Destination Brand Personality, Self-Congruity Theory and the Intention to Visit a Destination

Year 2016, Volume: 6 Issue: 1, 1 - 16, 30.06.2016

Edina Ajanovıc , Beykan Çizel

Abstract

Although in branding strategies the concept of brand personality is very popular with the aim of differentiating between similar consumer goods on the market, the characteristics of this concept remain insufficiently explored and in particular, as applied to tourism destinations. Marketers and researchers should also perceive tourists as individuals (not only as segments or groups), each with his/her selfopinion and self-perception which can define and affect his/her future behaviour and actions. Introducing the concept of self-congruity theory and its match with destination brand personality can be useful in predicting tourist behaviour. In this paper the researcher applied different method to examine the perceived brand personality of an unknown destination and its relation to the self-concept and intention to visit that destination. The hypothesis that claims there is a relationship between destination brand personality, self-congruity and the tourists’ intention to visit a certain destination was tested and supported after the analysis of the data obtained during the survey. The study results provide useful implications for destination marketers as to how should they evaluate and test destination branding and marketing efforts.s.

Keywords

Destination Brand Personality, Self-Congruity Theory, Intention to Visit a Destination

Destinasyon Marka Kişiliği, Öz uyum Teorisi ve Destinasyonu Ziyaret Niyeti

Abstract

Pazardaki tüketici ürünlerini farklılaştırmak amacı ile marka kişiliği markalama stratejilerinde oldukça popüler olmasına rağmen, bu kavram özellikleri turizm destinasyonları üzerinde yeterince araştırılmamıştır. Stratejilerin ve aktivitelerin planlaması yapılırken pazarlamacılar ve araştırmacılar çoğu zaman turistleri bir grup veya kesim olarak görmektedirler; fakat turistler kendilerine ait düşünceleri ve algıları olan bireyler olarak da görülmelidir. Çünkü bu öz-algı kavramı onların gelecekteki davranışı belirleyebilir. Bu nedenle öz-uyum teorisinin kavramlarını tanıtmak ve destinasyon kişiliği kavramıyla birleştirerek turist davranışı tahmin etmek mümkündür. Bu çalışmada, araştırmacılar bilinmeyen bir destinasyonun algılanan marka kişiliği, benlik kavramı ve bu destinasyonu ziyaret etme niyeti ile olan ilişkisini incelemek için farklı bir yöntem uygulamışlardır. Araştırmada katılımcılara bilinmeyen bir turist destinasyonun tanıtım videosu izletilmiş ve katılımcıların bu destinasyonu ziyaret etme niyeti ölçülmüştür. Araştırma sürecinde toplanan verilerin analizi ile destinasyon marka kişiliği, öz-uyum ve destinasyonu ziyaret etme niyeti arasında ilişkilere yönelik hipotezler test edilmiştir. Çalışma sonuçları turizm pazarlamacılarına, destinasyon markalama ve pazarlama faaliyetlerinin değerlendirilmesine yönelik faydalar sağlayacaktır.

Keywords

Destinasyon Marka Kişiliği, Öz-Uyum Teorisi, Destinasyonu Ziyaret Etme Niyeti, Görüntülü Tanıtım Araçları

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