Might be applicable to a bar of soap, where the “experience” starts with the name, packaging, size, shape, aroma etc. all elements the brand manager can control. Hardly the case for most services, especially those in tourism delivered by third parties beyond the control of the DMO. Makes it a much more complex marketing task than many marketers outside tourism realize.

I like the comments here about relationships. Before somebody visits, the stories told by other people is a big factor in the decision process. Social Media makes the right people available to share these stories. And the role of DMO marketing is to encourage and motivate people to share their stories, activate your brand advocates and give them the tools to make an impact, rally your industry to join the conversation and amplify all these messages.

I like the comments here about relationships. Before somebody visits, the stories told by other people is a big factor in the decision process. Social Media makes the right people available to share these stories. And the role of DMO marketing is to encourage and motivate people to share their stories, activate your brand advocates and give them the tools to make an impact, rally your industry to join the conversation and amplify all these messages.

Brand is importantly built on the promises you make as Jaime points out and the relationships formed because you care as Doug says below.
I think defining your brand by what your customer experiences and shares is more simply an indication that your region has a clear offer that makes sense to your ideal guest. There is a match.

Branding a destination can go much further than the stories guests are telling however, and to truly rebrand a destination, there needs to be attention paid to:
* getting the community to be engaged and faithful toward tourists in the community,
* involve all aspects of the community in sharing a vision of what visitors can expect,
* developing new packages, products and most importantly partnerships that are geared toward meeting the needs of guests you desire in your community – the ideal guests,
* figuring out what the authentic experiences are in your community, as well as who the engaging personalities are and putting them centre stage,
* telling your own stories by engaging story tellers in sharing all kinds of media about your community.

So, I agree stories are critical, but as for branding, or rebranding, it can be done, but it involves a much bigger think than sending out fresh advertising imagery with new headlines.

@wilhelmus DMO need to deal with the “IN” brand” with their tools and the “OFF” brand with all the UGC that handle their brand without them!

Maybe the main challenge for DMO's is :

To provide “compost” content and tools to the Web and to users.

With this “compost” (who is great quality from the DMO direct know how on their destination) the folks can play a great UGC game.

Hope this “garden” & “compost” analogy is clear

Best regards

Claude

I expect that in the next five years more and more DMOs will be absorbed into larger place marketing entities – resistance to this trend will be futile. Tourism has to come out its silo and integrate itself with the broader community and issues of the day or be absorbed.