Strategic Brand Analysis in Destination Identity Context : A Case Study of Albania

Abstract: Tourism industry is one of the most prominent industries at the moment. Globalization has been playing a big role by mainly diminishing traveling barriers between countries. This trend had brought also an increase in competition between countries to identify themselves and to define how they want to be perceived by the tourists. In this case, developing a clear destination brand identity is crucial for success. Brand identity and brand image are two concepts that are related to each other but their meanings are different. There are several studies from the demand side concerning with destination brand image. Conversely, there is a lack of studies conducted in destination brand identity by considering the supplier side. Thus,the main purpose of this study is to investigate the brand identity creation from the supplier side. A conceptual model of “Strategic Brand Analysis in Destination Identity Context” was developed from the reviewed literature. This model guided the empirical investigation of regulators, academicians, civil society and business enterprises in Albanian identity context. In order to collect diverse perspectives, ten qualitative interviews from different fields were conducted. By conduction of interviews and qualitative content analysis with the support of “QSR NVivo 7” software, the strategic brand analysis of destination identity in Albanian context was examined. Additionally, presented theories about brand identity and collected empirical data were analyzed together. Based on this analysis, revised model was recommended for the “Strategic Brand Analysis in Destination Identity Context”. The results suggested that a comprehensive analysis including “Stakeholders Analysis” and “TourismCompetition Analysis” is required as the initial phase of destination identity formation. Each part of analysis has combining aspects, which need to be considered. This study contributes to the literature on brand identity and personality. In addition, the study also has implications for policy-makers of tourism destinations and managers of tourism companies. While the theoretical findings can be regarded as an exploration in the literature,this study fulfilled first research concerning destination brand identity of Albania in tourism.