Salience (neuroscience)

Business

Exploratory factor analysis

Archaeology

Brand loyalty

Service (business)

Urban planning

Biology

Advertising

Psychoanalysis

Place identity

Marketing

Cognitive psychology

Brand awareness

Tourism

Psychology

Geography

Ecology

Brand equity

Loyalty

Brand management

Attractiveness

Journal of Travel Research

The major purpose of place branding is to attract tourists and investors by enhancing the value proposition of a place through its unique regional identity. We undertake two studies to test the impact of regional identity on destination brand loyalty, and thereby on investment attractiveness. Study 1 involves identifying the dimensions of customer-based place brand equity (CBPBE) from a regional identity perspective. Data were collected from the state of West Bengal in India. Results of exploratory factor analysis show a four-dimensional structure of CBPBE consisting of brand salience, brand meaning, perceived quality, and brand attachment. Based on 290 responses collected from Thailand, we use these CBPBE dimensions in study 2 to develop and validate the psychometrically robust CBPBE-RI instrument. Finally, we test for the impact of CBPBE-RI dimensions on destination brand loyalty and investment attractiveness. The results have managerial and theoretical implications.

Customer-Based Place Brand Equity and Tourism: A Regional Identity Perspective