Destination Branding Seven Sisters

8/6/2019 Destination Branding Seven Sisters

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Destination Branding Seven Sisters ICBM

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TableofContents

1. OBJECTIVE .............................................................................................................................................2

1.1 Vision............................................................................................................................... .............. 2

1.2 Mission ............................................................................................................................... ........... 2

2. PURPOSEOFRESEARCH ........................................................................................................................ 3

2.1 Brandingoftheneglectedbeauty:NortheastIndia .................................................................... 3

2.2 ApplyingthelearningsfrombrandingofKerala,Australia,Malaysiaetc.....................................3

3. DESTINATIONBRANDING...................................................................................................................... 5

4. WHOAREYOURCUSTOMERS? .............................................................................................................7

5. DESTINATIONPOSITIONING.................................................................................................................. 8

6. DIFFERENTIATINGTHEDESTINATION ................................................................................................... 9

6.1 UsingPointofDifferentiation(s)(POD)......................................................................................... 9

6.2 PODsofNEIndia .......................................................................................................................... 9

7. PROPOSINGABRANDINGMODELFORBRANDIMPLEMENTATION................................................... 10

8. BRANDCONSUMPTIONFACTORS.......................................................................................................15

9. TOOLSFORCONVEYINGTHEBRANDIDENTITY ..................................................................................15

10. FUNDINGAVENUESFORTHEBRANDINGPROJECT ........................................................................ 17

11. PUBLICPRIVATEPARTNERSHIP(PPP) ..............................................................................................19

12. BENEFITSOFBRANDBUILDING ...................................................................................................... 20

12.1 TheBenefitsforYourCustomer .................................................................................................. 20

12.2 TheBenefitsforYourCommunitysMarketers ..........................................................................20

12.3 TheBenefitsforYourCommunityasaWhole............................................................................20

13. EVALUATINGMARKETINGEFFECTIVENESS.....................................................................................21

14. REFERENCES ....................................................................................................................................22

15. PRINTADVERTISEMENTS ................................................................................................................ 23


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1.OBJECTIVELong term objective expressed as vision and mission statements:

1.1Vision

To make Seven Sisters of India the Numero-Uno global tourist destination.

1.2 Mission To spread awareness in India and rest of the world about the existence of Seven Sisters of

India

To position Seven Sisters of India as unexplored paradise of the planet.

To help the development of tourism industry in this place by commercial Marketing.


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2.PURPOSEOFRESEARCH2.1 Brandingoftheneglectedbeauty:NortheastIndiaFrom ancient times, Indias Northeast region has been the meeting place of many communities,faiths and cultures. It is a place of magical beauty and bewildering diversity. There are more than

166 ethnic tribes speaking many languages. Some groups have migrated over the centuries from

places as far as Southeast Asia. They retain their cultural traditions but are beginning to adapt to

contemporary lifestyles. Its jungles are dense. Today, the region is considered as one of the

unique and fragile Biodiversity Hotspots in the world. The regions flora and fauna is unique.

The terrain is mountainous and rugged. The rivers are mighty. Northeast is unique in lushness of

its landscape, the range of communities and geographical and ecological diversity. The region

creates enchanting and romantic atmosphere in all the seasons. The Northeast region includes

eight states of Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur and

Nagaland.

It is unfortunate that due to socio-political and geographical reasons, the entire Northeast has

remained neglected and backward from the development point of view. Regions first problem is

isolation. Physical isolation has aggravated the already existing mental quarantine. The British,

as a deliberate policy followed the dictum leave them- alone in splendid segregation. The new

rulers in post-independent India refined it further by applying the yardstick out-of-sight-out-of-

mind approach. The result: armed uprising in many parts of the North-east. Contrary to general

perception outside the North-east, most of the insurrections in the region are direct fallout of this

neglect of the area by the ruling class both in Delhi and in the region. Due to these reasons

Indias North East comprises of seven states, fondly referred to as the Seven Sisters, more aptly

could be called as seven neglected girl children of India. In spite of very high literacy rate in the

region (around 80%), progress and benefits have not reached the Northeast even today.

The concept of Tourism development is very recent in this region and is in its infancy.They have

taken a few strides in developing tourism, with emphasis on eco-tourism, wildlife tourism,

cultural tourism and adventure tourism. The region has tremendous and diverse potential for


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tourism development, which could attract international and national tourists. However, the

tourism development of the Northeast region needs to be targeted via a regional approach rather

than an individual state approach. Selling the N-E states as the best destination for tourism will

require futuristic vision, conscious and planned efforts at all levels and a disciplined action plan

and implementation strategy. In the meanwhile, sympathetic approach of the central government

will be required to stabilise the socio-political situation in the northeast followed by overall

infrastructure development in the region.

We are trying to bring out through this paper branding strategies to facilitate the packaging of N-

E states as the numero-uno tourism destination.

2.2 ApplyingthelearningsfrombrandingofKerala,Australia,Malaysiaetc..

Until the early 1980s, Kerala was a hitherto unknown destination, with most tourism circuits

concentrated around the north of the country. Aggressive marketing campaigns launched by the

Kerala Tourism Development Corporationthe government agency that oversees tourism

prospects of the statelaid the foundation for the growth of the tourism industry. In the decades

that followed, Kerala Tourism was able to transform itself into one of the niche holiday

destinations in India. The tag line Kerala- God's Own Country was adopted in its tourism

promotions and became synonymous with the state. Today, Kerala Tourism is a global

superbrand and regarded as one of the destinations with the highest brand recall. In 2006, Kerala

attracted 8.5 million touristsan increase of 23.68% in foreign tourist arrivals compared to the

previous year, thus making it one of the fastest growing tourism destinations in the world. Thus

our purpose is to take a leaf out of this success story of Kerala and like wise other success stories

like Malaysia, Australia etc to brand the N-E states and make it the best sought after tourism

destination.


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3.DESTINATIONBRANDINGCountries and cities are competing world-wide not only for tourists but also for export markets,

business investment and skilled migrants. To meet tourism, business and population objectives,

destination managers are now applying branding principals, derived from product marketing, to

establish their destinations as brands.

While branding has been applied to consumer products for decades, the concept of strategically

branding countries, cities and regions really only appeared during the mid-90s to assist

destinations to compete more effectively in an increasingly competitive marketing environment..

Branding provides a way of creating a unique identity through relationship building and

emotional appeal along differentiation on the basis of functional qualities.

In this era of super-brands it may seem an unusual notion to consider a city, state, region or

country as a brand. We buy brands because we enjoy them and they make our choices easier. In

the context of a place being the focal point for the promotion and catalyst for economic

development, it makes sense that it should be managed as a brand to enhance its identity and

perceived value in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

Just as the marketers of consumer goods such as Coca-Cola and Nike use branding to create a

distinctive image, places large and small are also doing the same to address three critical

questions:

What do we want to be known for?

How can we stand out from the crowd?

What thoughts and feelings do we want to come to mind when people are exposed to

our name?

Correctly answering these questions so that they have greatest relevance to customers is central

to formulating a successful destination brand. Market leaders focus on managing their identity by

ensuring consistent messages and by delivering on their brand promise.


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While place branding draws on principals from product marketing there are some important

differences.

Destination managers do not own the brand but rather represent a range of competing

stakeholder groups.Under these circumstances the establishment and maintenance of adifferentiated and tightly focused brand strategy may be challenged by stakeholders who feel

they are not adequately represented by the brand. Destinations should be regarded as corporate

rather than product brands. From this perspective brand management is about managing

destination image and perceptions rather than manipulating the product offering which is largely

outside the control of the destination manager.

When consumers decide on a destination for a holiday or a business conference, several "brands"

compete for their attention. A strong brand is differentiated from others, has several strongadvantages when compared to others, and has an attractive appeal to consumers. In tourism,

while factors such as cost of travel, convenience, and quality of facilities are important, the

strongest motivator is "image". Brand image puts a destination on the consumer's "shopping list"

and creates an emotional appeal, which enhances that destination's chances of being chosen over

others. Singapore was seen as "clean, modern and safe". China's dominant image and attraction

was "culture". Malaysia was seen as "multicultural with many beaches". Thailand had a brand

image of "exotic, fun, and friendly people".

Place branding involves much more than the establishment of a clever tag line and logo. The

brand tools must be based on a clear articulation of the brand essence reflecting both the

attributes of the destination and its people and the benefits sought by consumers. Without the

umbrella of an overarching strategy for the destination brand experience, tactics such as the

aforementioned may garner short-term gains in building awareness, but may lack the staying

power vital to the long-term good health and well-being of a brand. Our definition of a genuine

brand is The internalized sum of all impressions received by customers and consumers resulting

in a distinctive position in their minds eye based on perceived emotional and functional

benefits.


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4.WHOAREYOURCUSTOMERS?It is very important to think in terms of market segmentation when assessing the destination

brand. Some of the various segments to review and prioritize are visitors; potential visitors;

meeting planners; executive influencers; local stakeholders, including hospitality, tourism and

retail providers, government influencers and officials; local arts organizations (i.e., cultural

tourism); and the general public. Historically these segments have shown they are different in

terms of how they respond to the brand, and therefore it is important not to assume that one

strategy will apply across the board to all with equal weighting.


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5.DESTINATIONPOSITIONING Unique position in relation to competitors, based on

Differentiation of offering Using Unique Selling Proposition(s) (USP)

Cost of offering Price competitiveness w.r.t tourist packages offered for other competing

tourist destinations.

Specialized focus of offering To make North East India the numero-uno destination for tourism when it

comes to tourists demanding exploration, experiential, romanticism,

relaxation)

Positioning should Be consistent with market requirements

Cost and value for money (high cost-low volume, low cost-high volume)o Initially when tourism in the Seven Sisters is just being developed

the volume of tourists will be low and the cost of tourist packages

will be on the higher side.

Market trends and preferences (exploration, experiential, romanticism,relaxation)

Convenience of purchase (ease of access, packaging, time limits, etc.)o Connection through railways and airways.o Modern Tourist Information Centers:o Computerization of Tourism Services:o Booking Agents


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o Tourism packages like Eco-Tourism, Educational tourism, Culturetourism, Medical tourism, Water tourism, Rural tourism, Heritage

tourism, Festival tourism etc or a mix and match can be made

available. Packages from Tour operator and hoteliers .

Demographic trends (family/individual, age groups, etc.) Be consistent with resources

Features and Resources Capability to deliver requirements


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6.DIFFERENTIATINGTHEDESTINATION6.1 UsingPointofDifferentiation(s)(POD)

Unique/exceptional when compared to competitors

Unique/exceptional appeal in relation to market needs Could be a single factor or a combination of factors, e.g. broad based (time, cost

and general experiences)

Core, broad based proposition across market segments + focused propositions forparticular market segments

6.2 PODsofN EIndia WonderfulNaturalBeautyofMountainsandRivers Uniqueandendemicfloraandfauna largepercentageoflandunderforestcover Lowpopulationdensity CleanandunpollutedEnvironment ClosenesstofiveinternationalboundariesNepal,Bhutan,China,Myanmar,

Bangladesh

PeacefulculturalrelationshipwithinternationalcommunitiesofMyanmarandBangladesh

Diversityofverycharmingethniccultures Diversityoffolkartformsparticularlymusicanddances Peacefulinterminglingofdiversecommunities,faithsandcultures Hospitalityandwarmthofpeople Mysticismoftheregioncreatingaweandcuriosity GreatpotentialforEcotourismandAdventuretourism Waterbodiesintheformoflakes,rivers(Brahmaputra),Lakesetc. Hillstations Caves Culture:Danceforms,Musicandfolkartforms,colorfultribes WildlifeSanctuarieswithrarespeciesofanimals,Birdsanctuaries,Museums Archaeologicalsites(AncientsculpturesandCravings) Historicalsites(forts,palaces,temples,churches,mosquesetc.) Pilgrimageplaces Festivals ShoppingExperience Adventuresports,TraditionalsportsespinManipur, WorldWarIICemeteryinNagaland AssamTea


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TribalvillageslikeKohimaVillageandShangnyuVillagewhichhasmonuments,tribalarchitectureandhandicraftsetc.

ManipurstateisalsocalledSwitzerlandoftheEast. Assamisoftencalled"ThelandofRedRiver ThemightyriverofBrahmaputra

originatingfromtheMansarovarLakeinTibet

Meghalayaliterallymeaning:Abodeofclouds.TheBritishfellinlovewiththeplaceanddubbeditasthe"ScotlandoftheEast'.


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7.PROPOSINGABRANDINGMODELFORBRANDIMPLEMENTATION

How the brand owner wants the consumer to perceive the destination is what brand identity is all

about. The brand owner will seek to bridge the gap between the brand image and the brand

identity. Brand identity is fundamental to consumer recognition and symbolizes the brand's

differentiation from competitors.

The brand identity is based on twelve elements:

1. Brand culture:It is about the system of characteristics based on the cultural aspects of the

people(spirit, traditions, event, gastronomy, an so on) and the country (historical sites,

monuments, archaeological sites, churches, an so on). Often, this is the essence of a

destination and it represents its core value proposition.

BrandCultureofNEstates:Inaregionrarelyvisitedbyforeigners,numerousethnic

groupscontinueawayoflifeunchangedforcenturies.Forexample,inArunachal

Pradesh,manypeoplepracticepolygamy.InManipur,nativepeopleperform

elaborate,ritualdancestohonorvillagedeitiesandinNagaland,villagersworshipthe

sunandthemoon,towhichtheyattributehumanlife.SurroundedbyIndia,China,

Tibet,BurmaandBangladesh,NortheastIndiaisextraordinarilydiverse,describedby

theauthorsasan"ethnologicaltransitionzone."TheSevenSistersprovincesofIndia

areinhabitedbyover500distinctethnicgroups,someofwhichhavepreservedancient

customs,shamanritualsandheadhuntingtraditions.

2. Brand character:It is related to its internal constitution, how it is perceived in terms of integrity,

trustworthiness and honesty (Upshaw, 1995). This is also related with the promise of the

brand to deliver the experience associated with its distinctive value proposition

BrandCharacterofNEstates:Welcoming,Peaceful,Fresh,Conservative,Mystic


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3. Brand personality :It is the set of human characteristics that are associated with the destination. It

includes several characteristics as sincerity, excitement or competence (Aaker J., 1997) or

gender, age, socioeconomic class, as well as human personality traits such as warmth andsentimentality(Aaker, 1996)

BrandPersonalityofNEStates:Romantic,Diverse,Conservative,Peaceloving,

Unexplored,Ethnical

4. Brand name :It often is the original name of the destination, in domestic or English language:

this choice is more important, because it is strongly related with communication strategy

on tourist targets. Brand name should have many strength and unique associations, it

should be distinctive, pronouncability and recallability (Keller, 2003b).

BrandNameofNEstates:SereneSevenSisters:UnexploredParadise

5. Brand logos (and symbols):It is a fundamental element to define a destination. A beautiful view, a famous

monument or an unique tradition are examples of symbols that in destination case

could be the main logos to communicate a clear and distinctive value proposition

compared to another competitive places


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6. Brand slogan:It represents a promise that DMO or another business player defining to the

tourist targets. Its based on the main functional, emotive or experiential attributes of the

destination related to the benefits and value provided by the place offering. Naturally -also about this element- is more important to choice strength and unique associations for

communicating clearly these to the tourists.

BrandSloganofNEstates:

WelcometotheMysterylandofthe"BlueMountainsandtheRedRiver"

SevenSistersofIndia,aparadiseunexplored!!

NorthEastIndia TrulyLandofGods!!

7. Brand Image:The psychological aspect, sometimes referred to as the brand image, is a symbolic

construct created within the minds of people and consists of all the information and

expectations associated with a destination.

To be effective, an image must be valid, believable, simple & used consistently,

appealing, distinctive.

Tools to communicate an image: Slogans, Themes, Logos, Events & deeds

Assessing brand image

Two-part process:

* Select target segments

* Measure the image held by those segments

Three approaches to measuring image:

* Familiarity-favorability scales

Familiarity awarenessScale of responses:


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Never heard of it > Heard of it > Know a little about it >

Know a fair amount about it > Know it very well

Favourability positive/negative perceptionScale of responses:

Very unfavourable > Somewhat unfavourable > Indifferent > Somewhat

favourable > Very favourable

Helps define what image issues a destination needs to address and to which target

segments

* Semantic differential

Tests respondents perceptions on a set of relevant dimensions for a particular

theme eg factors in choosing a holiday destination

o Weathero Costo Natural featureso Cultural interesto shoppingo Friendliness of host people

Each factor measured on a five-point bipolar scale from positive to negative

extremes i.e. very poor to very good

* Evaluative maps

Inventory of target segments with visual/experience impressions of a place

Words that represent opposites placed at either end of the scale

Respondents asked to indicate where between the two extremes the place fits

Cold Friendly

Natural Artificial

Simple Sophisticated

Peace Violence


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8. Brand Architecture: Blueprint toguidebrandbuilding,developmentandmarketing Shouldreflectpositioning,rational(head)andemotional(heart)benefits Takecognizanceofdestinationcomposition(national,regional,cityandtown)and

facilitatesynergy

Identify suprabrands and subbrand, based on geographical and productdifferentiations(e.g.Cape:SouthAfrica,CapeGardenRoute,CapeWine,etc.)

Brand architecture reflected in destination trademarks (logos, insignia), marketingcollateral,advertisingconcepts,etc.

Area Positioning RationalBenefit Emotionalbenefits

Seven

Sisters

Mysterylandof

the"Blue

Mountainsand

theRedRiver

Aparadise

unexplored

LandofGods!!

Heritage,landscape,

scenery,artsand

culture,people,

Archaeologicalsites

Historicalsites

Pilgrimageplaces

Festivals

Ifeelstimulatedbythe

untouchednaturalbeauty

andtheexperienceof

unadulteredcultureinthe

SevenSisters. Atease

amongthewelcoming

friendlypeople.

9. Brand Promise:Your brand is your promise and is at the heart of everything that you should be

doing as a destination marketing organization or economic development agency to

positively influence the perceptions and experiences of customers. Promise includes

destination brands value propositionits commitment to its visitorsdefined as the

essence of the benefits (functional and emotional) that current and potential visitors can

expect to receive throughout the destination experience. If you do not live up to the

promise your destination brand images is bound to weather down in the long run.

10.Brand Evaluation:


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Brands Image keep changing in response to events, media coverage etc. and

your marketing strategies and Branding strategies should be an ongoing process which

adapts adequately.

Ongoing process of:

Destination research of places image Segmenting & targeting its image & audiences Positioning the places benefits to support existing or changed image Communicating those benefits to the target audiences

The destination research evaluation is designed to measure the effectiveness of

advertising, public relations and the existing tactics for promoting the destination from abrand perspective. Destination research can help you target specific areas for marketing

and optimize your messaging to ensure that you are hitting these targets. It can also help

determine your return on investment to address stakeholder and influencer questions and

concerns.

Typical brand research is centered on determining top-of-mind brand awareness. For

example, a destination survey may ask, When you are thinking about taking a vacation

or short pleasure trip in the United States, what cities or states come to mind?Subsequent questions may ask how many times the visitor or non-visitor has visited or

plans to visit the places mentioned. Interviewing travel agent counter staff is a cost-

effective way of estimating brand awareness for tourist destinations as they are

"gatekeepers", and likely to emphasise their own "top of mind" awareness to customers.

Intelligence gained from research findings can be published as a report to be distributed

to local authorities, travel agents, transport service providers, the media and other key

stakeholders linked to the destination business and brand.

11.Brand Internalization:One of the biggest myths of all is that branding is the responsibility of the

marketing department or tourism office. Because a brand is built cumulatively by all


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contact with the destination, the brand can fall down at any point, at any time. Delivering

a memorable and respected brand is everybodys business. It demands that the walls

between organizations, individuals and departments be knocked down. Until everybody

understands and activates their role in projecting and delivering the brand promise, it will

struggle to come alive.

Brand Internalization is the process by which all members and associates (current and

future) are exposed, indoctrinated and trained in the sum total of beliefs, behaviors and

ways characteristic of a destination brand as outlined in the brand doctrine, thus raising

the level of awareness with a view toward improving the ability, both individually and

organizationally, to live the promise.

Critical points for brand internalization:

For the brand to be authentic and deliver on its promise the local community andstakeholders should believe in it and live it

Best brand champions are our citizens could also be worst enemies if they dontsubscribe to brand essence

Strategy required to communicate and advocate the brand internally Practical ways of instilling the brand values within the community Capacitate and enable leadership figures to live the brand and infuse the

population

12.Brand Experience:Once a consumer decides to visit the destination his/her experience at each

promise points should deliver positively on the promise made.

Remove or easing the entry formalities for instance will improve the experience of

foreign tourists in North east India. Availability of lodging and commuting facilities,

loving and welcoming nature of the localites, hospitality at every contact point etc will

enhance the brand experience. Tourism industry has become a specialised sector today. It

is a fast growing, labour incentive and competitive industry. The concepts of tourism


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sectors are also changing fast and one requires to be updated constantly. Professional

Training of staff through participation in different seminars / workshops / short-term

courses etc must be under taken. Such training programmes could be organised in-house

also to minimise the costs. The staff should be encouraged to improve their qualifications

in this sector and incentives like increments / promotions etc. could be offered. All new

staff must have tourism related professional qualifications. This will be very useful

investment on part of the government.

Health Care is a major factor in brand experience. Hence general hea lth care strategy

specifically from the tourism point of view is very important. N-E states may have

possible health problems for tourists like Malaria and Gastro- enteritis. The concerted

efforts are required for prevention of these problems at all tourist destinations. These

could be tackled with following simple strategies like

All tourist lodges should have mosquito control systems All kitchens and toilets must have high standard of hygiene and cleanliness. In general, awareness of high standard of cleanliness, hygiene and health care

amongst the staff must be ensured with regular monitoringand intermittent

campaigns.

All tourist lodges must be equipped with first-aid facilitiesSpecial Tourist facilities at the State entry / exit points: Entry and Exit points have a lot

of importance to create identity for the State. The tourists get their first and lasting

impressions at these points. These points are important for Tripura, in the present

circumstances where the tourists spend a lot of time at such points waiting for security

escorts etc. and it will be advisable to make their time at such places comfortable and

pleasant. This could be achieved by creating Special Tourist Centers at these entry / exit

points in co-ordination with the security authorities. These centres could provide basic

tourist facilities, provide information and also play a major role in establishing the first

warm contact and impression with the tourists. The design of such centres should reflect

the identity of the state.


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8.BRANDCONSUMPTIONFACTORSMotivating factors like stressful life, business conference, urge to have fun , urge to experience

different culture, to travel etc lead to need recognition of moving to a destination.

Factors that lead to the destination falling into the consideration set:

How a place emotionally links to a consumers mind, personality and culture.

Its brand image

Tourist packages available for the destination: Which need of the consumer is being

targeted?

Factors leading to consumption:

Price: Due to budget limitation of some consumers and price competitiveness of other tourist

destinations catering to the same need of the customers, price would be an important

constraint that converts consideration into consumption.

Product: Point of differences of the destination and its USPs in relation to its competitors will

decide if the customer ends up visiting the destination.


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9.TOOLSFORCONVEYINGTHEBRANDIDENTITYCities and regions are able to intimately touch their customers because they envelop them and

impact all of their senses. These powerful experiences are among the most influential in shaping

perceptions, feelings and thoughts about the place. It is incumbent upon all destinations wantingto build a strong brand to ensure that they delight their customers at every Promise Point where

they meet. When they can do this, they might then think about advertising. But it shouldnt be

their first and dominant marketing step.

Other factors such as past experiences, word of mouth, recommendations, and public relations

have a far greater influence on destinations than advertising.

Formal advertising and promotion of a country as a tourist destination in other nations can also

have an effect. If that image is unfocused or not clear, the destination will have difficulty

competing with images created by competing countries. Advertising, PR and promotion must

complement informal information obtained through word of mouth and personal

recommendations, by either building upon the latter or correcting negative perceptions that may

be incorrect.

Gap Analysis:

Incredible India is still promoting this place as North Eastern states and specialattention is not yet given although their beauty is well known

It is considered as one of the best international location for photography by Ibarionex R.Perello, however it is not seen as Global tourist destination

There exits different organizations such as NEZCC (North East Zone Cultural Centre),IGNCA (Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts), Indian Tourism, different tours and

travel agencies promoting the land of Blue Mountains, Green Valleys and Red River but

there is a lack of structured organized branding and marketing of the Seven Sisters as

unexplored paradise.


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Following are the ways for conveying the brand identity:

Educationo Tourist Guide bookso Yellow pages on N-E stateso Geography text books covering N-E states

Personal contacts Viral Marketing Media

* Newspaper travel supplements

* Magazines dedicated to one aspect or another of travel & tourism

* Television travel shows (In Discovery and National Geographic channels etc.)

(Lonely Planet" in the past has given adverse publicity on the region and

therefore the LONELY PLANET EDITOR should be convinced to reprint and

disseminates information that only few pockets in the region are under

problematic conditions. States like Sikkim, Mizoram, Meghalaya and most

Arunachal Pradesh is completely peaceful.)

*Advertisements through Radio.

(Talented local journalists could be given some incentive to provide publicity about

N-E states)

Personality Branding Advertising

o Print Ad (Please refer section 16 for some print Ads we have created.)o Video Ado Roadside signage and hoardings.

(We do not recommend expensive advertisements in the initial period

of five years. Slow but steady and quality publicity will create permanent

market for N-E States. Simple marketing methods could be used to augment

the existing facilities. The existing Wayside amenities and Restaurant are


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underutilized even though they are at strategic and excellent locations. The N-

E Tourism Department can tie up with the Department of Transport and

private bus operators, so that these locations become regular lunch / tea halts.

Appropriate incentives may be provided for this joint effort. )

Information literature like brochures, posters and books is another excellentavenue for publicity. However, the theme based and innovative products will

only stand out. Care must be taken to follow environmental norms, like use

of recycled paper, ethnic designs etc. to emphasize the basic theme of Eco-

tourism and Heritage Tourism.

Active participation in various national and international travel / tourism / tradefairs is another effective method of self-projection at minimum cost.

Own experience Road shows Well- designed products and souvenirs make a subtle positive impact on tourism

publicity. These are functional elements, which could become show windows of

Tripura Tourism. Some examples are backpacks, caps, T-shirts, stickers etc .The

innovations in design will provide economical success to these products with

minimum investment and will also achieve subtle but long lasting publicity.

Interneto Internet has clearly impacted nearly every aspect of our daily lives, and

not least of all, how travel both business and leisure is marketed today.

o Through Blogso Tourism websites(Like Kerala has their own dedicated website)o Through advertisements on other Web site like Yahoo/Orkut


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10. FUNDINGAVENUESFORTHEBRANDINGPROJECTGovernmental Funding Avenues: The Tourism Department must try various funding avenues in

the process towards making activities economically feasible and sustainable. The state / central

governments may provide limited assistance for the initial gestation period. However, a definitestrategy has to be worked out for the long-term maintenance of such facilities. Other funding

avenues should be tapped. Various government departments and organizations provide

specialized funding for specific projects related to their activities and tourism sector being a

versatile sector could tap these resources. For e.g.: The Ministry of Environment and Forests

finances projects related to Biodiversity, Wildlife, Plant Conservation etc., the Central Zoo

Authority provides funds for zoo related projects, the department of Alternate Energy, Education

etc. also provide similar financial assistance.

Institutional Funding Avenues: There are many national and international organizations /

universities which are interested in long term ecological research and appropriate development in

the regions like Northeast. The national and the international agencies have a businesslike

approach.

They ensure soundness of the proposals, integrity of the of the project leader and the team,

technical and financial viability of the project. They also monitor the progress of the project

during the implementation. The success rate is generally good in these types of arrangements due

to mutual interest and control. However, the approach to generate such funding has to be of high

quality and professional. The State Government needs to invest reasonable amount of seed

capital for the preparation of sound and comprehensive project proposal . This needs to be

handled professionally and the consultants must be able to convince the funding agency about

the viability of the project.

The Institutional Funding Agencies may be classified under the following categories:

National Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) Infosys Foundation Pirojsha Godrej foundation Reliance Foundation


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J.R.D. Tata TrustInternational NGOs

The Asia Foundation The Carnegie Foundation The Rockfeller Foundation World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)

International Government Agencies

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) United Kingdom Department of International Development United States Department of Fish & Wildlife US Global Change Research Programme, USA

Inter Governmental Organizations (IGOs)

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) The United Nations Education,

Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)


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11. PUBLICPRIVATEPARTNERSHIP(PPP)The tourism department should create business proposals and outsource the implementation of

branding projects to Private firms. The tourism website design can be outsourced like the Kerala

tourism website has been designed by Invest multimedia. The privatization policy should

provide various concessions and incentives to entrepreneurs in tourism-related activities.

Partnership with hotel chains, private tourist vehicle agencies, Tours and Travels Agencies are

some of the PPPs that can be looked forward to.Apart from the branding strategies there can be

synergies w.r.t the infrastructure development so as to create good brand experience and to

deliver positively on the brand promise.


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12. BENEFITSOFBRANDBUILDINGCreating a brand that is going to stand out from competitors, resonate with customer needs, and

gain the support of local stakeholders requires patience, vision, collaboration, and strategic

thinking. A branded approach should introduce focus, message consistency, and provide the

leadership to unite community partners and become the focal point to add value for customers

through the citys combined marketing efforts.

A place that does not proactively engage in branding runs the risk of being positioned anyway by

competitors, and the media, and most likely to its disadvantage. A well-crafted brand strategy

should provide long-term direction to present it as a place with compelling advantages over other

similar places.

The benefits of a destination brand strategy include:

12.1TheBenefitsforYourCustomer1. Provides peace of mind by increasing trust and reduces uncertainty and risk because

they feel it wont let them down

2. Saves time and effort3. Simplifies choices4. Being associated with the place reflects well on them5. Taps into their needs and desires6. Provides perceived added value and benefits

12.2TheBenefitsforYourCommunitysMarketers1. Provides a greater strategic focus2. Fosters a unified and cooperative approach to city marketing.3. Establishes a clear, valued, and sustainable point of distinction in the minds of

customers.

4. Provides a decision-making framework to build a strong, consistent brand identityand avoid contradictory and changing designs, messages, and images.


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5. Results in a higher return on investment (ROI) from marketing investments.6. Provides an umbrella to capture the character and personality of the city to enable all

marketers to use similar consistent and compelling messages.

7. Provides a distinctive look and feel for marketing applications.12.3TheBenefitsforYourCommunityasaWhole

1. Creates a unifying focus to aid all public, private, and non-profit sector organizationsthat rely on the image of the place and its attractiveness.

2. Brings increased respect, recognition, loyalty, and celebrity.3. Corrects out of date, inaccurate or unbalanced perceptions.4. Improves stakeholder income, profit margins, and increase lodging tax revenues.5. Increases the ability to attract, recruit, and retain talented people.6. Enhances civic pride and advocacy.7. Expands the size of the pie for stakeholders to get a larger share, rather than having

to rely on pricing to steal share.


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13. EVALUATINGMARKETINGEFFECTIVENESSIt is a big challenge for tourism marketers seeking to justify budgets. The only way to justify the

effort and investment is through evaluation of marketing effectiveness that can be done through

following tools:

Coupon response rates Website hit rates Tracking surveys Pre-testing through focus groups Visitor surveys Tourist accommodation surveys Research among regional, national & international markets


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14. REFERENCES http://ignca.nic.in/craft002.htm http://www.north-east-india.com/ http://www.northeastindiadiary.com/ http://www.mapsofindia.com/ http://incredibleindia.org/ http://www.tourism.gov.in/ http://www.asiamarketresearch.com/columns/tourism-branding.htm http://www.crctourism.com.au/ http://www.esade.edu/cedit2006/pdfs2006/papers/ http://www.sciencedirect.com/ http://en.wikipedia.org/ http://northeasterner.in/ http://www.photojournal.co.uk/timothy_allen_latest_choose.html http://www.victoo.com/ http://www.nezccindia.org/ http://www.rjadventures.org/ http://assamgovt.nic.in/ http://www.outdoorphotographer.com/ http://in.youtube.com/ http://www.indianfolklore.org/journals/ Marketing management by Philip Kotler and company


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15. PRINTADVERTISEMENTS


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