The impact of marketing on internal stakeholders in destination branding: The case of a musical city

Abstract

The city and destination branding literatures stress the importance of brand image, with an emphasis on achieving differential and competitive positioning. However, an important part of building a successful branding strategy for a city or region is examining the needs of internal stakeholders. This research examines the impact that the marketing of a city or region’s brand has on internal stakeholders, specifically its residents. It seeks to address how selected elements of the marketing mix impact destination branding and how such marketing activity leads to residents eventually becoming committed to the destination’s branding efforts. Once committed and loyal to the brand, it proposes that residents may feel such a strong connection to the branding efforts of the destination, that the brand becomes aligned with their self-concept, and that they begin to serve as “evangelists” for the brand, actively promoting the destination via word of mouth. As a result, a civic consciousness is created that helps to strengthen the destination’s brand management system, especially as it is introduced to external constituents, such as potential tourists.