ARTICLE 4

Customer-based Brand Equity

for a Destination:
The Effect of Destination Image
on Preference for Products
Associated with a Destination
Brand

GROUP 8

NURUL SYADZA BINTI MOHD MAHIR 227204

NOOR HAFIZAH BINTI MUSBAH
227287
MUHAMAD KHAIRUL AZRIL BIN YAHYA 227662

ABSTRACT
To investigated how destination image of customer-based brand equity for a
tourist destination can be transferred to products associated with a
destination brand.
To study the effect of destination image on preference for products
associated with a destination brand (PPADB)
the relationship between tourists destination preference and PPADB were
investigated
Two hundred and ninety six individuals replied to a self-administered
questionnaire distributed to 318 students at a major US university
The results revealed that both cognitive and affective image of a destination
are positively related to PPADB; preference for a destination is also
positively related to PPADB.

INTRODUCTION
Branding techniques have become powerful tools for tourist
destination marketers because a brand can create a positive identity
and image of a destination that ties tourists to it emotionally (Cai,
2002; Gnoth et al., 2007)
Marketers try to achieve positive customer-based brand equity because
consumers who have positive customer-based brand equity react
favourably to the brand and are loyal to it.
Aaker and Keller (1990), consumers can easily transfer their existing
attitude about a parent brand to the extension on condition that the
new brand extension is introduced with similarity or a perception of fit
between the original parent brand and extension product categories.

 Konecnik and Gartner (2007) and Pike (2007) identified dimensions of

customer-based brand equity for a tourist destination.
The dimensions are destination awareness, image, quality and loyalty.
Investigating how customer-based brand equity for a tourist destination
can be transferred to products associated with a destination brand can
provide marketing tactics for destination marketers and stakeholders
(McGehee, 2007).

LITERATURE REVIEW

Brands/branding

Customer-based brand equity

Destination image

Brand extension

HYPOTHESIS
Hypothesis 1: Destination image is related to tourists preferences for
products associated with a destination brand.
Destination image is structured into two components (Baloglu and
McCleary, 1999): cognitive image and affective image; therefore,
Hypothesis 1 has two sub-hypotheses:
Hypothesis 1a: Cognitive image is related to PPADB.
Hypothesis 1b: Affective image is related to PPADB.

Hypothesis 2: Tourists destination preferences are related to tourists

preference for products associated with a destination brand.

METHODOLOGY

PHASE 1: Verification of products associated with a particular

destination
Two questionnaires were developed:
Semi-closed ended questions requesting the university student sample
to match destinations to destination products.
Open-ended questions and asked a separate sample of university
students to write in products they associated with a given destination.
13 destinations were selected for pretest 1.
7 destinations were generally associated with one specific destination
product.

PHASE 2 : Pretest
The pretest was distributed to three undergraduate classes (n = 31)

The 3 destinations were selected because of their geographic proximity to

Virginia South Carolina was added to cross-validate the hypothesis.

Three destinations and three products were included in the final questionnaire.
Two destinations and two products associated with a destination brand were

included to investigate brand extension of customer-based brand equity for a

tourist destination within the destination image dimension.
One destination and one dummy product (not a product associated with the

state) were also selected

PHASE 3 : Final study

The final questionnaire consisted of eight parts.
Parts I, III and VI asked respondents if they had visited Georgia, South
Carolina and Florida
Parts II, IV and VI included items measuring the destination images.
Part VII contained items to evaluate tourist preference for a
destination and products associated with a destination brand.
Part VIII consist of demographic items.

 Cognitive image and affective image of each state were measured

using a 5-point Likert type scale (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly
agree)
A seven-point Likert type scale (1 = very negative, 7 = very positive)
for overall image and a five-point Likert type scale (1 = strongly
disagree, 5 = strongly agree) for the image of the destination were
utilized
Three hundred and eighteen self-administered questionnaires were
distributed to the undergraduate students during or after class at a
major US university

RESULT

 Two hundred ninety-six surveys of the 318 surveys were

completed for a response rate of 93%
The average respondent age was twenty and the majority of
the respondents were Virginia residents (76%).
More than half indicated they had visited Georgia, South
Carolina and Florida.
More than 60% indicated they had eaten Georgia peaches and
Florida oranges, whereas 25% indicated they had eaten South
Carolina beef

 Hypothesis 1 was supported

Destination image is related to tourists preferences for products associated with a destination
brand.

Hypothesis 1a was supported

Cognitive image is related to tourists PPADB. Georgia, south Carolina and Florida cognitive
image is related to preference for peaches, beefs and orranges

Hypothesis 1b was marginally supported

Affective image is related to tourists PPADB
The results presented for hypotheses 1a and 1b, correlations were calculated for the overall
image of each destination and the purchase intention of products associated with the
destination.
The correlation coefficients indicated the relationship was significant for all three states (p <
0.05)

So overall means hypothesis was supported

Hypothesis 2 was supported

Tourists destination preferences are related to tourists PPDAB
The correlation coefficients indicating the relationship between visit intention and
purchase intention.
The intention to visit each state was positively correlated to product purchase
intention at the probability level of 0.05
There was positive correlations .

DISCUSSION
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of destination image on
a product associated with a destination.
The finding that can found it is difficult to see a connection between the
destinations affective image and the products associated with the
destination.
Different image components influence preference for products associated
with a destination brand
According to Van Riel et al.(2001) if a significant congruence in service
delivery processes between the original brand and extended brand exists, the
brand extension could be successful.

Cont..
This study yielded low R-squares on the relationship between the
affective image factor and PPADB, metaphorically, a brand stimulates
tourists mental word pictures (Stern, 2006).
The results show that destination image can have an effect on not only
tourists destination preferences but also tourists preferences for
products associated with a destination brand.
The tourists destination preference is also related to PPADB.
The effect of destination image for a tourist destination can be
transferred to not only a destination itself but also products associated
with a destination brand, known as brand extension.

IMPLICATIONS AND FUTURE RESEARCH

Brand extension research has been pervasive in products and services areas,
whereas the brand extension concept has not been given attention in the tourist
destination context.
Destination marketers should recognize that a destination brand for a tourist
destination can be extended to products associated with a destination.
Co-promoting events for a destination brand and products associated with the
destination brand
As Gnoth (2002) suggested, tourists experience is a key success factor for a
destination brand extension.
Producers/ manufacturers that use destination brands should develop their
brands/places as tourist attractions so that tourists can experience them

Future Research

This study should be replicated within a broader setting.

Destination image carries not only the image of a tourist destination but also a
holistic image of the destination itself.
This study examined the effect of destination image on customer-based brand
equity for a destination.
The relationship between a tourist destination brand and products associated
with a destination brand.
To investigate the factors that influence people to transfer their existing image to
products associated with a destination brand positively or negatively.

CONCLUSION
Destination image of customer-based brand equity for a tourist
destination can be transferred to products associated with a destination
brand.
This research investigated the effect of destination image on preference
for products associated with a destination brand (PPADB) and the
relationship between tourists destination preference.
Image of a destination are positively related to PPADB and preference
for a destination is also positively related to PPADB

THANK YOU