Managing the Brand
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marketing principles. They must also command influence in their own sectors, so that they can act as brand advocates, which will be particularly important in the early stages to bring a wider range of stakeholders on board. Obtaining stakeholders’ buy-in to the brand at an early stage is critical. Including key stakeholder representatives in the development of the brand is therefore a fundamental step right at the outset. Size: The steering group should be small enough to be effective, but large enough to be reasonably representative. An ideal size is around 6 to 8 people. This might include 2 to 3 NTO staff, with the rest coming from the travel industry, government and other appropriate organizations and businesses.
4.4 Internal Marketing – NTO Staff Before launching a new brand it is important that all staff fully understand and buy into the new brand. This requires a training programme to be developed and delivered to all staff. The brand toolkit should be the basis for this training. All staff should have access to the brand toolkit (e.g. through an intranet). They should also have a point of contact in case they wish further information on the brand. Usually this would be the brand manager. They should be kept up to date on any changes in the brand, as well as on the NTO’s marketing in general. It is important that all staff are included, not just marketing staff, as this is about inspiring pride, encouraging understanding and promoting usage of the brand. NTO staff should be the first to hear about the brand proposals, as well as about any subsequent changes if the brand is to be refreshed. For NTO staff, hearing news about their destination brand through the media or external stakeholders can be demotivating. It is no way to obtain their buy-in to the brand and to encourage them to act as brand advocates. Informing staff first and treating them as part of the brand promotion team is an important step towards inspiring a sense of pride in the brand throughout the NTO.
4.5 Internal Marketing – Residents It is much more difficult to achieve buy-in to a destination brand from residents and citizens, who may be suspicious of the whole process of marketing and branding, than it is with staff. Nevertheless, it is important to include them. Residents can be enthusiastic exemplars of the brand in the way they treat visitors. Most people are proud of where they live and are likely to communicate this to visitors. And, if they feel that their country, region or city is being appropriately promoted by the tourism authorities, they are more likely to be supportive of the brand. This can be done through a variety of channels, including community consultation, walk-in roadshows, conferences and the local media. However, it is important not just to present the ‘expert’s’ view of the brand. Residents and citizens should have an opportunity to contribute their opinions and influence the development of the brand. Community consultation should therefore be undertaken at a stage when they can still influence the development of brand thinking. This would usually be best at the brand development stage, after an initial brand hypothesis has been developed, following consumer research in the destination’s key target markets. This does not mean that residents’ views are more important than potential visitors’ views. They are not. But an attempt should be made with residents to narrow any gap between that exists residents’ and potential visitors’ perceptions of the destination. This requires an explanation to residents of the importance of consumer perceptions. It is important that residents understand that the visitor always has a choice – whether or not to visit. And the consumer’s decision will be based on his/her perceptions of the destination. ETC Member For extranet use, only. Do not forward this document outside of ETC extranet. Copyright © ETC and UNWTO, 2009 – All rights reserved.