OUR EXPERTISE IN DESTINATION MARKETING FOR TOURIST BOARDS
WHAT IS DESTINATION MARKETING AND BRANDING?
WHY PROMOTE A DESTINATION THROUGH A BRAND? WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS AND ADVANTAGES?
Around the world, transport, travel and the flow of people, goods and capital has never been more important than over the last decade. And this will continue, and will become even more important in the future, at the dawn of a new era. To attract these flows of visitors and capital, national and regional destinations and tourist boards need to push themselves to the fore amidst a highly competitive market to promote their unique characteristics. The aim: to attract the maximum amount of these flows and visitors. And it is from this need that the concept of “regional” marketing was born, more commonly known as destination marketing, or “Place Branding”. It is a process by which a brand encapsulates all these attributes, a place’s DNA, its unique characteristics, in order to promote it. A strong brand is one of the main pillars of a destination’s competitiveness.
WHAT IS A DESTINATION BRAND?
- A destination brand isn’t a transient marketing concept. It has not been conjured from the imagination. On the contrary, it is based on reality, the essence of a place, its DNA. It is targeted, recognisable, consistent and attractive.
- Its aim is to stir desire, to make people want to come and discover a country, a region, a destination and to demonstrate what makes it different from everywhere else.
- It encompasses a strategy of differentiation that allows consistent communication about the various experiences offered: what sets it apart and why it deserves to be visited.
Our expert marketing team helps national and regional tourist boards develop their brand image.
WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS AND ISSUES AT STAKE?
- Economic issues: attracting visitors, international businesses, ideas and capital, etc. to develop the local economy.
- Social and cultural issues: improving residents’ quality of life, their belonging to a community, and fostering cultural exchange.
- Structural issues: upgrading professional skills, organising and bringing together various public and private stakeholders.
DESTINATION MARKETING IN THE DIGITAL ERA
Digital is omnipresent and will be even more inescapable in the future. It has empowered consumers and travellers by giving them access to information live, online and instantly. This information must be sorted, selected and verified from many different sources. The role of a tourist board is to use all the means and channels of communication possible to strengthen its brand image whilst being an accurate and objective source of information. So, they need to:
- Create digital content and ensure significant visibility on the web in order to consistently convey the messages and values of its brand.
- Control the content published by third parties to ensure the correct positioning and perception of the destination.
- Demonstrate that the experience at the destination matches the brand’s promise by encouraging the sharing of positive experiences on social networks, blogs, etc., and thus galvanising its “web community”.
- Create promotional campaigns consistent with its values and promises.
OUTSOURCE IMPLEMENTATION OF YOUR BRAND IMAGE BY USING SOURCE MARKET EXPERTS
- We find the right tone to communicate and interact with the target audience. Foreign language barriers, cultural, historical and social differences, interests and attractions may differ depending on the target markets and the messages must be adapted to incite the sought-after desire and emotion.
- We identify and target the right players in order to convey the messages to the right targets: the extensive experience of each member of our team and in complementary areas of expertise allows us to quickly activate the right networks and levers.
- We offer a unique solution that enables us to activate integrated marketing campaigns (IMC) aimed at targeting all segments: tourism professionals, journalists – influencers and media, as well as consumers and end travellers.
- Creativity and expertise dedicated to your needs: our team of experts in the French source market designs creative marketing and communication campaigns alongside you.
- A strong physical and digital presence to maintain the link with opinion leaders, remind them of your presence and your attributes and encourage them to highlight your unique characteristics.