IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v13y2020i1p67-d467294.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A Textual and Visual Analysis of the Intrinsic Value Dimensions of Romania: Towards a Sustainable Destination Brand

Author

Listed:
  • Cristina Lupu

    (Department of Geography, Faculty of Geography and Geology, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași, 700506 Iași, Romania)

  • Ana Isabel Rodrigues

    (Department of Management, Polytechnic Institute of Beja, 7800-295 Beja, Portugal)

  • Oana Mihaela Stoleriu

    (Department of Geography, Faculty of Geography and Geology, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași, 700506 Iași, Romania)

  • Martina G. Gallarza

    (Department of Marketing, University of Valencia (Spain), 46022 València, Spain
    Vallorem Lab, University of Tours, 37000 Tours, France)

Abstract

This work examines the projected image of Romania as an emerging tourism destination. Computed content-analysis was applied to the photos, text and video materials promoted online in Romania’s last international tourism campaign. The conceptual framework used corresponds to intrinsic values (play, aesthetics, ethics and spirituality), from Holbrook’s typology of value. Being more difficult to apprehend and therefore studied less, intrinsic values allow a more sophisticated approach to value creation. The purpose here is to identify the main attributes that are promoted about Romania by destination marketing organizations. The content analysis of text (last international promotion campaign Explore the Carpathian Garden) and visual data (27 photos from the official Facebook webpage and 7 TV videos) allow to depict an experiential view of Romania’s image: natural resources (coded as aesthetics with 29% of references), epistemic value of discovery (play 25.8%), authentic and historical traditions (ethics 25.8%) and wellness and therapeutic activities (spirituality, 19.3%). Destination marketing organizations have the potential to develop some distinctive aspects such as authenticity (as an ethical value dimension) and play (as an active, self-oriented value). Findings also highlight that a complimentary approach using textual and visual data might be a suitable option to research destination brand image.

Suggested Citation

  • Cristina Lupu & Ana Isabel Rodrigues & Oana Mihaela Stoleriu & Martina G. Gallarza, 2020. "A Textual and Visual Analysis of the Intrinsic Value Dimensions of Romania: Towards a Sustainable Destination Brand," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-23, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2020:i:1:p:67-:d:467294
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/1/67/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/1/67/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mihalis Kavaratzis & G. J. Ashworth, 2005. "City Branding: An Effective Assertion Of Identity Or A Transitory Marketing Trick?," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 96(5), pages 506-514, December.
    2. Stepchenkova, Svetlana & Zhan, Fangzi, 2013. "Visual destination images of Peru: Comparative content analysis of DMO and user-generated photography," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 590-601.
    3. Vladimir A. Ermolaev & Dmitry A. Ruban & Natalia N. Yashalova & Natalia A. Latushko & A.J. (Tom) van Loon, 2020. "Missions of Russian Cheese Producers: Principal Components and Relevance for Rural Communities," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-11, March.
    4. Babin, Barry J & Darden, William R & Griffin, Mitch, 1994. "Work and/or Fun: Measuring Hedonic and Utilitarian Shopping Value," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 20(4), pages 644-656, March.
    5. Diana Foris & Adriana Florescu & Tiberiu Foris & Sorin Barabas, 2020. "Improving the Management of Tourist Destinations: A New Approach to Strategic Management at the DMO Level by Integrating Lean Techniques," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(23), pages 1-22, December.
    6. Ruxandra-Irina POPESCU & Razvan-Andrei CORBOS, 2010. "A Review of Strategic Options for Achieving a Country Brand for Romania," REVISTA DE MANAGEMENT COMPARAT INTERNATIONAL/REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL COMPARATIVE MANAGEMENT, Faculty of Management, Academy of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania, vol. 11(5), pages 881-893, December.
    7. Victoria Alexander, 2002. "Doing Visual Ethnography Images, Media and Representation in Research," Sociological Research Online, , vol. 7(2), pages 139-140, May.
    8. Timothy J. Lee & Ji-Sook Han & Tae-Gyou Ko, 2020. "Health-Oriented Tourists and Sustainable Domestic Tourism," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-16, June.
    9. Romaniuk, Jenni & Nenycz-Thiel, Magda, 2013. "Behavioral brand loyalty and consumer brand associations," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 66(1), pages 67-72.
    10. Smith, Andrew N. & Fischer, Eileen & Yongjian, Chen, 2012. "How Does Brand-related User-generated Content Differ across YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter?," Journal of Interactive Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 26(2), pages 102-113.
    11. Kirillova, Ksenia & Fu, Xiaoxiao & Lehto, Xinran & Cai, Liping, 2014. "What makes a destination beautiful? Dimensions of tourist aesthetic judgment," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 282-293.
    12. John, Surej P. & De'Villiers, Rouxelle, 2020. "Elaboration of marketing communication through visual media: An empirical analysis," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    13. Qu, Hailin & Kim, Lisa Hyunjung & Im, Holly Hyunjung, 2011. "A model of destination branding: Integrating the concepts of the branding and destination image," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 32(3), pages 465-476.
    14. Gabriela Tigu, 2012. "New Challenges for Tourism Destination Management in Romania," Chapters, in: Murat Kasimoglu (ed.), Strategies for Tourism Industry - Micro and Macro Perspectives, IntechOpen.
    15. Capatina, Alexandru & Micu, Adrian & Micu, Angela Eliza & Bouzaabia, Rym & Bouzaabia, Olfa, 2018. "Country-based comparison of accommodation brands in social media: An fsQCA approach," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 235-242.
    16. Bogdan-Constantin Ibănescu & Oana Mihaela Stoleriu & Alina Munteanu & Corneliu Iațu, 2018. "The Impact of Tourism on Sustainable Development of Rural Areas: Evidence from Romania," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-19, October.
    17. Daniel Bulin, 2015. "A Romanian Tourism Market Analysis – Developments And Trends After The Eu Accession," Global Economic Observer, "Nicolae Titulescu" University of Bucharest, Faculty of Economic Sciences;Institute for World Economy of the Romanian Academy, vol. 3(2), pages 106-115, November.
    18. Roma, Paolo & Aloini, Davide, 2019. "How does brand-related user-generated content differ across social media? Evidence reloaded," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 322-339.
    19. MacInnis, Deborah J & Price, Linda L, 1987. "The Role of Imagery in Information Processing: Review and Extensions," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 13(4), pages 473-491, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Cecilia Pasquinelli & Mariapina Trunfio & Nicola Bellini & Simona Rossi, 2021. "Sustainability in Overtouristified Cities? A Social Media Insight into Italian Branding Responses to Covid-19 Crisis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-14, February.
    2. Mutlu Yuksel Avcilar & Akin Alkevli, 2017. "The Antecedents of Mobile Repurchasing Intentions: An Empirical Investigation among Turkish Mobile Shoppers," International Journal of Business and Management, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 12(3), pages 105-105, February.
    3. Cardoso, Lucília & Dias, Francisco & de Araújo, Arthur Filipe & Andrés Marques, Maria Isabel, 2019. "A destination imagery processing model: Structural differences between dream and favourite destinations," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 81-94.
    4. Stylos, Nikolaos & Bellou, Victoria & Andronikidis, Andreas & Vassiliadis, Chris A., 2017. "Linking the dots among destination images, place attachment, and revisit intentions: A study among British and Russian tourists," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 15-29.
    5. Lee, Jaeha & Park, Kwangsoo, 2024. "The effects of hedonic shopping values on loyalty towards small retailers: The moderating role of trust," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    6. Miguel-Ángel García-Madurga & Miguel-Ángel Esteban-Navarro & Juan-Francisco Delgado-de Miguel & Tamar Buil-López Menchero, 2019. "Positioning Axes of Sustainable Tourist Destinations: The Case of Aragón," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(18), pages 1-18, September.
    7. Dhruv Grewal & Stephanie M. Noble & Anne L. Roggeveen & Jens Nordfalt, 2020. "The future of in-store technology," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 48(1), pages 96-113, January.
    8. Subhajit Bhattacharya, 2017. "Does corporate social responsibility contribute to strengthen brand equity? An empirical study," International Review on Public and Nonprofit Marketing, Springer;International Association of Public and Non-Profit Marketing, vol. 14(4), pages 513-533, December.
    9. Beata Jolanta Gierczak-Korzeniowska & Mateusz Stopa & Krzysztof Szpara, 2022. "Methodology of Cyclical Research of the Tourist Image of Podkarpackie Province (Poland)—A Proposal of a Solution and Selected Research Results," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-18, February.
    10. Assumpcio Huertas & Estela Marine-Roig, 2016. "User reactions to destination brand contents in social media," Information Technology & Tourism, Springer, vol. 15(4), pages 291-315, January.
    11. Violetta Wilk & Helen Cripps & Alexandru Capatina & Adrian Micu & Angela-Eliza Micu, 2021. "The state of #digitalentrepreneurship: a big data Leximancer analysis of social media activity," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 17(4), pages 1899-1916, December.
    12. Molinillo, Sebastian & Liébana-Cabanillas, Francisco & Anaya-Sánchez, Rafael & Buhalis, Dimitrios, 2018. "DMO online platforms: Image and intention to visit," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 116-130.
    13. Rehan Bhatia & Agam Gupta & M. Vimalkumar & Divya Sharma, 2025. "Factors affecting Consumer Brand Sabotage virality: a study of an Indian brand #boycott," Information Systems and e-Business Management, Springer, vol. 23(1), pages 41-68, March.
    14. Chee Hua Chin & May Chiun Lo & Zaidi bin Razak & Pooria Pasbakhsh & Abang Azlan Mohamad, 2020. "Resources Confirmation for Tourism Destinations Marketing Efforts Using PLS-MGA: The Moderating Impact of Semirural and Rural Tourism Destination," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-23, August.
    15. Strandberg, Carola & Styvén, Maria Ek & Hultman, Magnus, 2020. "Places in good graces: The role of emotional connections to a place on word-of-mouth," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 444-452.
    16. A. Foroughi Author_Email: decart110@yahoo.com & N. Aishah Buang & M.Sherilou, 2011. "Exploring Impulse Buying Behavior Among Iranian Tourists In Malaysia (Case Study)," 2nd International Conference on Business and Economic Research (2nd ICBER 2011) Proceeding 2011-168, Conference Master Resources.
    17. Sujin Bae & Timothy Hyungsoo Jung & Natasha Moorhouse & Minjeong Suh & Ohbyung Kwon, 2020. "The Influence of Mixed Reality on Satisfaction and Brand Loyalty in Cultural Heritage Attractions: A Brand Equity Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-22, April.
    18. Nafiah Ariyani & Akhmad Fauzi, 2023. "Pathways toward the Transformation of Sustainable Rural Tourism Management in Central Java, Indonesia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-19, February.
    19. Kaiser Karen & Schwabe Rainer, 2012. "Preference for Variety," The B.E. Journal of Theoretical Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 12(1), pages 1-32, January.
    20. Saikat Banerjee, 2021. "Factors impacting state branding communication success: a mediating and multigroup analysis," Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 17(4), pages 317-335, December.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2020:i:1:p:67-:d:467294. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.