Destination brand positioning slogans - towards the development of a set of accountability criteria

A significant gap in the tourism and travel literature exists in the area of tourism destination branding. While interest in applications of brand theory to practise in tourism is increasing, there is a paucity of published research in the literature to guide destination marketing organisations (DMOs). In particular there have been few reported analyses of destination brand positioning slogans, which represent the interface between brand identity and brand image. Brand positioning is an inherently complex process, exacerbated for DMOs by the politics of decision making. DMOs must somehow capture the essence of a multi-attributed destination community in a succinct and focused positioning slogan, in a way that is both meaningful to the target audience and effectively differentiates the destination from the myriad of competitors offering the same features. Based on a review of the brand positioning literature and an examination of destination slogans used in the USA, Australia and New Zealand, the paper proposes a set of slogan criteria by which a DMO’s marketing manager, political appointees and advertising agency could be held accountable to stakeholders

Destination Branding - Tracking Brand Equity for a Competitive Set of Near-Home Destinations

In the emerging literature related to destination branding, little has been reported about performance metrics. The focus of most research reported to date has been concerned with the development of destination brand identities and the implementation of campaigns (see for example, Crockett & Wood 1999, Hall 1999, May 2001, Morgan et al 2002). One area requiring increased attention is that of tracking the performance of destination brands over time. This is an important gap in the tourism literature, given: i) the increasing level of investment by destination marketing organisations (DMO) in branding since the 1990s, ii) the complex political nature of DMO brand decision-making and increasing accountability to stakeholders (see Pike, 2005), and iii) the long-term nature of repositioning a destination’s image in the market place (see Gartner & Hunt, 1987). Indeed, a number of researchers in various parts of the world have pointed to a lack of market research monitoring destination marketing objectives, such as in Australia (see Prosser et. al 2000, Carson, Beattie and Gove 2003), North America (Sheehan & Ritchie 1997, Masberg 1999), and Europe (Dolnicar & Schoesser 2003)..

Additive relative invariants and the components of a linear free divisor

A 'prehomogeneous vector space' is a rational representation $\rho:G\to\mathrm{GL}(V)$ of a connected complex linear algebraic group $G$ that has a Zariski open orbit $\Omega\subset V$. Mikio Sato showed that the hypersurface components of $D:=V\setminus \Omega$ are related to the rational characters $H\to\mathrm{GL}(\mathbb{C})$ of $H$, an algebraic abelian quotient of $G$. Mimicking this work, we investigate the 'additive functions' of $H$, the homomorphisms $\Phi:H\to (\mathbb{C},+)$. Each such $\Phi$ is related to an 'additive relative invariant', a rational function $h$ on $V$ such that $h\circ \rho(g)-h=\Phi(g)$ on $\Omega$ for all $g\in G$. Such an $h$ is homogeneous of degree $0$, and helps describe the behavior of certain subsets of $D$ under the $G$--action. For those prehomogeneous vector spaces with $D$ a type of hypersurface called a linear free divisor, we prove there are no nontrivial additive functions of $H$, and hence $H$ is an algebraic torus. From this we gain insight into the structure of such representations and prove that the number of irreducible components of $D$ equals the dimension of the abelianization of $G$. For some special cases ($G$ abelian, reductive, or solvable, or $D$ irreducible) we simplify proofs of existing results. We also examine the homotopy groups of $V\setminus D$.Comment: 27 pages. From v1, strengthen results in section 3, improve prose, and update contact informatio

The social responsibility of the Olympic Games: Olympic women.

This paper will review the history of women’s involvement in the Olympic Games, how gender is socially (re)constructed through these events, current issues facing women who compete at the Olympic/Paralympic level, and what social responsibility the Olympic movement might assume to improve the experiences of Olympic women in the futurePeer reviewe

Tourism Destination Branding Complexity

Prior to completing a tourism marketing PhD the author spent almost two decades working in the tourism industry, mostly in destination marketing organisations (DMOs). In this paper he laments a significant gap in the literature in the area of tourism destination branding, a field that has only attracted academic attention since the late 1990s. While interest in applications of brand theory to practise in tourism is increasing, there is a paucity of published research with which to guide DMOs. There has been relatively little discussion on the complexity involved in capturing the essence of a multi-attributed destination with a succinct and focused brand position, in a way that is both meaningful to the multiplicity of target audiences of interest to stakeholders and effectively differentiates the destination from competitors. The paper summarises six issues that make the application of branding theory to destinations a complex undertaking

Mise en Seine

In Paris there is no experience more enchanting than wandering along the Seine on an Autumn afternoon, stopping every now and then to rifle through the stands of a bookiniste, only to discover a treasure: a 17th century map, a book of poems by Jacques Prévert, France’s most pleasing poet of the mid-20th century. While travellers might be intoxicated with the music of Parisian streets or awed by the ornate architecture, the city can appear cold and frustrate with its inaccessible beauty and the seeming remoteness of its people. The best way into French culture is through its literature. Enjoy a potent moment alone in a crammed café sipping a chocolat and dip into one of the delights of French literary history. ISSN: 1446-697

Motivation to Prevent Chronic Disease or Complications

Motivational interviewing has been used with relatively positive success in behavioral interventions as a way to stimulate change in patient\u27s habits and attitudes, yet there is little information available as to how to design and implement a plan of action. This becomes even more difficult for a patient who might be resistant to large changes in their behavior and habits. One approach that has potential promise is the use of a SMART goal intervention in conjunction with motivational interviewing to change unhealthy habits while assessing the progression and degree of commitment to those goals.https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/fmclerk/1544/thumbnail.jp

Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Copyright Challenge Case

On February 19, 2002, the United States Supreme Court (www.supremecourtus.gov) gave an unexpected Valentine’s surprise to the copyright and publishing communities by agreeing to hear a challenge to the 1998 Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act (CTEA). The Act (available online at thomas.loc.gov) extended the terms of existing copyrights by 20 years and added the same 20 year extension to the term of all future copyrights. As a result of the Act, copyrighted material will not go into the public domain for at least 70 years and often well over 100 years. The outcome of this case is likely to have a significant impact on access to and control of content on the Internet. There are many advocates both for and against the CTEA, with availability being the central focus of concern. However, there is greater reason to be concerned about the loss of pieces of our cultural history. Thousands of out-of-print books, journals, musical compositions, scripts and other “useful Arts” from the 1920's and 1930's risk being lost to time