Regional destination marketing and websites as marketing tool : Study case: Nature Park Lahn-Dill Bergland, Germany
Bopper, Katrin (2011)
Bopper, Katrin
HAAGA-HELIA ammattikorkeakoulu
2011
All rights reserved
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-201105106990
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-201105106990
Tiivistelmä
This thesis gives a deeper understanding of destination marketing and branding in a wider sense. More specifically, the main focus is put on the brand communication through websites of regional destination marketing organizations in Germany.
The work demonstrates the complexity of the destination branding process and that this is something very difficult to influence and to lead. The significance of promoting and communicating a destination brand shows that destination marketing is as much a strategic as it is a tactical process. Especially, destination branding is closely linked to strategic processes as it is also linked to the destination image. Designing and acceptance of a brand requires a close involvement of all destination stakeholders. Nowadays, this process is strongly influenced by technology development such as Internet. Websites provide cheap and effective marketing tool for destinations, as well as the chance to develop and customize destination portals.
The project-based thesis shows the principles and potential of destination websites as marketing tool. Thus, the project outcome of this thesis is a suggestion of a renewed website in terms of content structure and design. The designing process of the website included several internal meetings with a decision maker from the contracting marketing organization during a period of four months. Results of the project indicate that destination marketing organizations find the development and maintenance of an attractive destination portal difficult and costly since there is often a lack of budgets, know-how, time, and personnel resources for such marketing activities.
The work demonstrates the complexity of the destination branding process and that this is something very difficult to influence and to lead. The significance of promoting and communicating a destination brand shows that destination marketing is as much a strategic as it is a tactical process. Especially, destination branding is closely linked to strategic processes as it is also linked to the destination image. Designing and acceptance of a brand requires a close involvement of all destination stakeholders. Nowadays, this process is strongly influenced by technology development such as Internet. Websites provide cheap and effective marketing tool for destinations, as well as the chance to develop and customize destination portals.
The project-based thesis shows the principles and potential of destination websites as marketing tool. Thus, the project outcome of this thesis is a suggestion of a renewed website in terms of content structure and design. The designing process of the website included several internal meetings with a decision maker from the contracting marketing organization during a period of four months. Results of the project indicate that destination marketing organizations find the development and maintenance of an attractive destination portal difficult and costly since there is often a lack of budgets, know-how, time, and personnel resources for such marketing activities.