Destination Branding Briefing

Paper

TOUR3003 Tourism Marketing

Johannes Klevstuen
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1.0 Table of Contents

1.0 Table of Contents............................................................................................. 1
2.0 Introduction..................................................................................................... 2
3.0 Findings........................................................................................................... 3
3.1 Key Destination Characteristics (See Appendix 1)......................................3
3.2 Dubrovniks Current Positioning (See Appendix 2 for definition)................3
3.2.1 Analysis of Dubrovniks Current Positioning Efforts................................3
3.3 Image (See Appendix 3 for definitions)......................................................4
3.3.1 Perceived Image..................................................................................... 4
3.3.2 Desired Image........................................................................................ 4
3.6 Branding and Reputation Management........................................................5
3.6.1 Brand Equity........................................................................................... 5
3.6.2 The Current Elements of the Dubrovnik Brand.......................................6
4.0 Conclusion....................................................................................................... 7
5.0 Recommendations........................................................................................... 8
5.1 Strategic Positioning..................................................................................... 8
5.2. Image Formation and Strategic Use of Brand Elements..............................9
References........................................................................................................... 10
Appendix 1........................................................................................................... 12
Appendix 2........................................................................................................... 13
Appendix 3........................................................................................................... 14
Appendix 4........................................................................................................... 15
Appendix 5........................................................................................................... 16
Appendix 6........................................................................................................... 17

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2.0 Introduction
Dubrovnik is a scenic city with beautiful medieval architecture
located on the coast of Croatia. It is a destination famous for its cultural
heritage and is one of Europes main cruise destinations. Dubrovnik is a
relatively new tourism destination due its turbulent history. However, in
the last decade they have experienced exponential growth in relation to
infrastructure and visitors. Dubrovnik currently exhibits characteristics of
both the development and consolidation phase of the Tourist area life
cycle model. (Butler, 1980) The argument for this distinction being that
they are currently experiencing significant growth at the same time as
tourism activity is highly dense and capacities are exceeding which may
present implications when developing and sustaining a destination brand.
This paper will be focused upon analysing the destination brand of
the city of Dubrovnik and looks to identify their current marketing
strategies put forth by Dubrovniks DMO, (the Dubrovnik Tourist Board)
and its successes and shortcomings. Furthermore, the final section will
address potential opportunities and recommendations as to how to tackle
the identified shortcomings.

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3.0 Findings
3.1 Key Destination Characteristics (See Appendix 1)
3.2 Dubrovniks Current Positioning (See Appendix 2 for definition)
3.2.1 Analysis of Dubrovniks Current Positioning Efforts
In order to m effectively assess Dubrovniks current positioning
efforts it is important to make a comparison of their existing target market
and the destination features they offer. The current marketing efforts put
forth by Dubrovnik illustrates a complexity and inconsistency related to its
messages and channels. This is demonstrated by the difficulty of finding
promotional material for Dubrovnik or sufficient travel information
regarding

the

destination.

The

Dubrovnik

Tourist

Board

(DTB)

Dubrovniks Destination Marketing Organisation (DMO) does not in fact

have a positioning statement or any visible form of strategic marketing in
place. Thus, implicating that the DMO has not communicated a message
mentioning the current target market or segmentation strategy of
Dubrovnik.
Dubrovnik was originally positioned as a cherished World Heritage
site in 1997. (Morgan, Pritchard, & Pride, 2004) In line with this
foundation, an analysis of a variety of sources was conducted and a few
main themes emerged, including a focus on cultural heritage, MICE
tourism (meetings, incentives, conferences and events) and the cruise
industry. (Dubrovnik Tourist Board, 2015; Bajs, 2016; The Dubrovnik
Times, 2016; Beban & Ok, 2006) In addition to this, the tourism figures for
2015 showed that the vast majority of tourists visiting Dubrovnik were
aged between 41 and 60. (The Dubrovnik Times, 2016) It should be noted
that Dubrovnik has been nicknamed The Pearl of the Adriatic through
history and by Croatian and European travel sources. However, it has not
actively been adopted by the Dubrovnik Tourist Board.

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3.3 Image (See Appendix 3 for definitions)

3.3.1 Perceived Image
When

reviewing

literature

on

Dubrovniks

organic

image

(perceptions from non-commercial sources) several shared themes

emerged. (The Dubrovnik Times, 2016; Whitby, 2016; Perucic & Puh,
2012) (see Appendix 4) The majority of negative information collected
focused on the repercussions due to the large amount of one-day cruise
ship passengers and the overflow of tourism in the on-season. The
argument is made that the focus on cruise ship tourists neglects other
tourists which may result in an unsustainable destination culture. (Perucic
& Puh, 2012; TripAdvisor, 2016) Research conducted by Kesic & Pavlic
(2011) demonstrated a scarce importance of image as a deciding factor
for tourism in Dubrovnik, which may be deemed unsustainable long-term.
However, it is acknowledged that this is due to poor management of the
Dubrovnik image. Nevertheless, there is a significantly larger number of
positive perceptions of Dubrovnik painting a picture of it as a vibrant,
friendly and beautiful place (see Appedix 4) which demonstrates a
substantial potential for creating a Dubrovnik brand.
3.3.2 Desired Image
Dubrovnik Tourist Board, alongside other commercial sources
demonstrate an inconsistent attempt at creating an image of Dubrovnik in
the consumers mind. In principle, it is consistent with the perceived
image of Dubrovnik, in the sense that it focuses upon the cultural heritage
and the medieval architecture. However, there is a wide range of
promotion channels but they do not display one overarching image of
Dubrovnik. Additionally, allocating these channels from a tourists point of
view is deemed too intricate. The main issue seems to be the lack of a
singular main channel for Dubrovnik to communicate through, with easy
access and consistent content for tourists. This is illustrated in the
research conducted by Kesic & Pavlic (2011) supporting Dubrovniks lack
of destination image management. Additionally, soft factors are critical in
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creating a brand and bringing it to life,(Morgan, Pritchard, & Pride, 2004)
whereas the current strategies are fundamentally focused upon hard
factors. Nonetheless, it is worthy to note that the marketing efforts put
forth by Croatia Tourism in creating a brand for Croatia is well executed
and may be a source of great potential for Dubrovnik.

3.6 Branding and Reputation Management

3.6.1 Brand Equity
3.6.1.1 Image (See 2.3 Image)
3.6.1.2 Brand Awareness
Dubrovnik is seen as a relatively new global tourism destination due
to its turbulent history of war and lack of focused marketing efforts.
However, in recent years its awareness has grown
continuous

record

breaking

years.

(The

Dubrovnik

rapidly with
Times,

2016)

Nonetheless, based on conclusions drawn from various literature it is not

yet seen as a need-to-visit part of the European experience.
3.6.1.3 Quality of Service and other tangible aspects
Overall, the quality of service and friendliness is seen as high,
particularly in comparison to some of its European counterparts. However,
with the exception of the experiences of some non-cruise ship tourists.
3.6.1.4 Value
Results from the research conducted on tourists perceived value in
Dubrovnik by Bajs (2015) illuminate the factors that had a strong
influence on tourists perceived value. These included; destination
experience, emotional experience and quality of tourist services.
Interestingly, the results also demonstrated that the effect of monetary
cost on perceived value is not significant, indicating that Dubrovniks
current tourists value quality over price, which would correlate with the
majority of tourists being 41-60 years old.

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3.6.1.5 Loyalty
When taking into consideration the lack of strong destination
branding and marketing efforts by Dubrovnik, their strong tourism figures
and growing awareness indicate that word-of-mouth has been a significant
factor.

3.6.2 The Current Elements of the Dubrovnik Brand

Dubrovnik have not currently established a city logo, slogan or
colour scheme associated with the destination as part of a destination
branding approach. Furthermore, neither the Dubrovnik Tourist Board or
Croatia Tourism have conveyed any particular personality traits or overall
identity of the destination. Granted, the Dubrovnik Tourist Board does
have a logo and colour scheme, however its implementation does not
seem to transcend across to the marketing of Dubrovnik.

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4.0 Conclusion
The findings in this paper exhibit a significant lack of resources
dedicated to creating a destination brand for the city of Dubrovnik. The
efforts Dubrovnik Tourist Board have put in place are identified as too
inconsistent and demonstrate an acute lack of a singular consistent
channel in which to promote and communicate a potential destination
brand to stakeholders. As there is no record of any vision, mission or clear
objectives to sustain long-term comparative advantage a lack of strategic
direction is evident.
Nevertheless, much due to Dubrovniks extraordinary physical
attributes (hard factors) and word-of-mouth marketing it is a highly
successful destination. However, despite the strong infrastructure its
capacity is being exceeded, resulting in unsustainable tourism. This can
be identified as a threat, thus, is worth noting when developing a brand
strategy.

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5.0 Recommendations
5.1 Strategic Positioning
Three main aspects of Dubrovnik which could be identified as the
foundation of creating a destination brand to achieve comparative
advantage and a point of differentiation as a competitive strategy include:
(1) cultural heritage and medieval architecture, (2) location at the Adriatic
and (3) film tourism, more specifically Game of Thrones. (Whitby, 2016)
Primarily, the Dubrovnik Tourist Board needs to identify a target market
and create a positioning statement.
Based on a review of evidence presented by multiple sources,
Dubrovnik should focus on tourists older than 55 years old with a high
personal income as their main target market. (Bajs, 2016; Bajs, 2015; The
Dubrovnik Times, 2016; BMI Research, 2016) As the key differentiators of
Dubrovnik are culture, architecture and history and visiting Dubrovnik is
rather

expensive

this

aligns

with

the

identified

target

market

strategy,resulting in a market penetration strategy. (Hsu & Powers, 2008)

A positioning statement is a crucial part of the branding process in
order to achieve a favourably distinctive place in the mind of the
consumer. (Tasci, 2011) Furthermore, it is important for the slogan to be
memorable, strong and unique and designed as part of a long-term
strategy. (Pike, 2004) Thus, Dubrovnik needs to create a positioning
statement to attract consumers and ensure that it is conducive towards
the rest of the brand image. (See Appendix 6)

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5.2. Image Formation and Strategic Use of Brand Elements
A critical gap identified is the lack of a consistent channel to
communicate with stakeholders. Thus, investing resources into creating a
well-established

and

easy-to-locate

hub

of

information-sharing

is

required with easy access to social media accounts and other relevant
sources. This would create a way to promote a consistent destination
image of Dubrovnik.
Furthermore, Dubrovnik Tourist Board needs to invest resources into
establishing a city logo and a consistent colour scheme that fits with the
strategy and positioning statement. (See Appendix 5) Another important
part of the brand development is establishing personality traits of
Dubrovnik to make it more relatable and memorable, while ensuring its
consistency with the target market. For instance, traits such as
welcoming and cultured relates more with an older demographic. These
needs to be adopted in marketing material and be evident in the
formation of a vision, mission and targets.

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References
Aaker, D. A. (1996). Building Strong Brands. New York: Free Press.
Bajs, I. P. (2015). Tourist Perceived Vlaue, Relationship to Satisfaction, and
Behavioural INtentions: The Example of the Croatian Tourist
Destination Dubrovnik. Journal of Travel Research, 122-134.
Bajs, I. P. (2016). Defining Target Market Based on Tourists' Perception: The
Example of Tourist Destination Dubrovnik. Journal of Economics,
Business and Management, 4(5), 278-283.
Beban, A., & Ok, H. (2006, May). Contribution of Tourism to the
Sustainable Development of the Local Community: Case Studies of
Alanya and Dubrovnik. Sweden.
BMI Research. (2016). Croatia Tourism Report Q4 2016. London: BMI
Research.
Butler, R. (1980). The concept of a tourist area cycle of evolution:
Implications for management of resources. Canadian Geographer, 512.
Dubrovnik Tourist Board. (2015). Dubrovnik Tourist Board Convention
Bureau. Dubrovnik: Dubrovnik Tourist Board.
Hsu, C., & Powers, T. (2008). Marketing Hospitality (3 ed.). John Wiley &
Sons.
Kesic, T., & Pavlic, I. (2011). Tourism Destination Image Formation - The
Case of Dubrovnik, Croatia. UDK, 7-25.
Morgan, N., Pritchard, A., & Pride, R. (2004). Destination Branding:
Creating the Unique Destination Proposition. Oxford: Elsevier.
Perucic, D., & Puh, B. (2012). Attitudes of Citizen of Dubrovnik Towards the
Impact of Cruise Tourism on Dubrovnik. Tourism and Hospitality
Management, 213-228.

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Pike, S. (2004). Destination Brand Positioning Slogans - Towards the
Development of a set of Accountability Criteria. Acta Turistica, 102124.
Tasci, A. (2011). Destination Branding and Positioning: Destination
Marketing and Management: Theories and Applications. (Y. Wang, &
A. Pizam, Eds.) Wallingford: CABI.
The Dubrovnik Times. (2016, January 26). "Dubrovnik is a complete, selfcontained destination, it reflects the grandeur and magnifisence of a
city state". The Dubrovnik Times.
The Dubrovnik Times. (2016, January 3). 2015 Tourism Figures for
Dubrovnik. The Dubrovnik Times.
TripAdvisor. (2016). Dubrovnik Reviews. Retrieved from Tripadvisor:
https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Tourism-g295371Dubrovnik_Dubrovnik_Neretva_County_Dalmatia-Vacations.html
Whitby, P. (2016, March 2). How the force of film tourism is with
Dubrovnik. Eye For Travel.

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Appendix 1
Hard Factors (Physical

Promise Points:

Tourism Figures:

Close to 2 million

visitors in 2015.
8% increase from

2014
Majority of tourists

features and
attributes):
UNESCO Cultural
Heritage Sites (Old

Town)
Museums and galleries
The city walls, palaces

and castles
Beautiful coastal line
Mild climate
Beautiful surrounding

islands
Excellent cruise and

sailing conditions
Film Tourism (Game of

Thrones & Star Wars)

Largest hotel and

UNESCO Cultural
Heritage
(Old Town, city walls,

palaces and castles)

Excellent location on
the Adriatic with great

are between 41 and

cruise and sailing

60 year-old
The three largest

conditions
Film Tourism (Game of

Thrones & Star Wars)

Largest Hotel and

customers of 2015:
Great Britain, US
and Germany

meeting capacity in
Croatia

meeting capacity in

Croatia
Medieval architecture

(The Dubrovnik Times, 2016; Dubrovnik Tourist Board, 2015; Whitby,

2016)

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Appendix 2
Tasci A. (2011) identifies positioning as a vital step in the destination
branding process and defines positioning as the act of establishing and
maintaining a favourably distinctive place in the minds of target market
segments that sets the destination apart from others. (p.118) Thus, the
notion of positioning presents itself in three critical parts; (1) market
segments and target market, (2) the image and (3) the competitive
advantage, generally referred to as the branding features. The first aspect
of this is a positioning statement. A positioning statement is defined as:
crystallized in short, clear, meaningful and attractive proposition or
slogan directed at the target market. (Tasci, 2011, p. 119)

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Appendix 3
Dubrovniks perceived image relates to the tourists associations
and reviews of Dubrovnik by commercial and non-commercial sources
which greatly influence the decision-making of where to travel, postpurchase behaviour and a tourists satisfaction level.

(Kesic & Pavlic,

2011) The perceived image can be described as the holistic view of the
place and is based on historical, physical, social, cultural, political, legal
and economic characteristics, as well as individuals mental pictures and
impressions (Tasci, 2011; Kesic & Pavlic, 2011)
Marketing efforts put forth by commercial sources (induced image)
is what distinguishes a place and a destination. The essence of these
marketing efforts is to demonstrate a competitive advantage or point of
differentiation, which in turn aims at creating a distinct image of a
destination that is valuable and unique in the mind of the tourist. (Kesic &
Pavlic, 2011)

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Appendix 4
Organic Image

Negative:

Crowded

Expensive
Too focused on cruise ship

tourists
resulting
in
neglecting

Induced Image

certain

Cultural heritage
Cruise
and

sailing

experiences in the Adriatic

Medieval architecture
Game of Thrones tourism

tourist

groups
Positive:
Beautiful landscape
Magnificent architecture
Interesting history
Vibrant
Clean
Friendly and helpful
Traditional and sophisticated

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Appendix 5

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Appendix 6

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