Destination Branding of European Russia: An Empirical Investigation of the Web Projected Imagery

Abstract

Web branding is an important strategic tool for building a
promising travel experience that is uniquely associated with the
destination and that reinforces the emotional connection between
the visitor and the place. With the proliferation of the Internet,
destination marketing organizations' (DMO) websites became a
crucial communication channel for projecting a desirable place
brand image. With an attempt to rehabilitate the brand image of
Russia, this study explores the following: (1) What are dominant
attributes in the brand images of European Russia communicated
via the DMO websites? (2) Which words appear most frequently
on the DMO websites of European districts of Russia? (3) Is there
a discrepancy between the projected brand images and stories it
tells in words on the DMO websites? As these perspectives
contribute to a better understanding of the induced component of
Russia's destination brand image in the online environment,
content analysis of DMO websites from three European Russian
regions is conducted and practical implications are discussed.
The results have important marketing implications.