D. and Athena WeiZhang, Ph.D.

Vol. 10 No. 16 Best Practices in SearchEngine Marketing and Optimization:

e Case of the St. James Hotel, by GregBodenlos, Victor Bogert, Dan Gordon,Carter Hearne, and Chris K. Anderson,Ph.D.

Vol. 10 No. 15 e Impact of Prix FixeMenu Price Formats on Guests DealPerception, by Shuo Wang and MichaelLynn, Ph.D.

Vol. 10 No. 14 e Future of HotelRevenue Management, by Sheryl Kimes,Ph.D.

Vol. 10 No. 13 Making the Most of Pricelines Name-Your-Own-PriceChannel, by Chris Anderson, Ph.D., andShijie Radium Yan

Vol. 10, No. 12 Cases in InnovativePractices in Hospitality and RelatedServices, Set 4, by Cathy A. Enz, Ph.D.,Rohit Verma, Ph.D., Kate Walsh, Ph.D.Sheryl E. Kimes, Ph.D., and Judy A.Siguaw, D.B.A

Vol. 10, No. 11 Whos Next? An Analysisof Lodging Industry Acquisitions, by Qingzhong Ma, Ph.D., and Peng Liu, Ph.D.

Vol. 10, No. 10 Cases in InnovativePractices in Hospitality and RelatedServices, Set 3: Cayuga SustainableHospitality, Chic & Basic, JetBlue AirlinesJumeirah Essex House, e Ritz-CarltonHotel Company, Runtriz, e SeaportHotel, ayer Lodging, TripTelevision, andXsense Experiential Design Consulting, by Cathy A. Enz, Ph.D., Rohit Verma, Ph.D.,Kate Walsh, Ph.D. Sheryl E. Kimes, Ph.D.,and Judy A. Siguaw, D.B.A.

Vol. 10, No. 9 Building Customer Loyalty:Ten Principles for Designing an E ectiveCustomer Reward Program, by MichaelMcCall, Ph.D., Clay Voorhees, Ph.D., andRoger Calantone, Ph.D.

Vol. 10, No. 8 Developing Measures forEnvironmental Sustainability in Hotels:An Exploratory Study, by Jie J. Zhang,Nitin Joglekar, Ph.D., and Rohit Verma,Ph.D.

Vol. 10, No. 7 Successful Tactics forSurviving an Economic Downturn:Results of an International Study, by Sheryl E. Kimes, Ph.D.

Vol. 10, No. 6 Integrating Self-serviceKiosks in a Customer-service System,byTsz-Wai (Iris) Lui, Ph.D., and GabrielePiccoli, Ph.D.

Vol. 10, No. 5 Strategic Pricing inEuropean Hotels, 20062009, by Cathy A. Enz, Ph.D., Linda Canina, Ph.D., andMark Lomanno

Vol. 10, No. 4 Cases in InnovativePractices in Hospitality and RelatedServices, Set 2: Brewerkz, ComfortDelgroTaxi, DinnerBroker.com, Iggys, JumboSeafood, OpenTable.com, PriceYourMeal.com, Sakae Sushi, Shangri-La Singapore,and Stevens Pass, by Sheryl E. Kimes,

Ph.D., Cathy A. Enz, Ph.D., Judy A.Siguaw, D.B.A., Rohit Verma, Ph.D., andKate Walsh, Ph.D.

Vol. 10, No. 3 Customer Preferencesfor Restaurant Brands, Cuisine, andFood Court Con gurations in ShoppingCenters, by Wayne J. Taylor and RohitVerma, Ph.D.

Vol. 10, No. 2 How Hotel Guests Perceivethe Fairness of Di erential Room Pricing,by Wayne J. Taylor and Sheryl E. Kimes,Ph.D.

Vol. 10, No. 1 Compendium 2010

2010 Roundtable RetrospectivesVol. 2, No. 1 Sustainability Roundtable2009: e Hotel Industry Seeks the ElusiveGreen Bullet.

2010 Industry PerspectivesNo. 6 e Future of Meetings: e Case forFace to Face, by Christine Du y and Mary Beth McEuen

No. 5 Making Customer Satisfaction Pay: Connecting Survey Data to FinancialOutcomes in the Hotel Industry by Gina Pingitore, Ph.D., Dan Seldin,Ph.D., and Arianne Walker, Ph.D.

No. 4 Hospitality Business ModelsConfront the Future of Meetings, by Howard Lock and James Macaulay

Cornell Center or Hospitality Research

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2009 ReportsVol. 9, No. 18 Hospitality Managers andCommunication Technologies: Challengesand Solutions, by Judi Brownell, Ph.D.,and Amy Newman

Vol. 9, No. 17 Cases in InnovativePractices in Hospitality and RelatedServices, Set 1: Aqua by Grandstand,Brand Karma, Capella Hotels & Resorts,EnTrip, Hotels.com Visualiser, LuggageClub, Royal Plaza on Scotts, Tastings,Tune Hotels, and VisitBritain.com, by Judy A. Siguaw, D.B.A., Cathy A. Enz, Ph.D.,Sheryl E. Kimes, Ph.D., Rohit Verma,Ph.D., and Kate Walsh, Ph.D

Vol 9 No 16 e Billboard E ect:Online Travel Agent Impact on Non-OTA Reservation Volume, by Chris K.

Anderson, Ph.D.

Vol 9 No 15 Operational Hedging andExchange Rate Risk: A Cross-sectionalExamination of Canadas Hotel Industry,by Charles Chang, Ph.D., and Liya Ma

Vol 9 No 14 Product Tiers and ADRClusters: Integrating Two Methods forDetermining Hotel Competitive Sets, by Jin-Young Kim and Linda Canina, Ph.D.

Vol 9, No. 13 Safety and Security in U.S.Hotels, by Cathy A. Enz, Ph.D

Vol 9, No. 12 Hotel Revenue Managementin an Economic Downturn:Results of an International Study, by Sheryl E. Kimes, Ph.D

Vol 9, No. 11 Wine-list CharacteristicsAssociated with Greater Wine Sales, by Sybil S. Yang and Michael Lynn, Ph.D.

Vol 9, No. 10 Competitive Hotel Pricing inUncertain Times, by Cathy A. Enz, Ph.D.,Linda Canina, Ph.D., and Mark Lomanno

Vol 9, No. 9 Managing a Wine CellarUsing a Spreadsheet, by Gary M.

ompson Ph.D.

Vol 9, No. 8 E ects of Menu-price Formatson Restaurant Checks, by Sybil S. Yang,Sheryl E. Kimes, Ph.D., and Mauro M.

Sessarego

Vol 9, No. 7 Customer Preferences forRestaurant Technology Innovations, by Michael J. Dixon, Sheryl E. Kimes, Ph.D.,and Rohit Verma, Ph.D.

Vol 9, No. 6 Fostering Service Excellencethrough Listening: What Hospitality Managers Need to Know, by Judi Brownell,Ph.D.

Vol 9, No. 5 How Restaurant CustomersView Online Reservations, by Sheryl E.

Kimes, Ph.D.

Vol 9, No. 4 Key Issues of Concern inthe Hospitality Industry: What WorriesManagers, by Cathy A. Enz, Ph.D.

Vol 9, No. 3 Compendium 2009

Vol 9, No. 2 Dont Sit So Close to Me:Restaurant Table Characteristics and GuestSatisfaction, by Stephanie K.A. Robsonand Sheryl E. Kimes, Ph.D.

Vol 9, No. 1 e Job Compatibility Index: A New Approach to De ning theHospitality Labor Market, by William J.Carroll, Ph.D., and Michael C. Sturman,Ph.D.

2009 Roundtable RetrospectivesNo. 3 Restaurants at the Crossroads: AState By State Summary of Key Wage-and-Hour Provisions A ecting the RestaurantIndustry , by Carolyn D. Richmond, J.D.,and David Sherwyn, J.D., and MarthaLomanno, with Darren P.B. Rumack, andJason E. Shapiro

No. 2 Retaliation: Why an Increase inClaims Does Not Mean the Sky Is Falling,by David Sherwyn, J.D., and GreggGilman, J.D.

2009 ToolsTool No. 12 Measuring the DiningExperience: e Case of Vita Nova, by Kesh Prasad and Fred J. DeMicco, Ph.D.

2008 Roundtable ProceedingsNo. 1 Key Elements in Service Innovation:Insights for the Hospitality Industry, by,Rohit Verma, Ph.D., with Chris Anderson,Ph.D., Michael Dixon, Cathy Enz, Ph.D.,Gary ompson, Ph.D., and LianaVictorino, Ph.D.

2008 ReportsVol. 8 No. 20 Service Scripting: ACustomers Perspective of Quality andPerformance, by: Liana Victorino Ph.D.,Rohit Verma Ph.D., and Don Wardell

Vol 8, No. 19 Nontraded REITs:Considerations for Hotel Investors, by John B. Corgel, Ph.D., and Scott Gibson,Ph.D.

Vol 8, No. 18 Forty Hours Doesnt Work for Everyone: Determining EmployeePreferences for Work Hours, by Lindsey A.Zahn and Michael C. Sturman, Ph.D.

Vol 8, No. 17 e Importance of Behavioral Integrity in a MulticulturalWorkplace, by Tony Simons, Ph.D., Ray Friedman, Ph.D., Leigh Anne Liu, Ph.D.,and Judi McLean Parks, Ph.D.

Vol 8, No. 16 Forecasting Covers in HotelFood and Beverage Outlets, by Gary M.

ompson, Ph.D., and Erica D. Killam

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