Application of Destination Brand Molecule on Destination Image and Brand Perception: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

The paper is positioned in the domain of destination branding and image measurement research. It investigates the perceptions people have about a destination brand and the way they organise these perceptions in their minds. It employs and further develops the brand molecule concept introduced by Lederer and Hill (2001) and its extension into the destination brand molecule by Silver and Hill (2002). The research is exemplified by creating destination brand molecules for Las Vegas, Nevada, based on a survey of 2 groups of respondents in Bulgaria and the USA. Results show that Bulgarian respondents have wider and more dispersed views about the Las Vegas brand, while USA respondents have few but more concentrated associations. Managerial implications and further research are also discussed.

Keywords: destination marketing, branding, brand molecule, concept maps, associations, Las Vegas