The brand as an integral part of country and city tourist product (Serbia and Belgrade)

1. Municipality of Kavala – D.AN.E.KInternational Conference Advertising the City – City Branding Examples in EuropeKavala, Greece, 9th & 10th November 2006 The brand as an integral part of country and city tourist product (Serbia and Belgrade) Prof. Jovan Popesku Singidunum University Belgrade, Serbia

2. The relevance of the place branding concept • The battle for customers in the tourism industry will be fought…over the hearts and minds – in essence, branding…will be the key to success (Morgan and Pritchard, 2000) • A place name will function as a brand even if not managed under a branding conceptual framework (Freire, 2006) • There are differences in branding a city, a region and a country (Caldwell and Freire, 2004)

3. The relevance of the place branding concept • Competition in tourism is mainly between clusters and not so much between countries (Bordas, 1994) • Competitiveness has become a central point in tourism policy • The fundamental product in tourism is destination experience – competition centres on the destinations

4. Approaches to branding • Product + approach - The brand - an addition to the product; purpose: to identify and differentiate the product; focus on promotion • Holistic approach - brand – an integral part of the product; brands reside in the minds of consumers; focus on integrating all activities of the company; brand equity – strategic decision making

5. Approaches to place/city branding • City branding is associated primarily with the economically-inspired desire to position cities more positively in the midst of a competitive market of locations and destinations • Branding provides people, things and events with a mark…which makes them appear to be part of a whole. Seen in this way brands are not purely a source of differentiation, but also of identification, recognition, continuity and collectivity (Mommaas, 2002 )

6. Approaches to place/city branding • Destination branding helps to establish the link between destination image and tourist self-image • It is easier to brand destination that has a clear image in tourists’ minds • Destination branding establishes mutual relationship between destination and tourist creating a link between destination image and consumer self-image

7. Image of Serbia? • Simon Anholt - one of the world’s leading specialists in creating brand strategies for countries, cities and regions: “I believe that the most people world wide link Serbia exclusively to war crimes and wars. If you ask them if they would travel to Serbia for holidays, they would say “you must be kidding”. If you ask them if they would buy some Serbian product the answer will be “there are non available”. I can guarantee that these would be typical answers. It is clear that it is a huge challenge for Serbia”.

8. Would you travel to Serbia? • “The image of Serbia was created like the image of any other country, by what it did or didn’t do, by what was done or wasn’t done by the people who live there, and by what was produced or wasn’t produced there. It takes decades and sometimes even centuries to create the image of a country. The image is very powerful and deeply rooted phenomena and it is impossible to change it with very expensive advertisements in the international press. It is a waste of money”.

9. Poll during “Exit” festival, July 2006 • On a sample of 1300 young people from regional countries, Europe and US • The image of Serbia in the European countries and the US is chiefly related to war, poverty and instability, and there is a stereotyping of Serbs as aggressive and war-mongering nation • Visitors from Western Europe and the US often think that the war has never stopped in the region, although there are those who think that Serbia’s image in the world follows a positive trend and is improving.

10. Existing image of Serbia as a tourist destination • The prevailing image of Serbia as a tourist destination on the international market can be evaluated in the range starting with neutral, or mixed, to negative. • This is predominantly the consequence of the long-standing negative publicity regarding Serbia • Serbia didn’t really have the defined and profiled image as a tourist destination during the existence of former Yugoslavia

11. Process of destination image building • Image of Serbia as a tourist destination is mainly organic image – developed through an individual’s everyday assimilation of information • Influence of tourism promotion on image of Serbia as tourist destination is low (Induced image )

12. Branding of Serbia as a tourist destination • Branding is needed to meet the identity-building requirements demanded by the global market place These are essentially: • economic: the need to respond to new and changing market demands and increasing market differentiation – by generating customer loyalty through repeat visits, and raising per capita tourism income levels through targeted quality product development; and • political: the need to disassociate from the recent past and from regional instability, and to emphasise a 'Europeanness',

13. Real chances for Serbian tourism • Global change in tourism • Products with greatest business potential • Profile of new tourists • General growth of the market

14. Strategic advantages of Serbian tourism • Positive attitude of Serbian population towards tourism and guests • The geographical position of Serbia • Great unused potential of underground and surface waters • Untouched vastness of mountains, forests and agrarian regions • Inherited heritage of monuments of different cultures (monasteries) • Present spiritual creativity and propensity to feasts and festivals (Exit, Guča)

15. Strategic disadvantages of Serbian tourism • The international market is still not aware of Serbia as a tourist destination • The lack of generally accepted national vision of tourism in Serbia • Still inadequately articulated and established spatial regulations in the majority of tourist destinations/centres

16. Strategic disadvantages of Serbian tourism • Inadequate awareness and/or understanding of the importance of the system of tourism experiences and value chain • Limited access to Serbia or to some of interesting parts • The lack of internationally qualified hotel and tourist managers and of personnel in new tourist professions

17. Product-group development • Serbia is non-traditional tourist destination: - Special interest tourism (ecotourism, rural tourism, natural and cultural heritage tourism-monasteries, adventurous tourism - mountain biking, diving, etc.) - City tours (Belgrade, Novi Sad, etc.) - Recreational Tourism (lakes, mountains, spas) • Pre- and Post- Commercial Tourism (business people – short or longer stay) • Wintersports

18. Approaches to strategic positioning of Serbia as a tourist destination • According to Tourism Strategy: • Branding of tourism experiences on ‘emotional’ level using notion “Balkans” in tourist positioning • Using Danube as the basis for ‘quick win option’ • Positioning by the interpretation of the set of values which are characteristic only for Serbia – link between people, the products and the experience to the unique places which Serbia has

19. Is it possible to create a tourism image independent of the country image? • In the Nation brand hexagon (Anholt) the nation brand is the sum of people’s perception of a country and its people across six areas of national assets, characteristics and competence • The Nation brand hexagon also comprises of governance, people, culture and heritage, exports and investment and immigration.

20. Is it possible to create a tourism image independent of the country image? • Serbia cannot differentiate tourism for separate branding – the branding of Serbia as a country is of utmost importance from where tourism will also form a branding sub-group • In Serbia’s nation brand hexagon only culture and heritage can be treated as favorable on international level

21. Branding of Belgrade as a tourist destination • Central identity: Belgrade – seductive and exciting, city of good vibrations • Belgrade as a product – the meeting place, enjoyment, culture, includes all senses • Belgrade as a person – popular, creative, free, sensual • Belgrade as a symbol – Danube river, Sava river, Kalemegdan fortress, Avala mountain, Kosutnjak Park, Knez Mihailova street

22. Key advantages for communication • Functional advantages: transport hub, infrastructure, information, diversity of choices • Emotional advantages – vivid, not boring, personal communications, special • Advantages of self-expression: surrounded with the people, educated, attractive, sportsman

23. Brand as an integral part of country and city tourist product • The branding of city tourist product is very complex if there is not clear image of country • Orientation towards new paradigm (the guest as a partner emotionally linked to the values, the experiences and the feelings staged by the City) instead the old paradigm (attract more visitors, more times, for more money…to visit the city)

24. Kavala 2006 THANK YOU! Dr. Jovan Popesku, professor Singidunum University Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management Belgrade, Serbia popesku@singidunum.ac.yu