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The study explores how a cultural route supports the identity of a place. The study applies co-creative and identity-based place-branding theory and advances research on the significant role of culture when various actors identify with the brand of a place. Moreover, cultural sustainability is seen as a form of meta-narrative that frames the symbiosis of a place brand and its cultural values. Contributing to the previous research on branding a cultural route, this study discusses the value of a person (an architect) to the branding of a cultural route. The study also contributes to place-branding theory by linking the discourse on architectural heritage and branding an emerging cultural route. We used a single and critical case approach focusing on one of the sites representing a group of cities involved in the branding of the Alvar Aalto cultural route. Various qualitative research methods including interviews and publicly available material were utilized. The study presents empirical findings on branding an emergent cultural route. As a key theoretical contribution, the study shows how the culture and image of an individual site are expressed in the cohesive brand identity of that cultural route. Communication and co-creation are revealed to be prerequisites of efficient collaboration.

The purpose of this study is to investigate how a city can be rebranded as a result of co-creation with its residents, using the city of Pori in Finland as a case example. Residents play a critical role in co-creation as they live the city; it is they who make the place. Indeed, the inclusion of residents is often requested in contemporary place-branding literature (e.g. Giovanardi et al. in: Kavaratzis et al. (eds) Inclusive place branding. Critical perspectives on theory and practice, Routledge, London, 2017). Citing the communication coordinator, the case city has had a brand, but the brand has not been documented; it has had a logo but has not had a brand manual. The administrative functions have acted independently, each implementing its own version of a brand, i.e. the brand has been fragmented. Accordingly, the aim of the co-creation process was to reform and reorganize Pori’s brand - not make a city make-over but develop the city and its brand on strategic level. There are recent articles on the co-creation of a place brand from the bottom-up approach (e.g., Casais and Monteiro in Place Brand Public Dipl 15:229–237, 2019; Hudson et al. in J Vacat Mark 23:365–377, 2017), yet practically no studies on engaging residents in a city’s rebranding process. Overall, scientific articles on rebranding are scarce. This study expands knowledge in both areas by carefully investigating and documenting the co-creative rebranding process from initiation to implementation over a 5-year timeline. For this, various qualitative methods were applied, and various sources of data used, e.g., 100 residents interviewed.

Purpose - This paper aims to focus on managing networks within destinations, or destination network management. The purpose is to provide a conceptual definition of the term.Design methodology approach - Destinations are seen as networks, and networks are approached from a strategic perspective. Reviewing and drawing on the literature on destination management, tourism networks, strategic networks and strategic management the paper proposes a concept that could be of use in analyses of network management.Findings - It is suggested that managing is a value-creating activity embedded within a network, and that there are two approaches to network management: strategic management and the coordination of cooperation among the actors involved.Research limitations implications - The paper is conceptual in nature. The authors intend to test the developed hypothesis in empirical case studies in the near future.Originality value - The paper contributes to the literature on destination management in proposing a novel concept of destination network management, and introducing a dynamic, activity-oriented approach as opposed to the actor-focused destination management organization (DMO) view.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to conceptualize and outline the social infrastructure that nurtures and strengthens cooperation in business networks promoting cultural tourism and thereby facilitates entrepreneurial learning. The role of the higher-education (HE) provider is emphasized on different levels of the value-creating framework. Design/methodology/approach – To explore and analyze the benefits of cooperation in business networks promoting cultural tourism as perceived by entrepreneurs, participants in the fields of both culture and tourism in two workshops were observed. From the information produced in the workshops, ethnographically oriented data were selected. Findings – Benefits that inspired cooperation among the members of the tourism business network were identified, which were categorized as functional, relational and symbolic. On the functional level, the actors involved, the entrepreneurs, considered it important to have an opportunity to meet and discuss in a stimulating atmosphere. The role of the HE provider at this stage was that of a facilitator, in other words, to set the scene. On the level of relational cooperation it was more important to foster relations between the network actors, and the provider’s role changed to that of a matchmaker. On the symbolic level, it is essential that all parties of the cooperation work together to find new business solutions based on common values. At this stage, the role of the HE provider is that of a co-creator. Research limitations/implications – As a case study, this research represents the local context of entrepreneurial cooperation in business networks promoting cultural tourism. Further study is needed to develop a framework that encompasses change in the traditional roles of the learning environment. Practical implications – Teaching and training approaches derive from the contexts in which micro and small businesses and their networks learn. HE offers students a safe environment in which to experiment and innovate, thereby linking student academic work to “real-life” project performance. Originality/value – Interaction/network theory is combined with the discussion on entrepreneurial learning.

Purpose The aim of this study is to examine cruise destination branding as a new resource for a region to promote an area as a differentiated cruise destination. The authors specifically study how the perceived brand awareness of a destination moderates the relation between cruisers’ motivation and destination satisfaction and word-of-mouth (WoM). Design/methodology/approach A statistical model was adapted from relevant literature and applied in the context of cruise destination branding. The model was tested by measuring Cronbach’s alpha coefficients and the fit of the model through confirmative factor analysis. Hierarchical regression analysis and moderated regression analysis were also conducted. The sample consisted of British cruisers (n = 182) visiting the city of Pori in Finland. Findings The findings suggest that factors that impel people to take cruises (social recognition, self-esteem, discovery, socialization, convenience and value) have a significant impact on satisfaction with the destination, whereas brand awareness is recognized as a moderator in the relation between social recognition and destination satisfaction and WoM. Research findings provide a framework to discuss and analyze the cruise tourism business in a holistic way. Whereas the earlier studies have focused on onboard experiences, in this study, the focus of attention is on the onshore experiences of the cruisers. Research limitations/implications The study is focused on one Baltic Sea cruise destination, the British Cruise Company and a limited segment of senior British passengers. Practical implications By measuring cruisers’ internal travel motives and their perceptions of the brand awareness of the port-of-call during the cruise, or the destination, the results offer destination marketing organizations valuable information to develop their offerings to meet the needs of future travelers and visitors. Originality/value The study contributes to the cruise destination literature by linking the perceived brand awareness of a destination to motivational factors of the tourist and further to destination satisfaction and WoM behavior specifically in the context of onshore experiences.

Purpose - The paper aims to apply the co-creation paradigm to nation branding in order to analyze how the identity and image of a nation brand are inter-twined in terms of levels and dimensions, respectively.Design approach methodology - This explorative study was conducted among 178 Finnish university students, who were asked to build a program for branding Finland. The students worked in small groups of two or three. In all, 75 reports were handed in, of which those (67) targeted at tourists were taken for analysis. The analysis was conducted in accordance with a model modified from Gnoth.Findings - Its image is a critical stimulus in motivating tourists to visit a destination. A nation brand is at the crossroads of three levels of identity and a fragmented set of images. The idea is to exploit the right fragments in line with the destination and the target groups.Research limitations implications - The empirical analysis was based on data gathered from MBA students. The intention is to extend the sampling to include branding experts, company representatives and delegates of the Finnish Nation Brand Committee in order to build up a more specific picture of a nation's brand identity and image. The examination is restricted to one, rather homogeneous country, Finland. It would be of interest to conduct comparable analyses in other, more heterogeneous countries. Another avenue for future research would be to test the market, in other words to question potential visitors about their perceptions, and thereby to determine whether the nation's brand identity and image coincide.Originality value - This paper contributes to the theoretical discussion on the role of branding in the marketing of places, herein called nations. For practitioners, it highlights the importance of managing the brand \"bottom up\", in other words starting from the people.

The aim of this article is to explore the extent to which a city can increase its brand equity through its Cultural Capital status and the associated promotional activities that go on throughout the year. The European Capital of Culture is one of the most prestigious and high-profile European initiatives, with demanding requirements to match. In 2011, the title was awarded to Tallinn in Estonia and Turku in Finland; this study focuses on the latter. The methodological choices were guided by the aim of enhancing knowledge about brand management and bringing in new perspectives on the existing brand-equity theory. By means of ‘systematic combining’, the city case operates herein as a complementary instrument for theory development. The results show that Cultural Capital status may serve to develop the parent city. Managed well, it can increase awareness, motivate people to experience it and enhance the quality of such experiences. It also gives – through partnerships – the brand promoter opportunities to form a deeper relationship with visitors, thereby fostering loyalty. Focusing on the role of Cultural Capital status in branding a city, this article contributes to the academic literature on place branding. For practitioners, it highlights the importance of brand equity and the need to maintain a long-term focus within brand management.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the country image of Finland among potential travellers and potential consumers of Finnish products. Three research questions are addressed, each of which contributes to the overall aim: What is the level of awareness about Finland among the respondents? How is the awareness constructed in terms of dimensions? Where does the image stem from (the source)? Design/methodology/approach – A survey was conducted among US, French and Swiss university students. Given the high number of respondents who had not visited Finland, the analysis focused on non-visitors. Six hypotheses were formulated based on existing theory. Findings – Awareness is a key indicator of people's knowledge about the existence of a country. Branding may be an elementary tool in enhancing awareness as well as altering or reinforcing stereotypical views. The results of this study bring out the cross-cultural aspects. Research limitations/implications – Including the respondents’ sources of information enhances the results of previous studies on country image. The findings contribute to the theoretical discussion on the source of the image and the factors that affect it. Practical implications – Knowledge of the information sources and their role in image building will help destination marketers to influence potential travellers, including non-visitors, and thereby increase the likelihood of a first or repeat visit. Originality/value – To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to focus on awareness of a country among non-visitors.

This article focuses on the need for a distinct brand identity and for multi-location harmonisation in the copycat environment in which Master’s degree programmes operate. Seemingly inherent in this is a dichotomy, the tension between building a distinct reputation for a brand identity on the one hand, and seeking harmonisation on the other. In other words, this study explores the construction of a brand identity in the context of higher education in order to find out which particular characteristics of the university’s identity could be used to create and sustain a differential advantage in the global marketplace and how this is affected by location choices. De Chernatony’s (1999) conceptualisation of brand identity is used as a basis, and his model is discussed in relation to the branding of a Finnish Master’s degree programme. The qualitative empirical data were gathered in semi-structured interviews conducted with stakeholders in the multidisciplinary programme, and through the observations of one of the authors as its leader. The results reveal that the development of the brand identity began several years before the programme planning started. It is also evident that the controversial cooperation between two different disciplines has paved the way for cooperative activities at the level of the university consortium. This study contributes to the discussion on brand identity in identifying place as a new component in the higher-education context.