Destination Marketing winner announced

Work from more than 70 students studying tourism, events, business and marketing management was eligible for our Destination Marketing module award. 

The Destination Marketing module is offered on arrange of courses in the School of Business and Law as either a core or optional module.

On the module students examine methods of marketing in the particular context of destinations. Hereby, the module invites them to explore issues such as cultural representation, the branding of national and regional identities and the role of media and film in the development of perception and expectation among others.

For their summative assessment students write a blog post focussing on the visual analysis of a destination marketing case study and it is this piece of work that is entered into the award.

Module Leader Dr Barbara Grabher said: “This year’s submissions were of a very high quality and well researched. Offering the winner the prize of being published on our site will help with their visibility and showcase to future employers what they are capable of.”

Congratulations to this year’s winner and shortlisted entries:

• Freya Quinton – Winner. International Tourism Management
• Stephanie Mircioi – Shortlisted. International Tourism Management with Marketing
• Eva Marsh – Shortlisted. International Event Management
• Mingjie Xu – Shortlisted. Business Management Top-up
• Ellie Massey – Shortlisted. Marketing Management.

You can read the winning entry from Freya Quinton on Seoul Tourism Organization’s campaign below.

Learn about studying Business and Law at the University of Brighton. 

 

“Your Seoul Goes On”: The Blend of Past, Present, and Future in Seoul’s Destination Marketing Campaign 

 The purpose of this blog post is to discuss a selection of the destination marketing techniques used by the Seoul Tourism Organization in their campaign “Your Seoul Goes On”.  

Introduction 

The “Your Seoul Goes On” destination marketing campaign was launched by Seoul Tourism Organization in 2021 to regain tourists after the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Figure 1 features Korean pop group BTS, smiling in front of several iconic Seoul landmarks under a night sky filled with fireworks. Along with the image shown above, the “Your Seoul Goes On” campaign consists of a promotional video and two additional images, all featuring BTS as Honorary Tourism Ambassadors of Seoul. 

In destination marketing, semiotics refers to how promotional materials use signs, symbols, language, and imagery to convey meaning to the viewer (Tresidder, 2013). This blog explores how semiotics is used in Figure 1 to promote Seoul’s national identity, cultural heritage, and modernisation as points of differentiation, and how its’ brand ambassadors, BTS, create an emotional connection with the audience.  

National Identity  

The definition of identity is highly contested, but generally refers to characteristics that allow a person, place, or object to differentiate between self and other (Palmer, 2005). In destination marketing, identity is key to fostering a competitive advantage (Porter, 1980; Stalmirska, 2020). National identity is important as it helps consumers form a mental image of a place by connecting the identity of the city, region, or area to the collective identity of the country (Palmer, 2005). 

South Korea’s flag design represents balance, harmony, justice, wisdom, and the connection between heaven and Earth (Ministry of the Interior and Safety of South Korea, 2021). Each member of BTS is seen wearing at least one colour of the South Korean flag, visually aligning the image, and, therefore, the city, with the country’s national identity. This colour scheme is also applied to other aspects of the image, with white text, blue sky, and red fireworks shown, helping to communicate the country’s shared values. 

The colour white holds significance in Korean culture. During the 19th century Japanese invasion of Korea, a traditional Korean garment, the white hanbok, was worn by Korean nationals as a symbol of peace, truth, and resistance against corruption (Lee, 2022). It allowed Koreans to differentiate themselves from the Japanese and signify a united front (Lee, 2022). All text in the campaign image is white, referencing the importance of the colour in Seoul’s history and national identity. With recent marketing materials produced by DMOs for Tokyo (Japan National Tourism Organization, 2020), Singapore (Singapore Tourism Board, 2017), and Hong Kong (Hong Kong Tourism Board, 2021) using red, yellow, black, and green for their campaign logos and slogans, Seoul Tourism Organization’s use of the colour white for its text once again helps to strengthen Seoul’s national identity and differentiate the city from other East Asian destinations. 

Language also contributes to national identity. The use of Hangul, the traditional Korean alphabet, conveys a sense of cultural authenticity, emphasising the campaign image’s focus on South Korean heritage and appealing to international tourists seeking genuine cultural experiences. The Korean text translates to “Your Seoul Goes On In The Most Seoul-Like Way”. This supports the image’s goal of differentiating Seoul from other East Asian destinations, solidifying the city as the epitome of South Korea. Seoul Tourism Organization launched the campaign to aid the recovery of tourism in Seoul after COVID-19 (Seoul Tourism Organization, 2021), with the slogan communicating the idea of the city emerging victoriously from the pandemic. This can conjure feelings of national pride for Korean citizens, targeting the domestic market, as some international restrictions remained in place at the time the campaign was launched. Phonetically, ‘Seoul’ and ‘soul’ are highly similar. For non-Korean speakers, the phrase “Your Seoul Goes On” is indistinguishable from “Your Soul Goes On” when read aloud. A person’s soul is often referred to as their core identity, consisting of memories, experiences, and personality traits. The slogan, therefore, can be perceived as Seoul shaping a tourist’s soul upon visiting the city. It can also reference Seoul’s soul, the identity of the city as the soul of South Korea. 

As well as shared qualities, destinations are generally defined by geographical and political barriers (Buhalis, 2000). Whilst South Korea and North Korea were once unified, the countries are now physically separated by the demilitarized zone (Seth, 2018). However, as North Korea has been presented negatively in global media in recent years, the two nations’ historical ties have the potential to generate unfavourable opinions of South Korea by association. The welcoming appearance of BTS helps to challenge potential negative perceptions, showing South Korea as an open, free destination.  

Heritage vs Modernity 

Figure 1 promotes Seoul as a futuristic metropolis, built on the foundations of its’ cultural heritage. In destination marketing, heritage is increasingly used to attract visitors who are motivated by a desire for knowledge and authentic cultural experiences, and to differentiate the destination from its competitors (Son et al, 2023; Roy, 2024). The campaign image demonstrates this through its’ inclusion of important historic landmarks, and national icons, BTS. The marketing material also shows the modernity of Seoul through infrastructure and pop culture, using the juxtaposition of time periods as a unique selling point. 

The campaign image focuses on Seoul’s blend of heritage and modernity, an important aspect of the city’s identity. This can be seen in the choice of landmarks featured, with the Gyeongbokgung Palace dating back to 1395, and the King Sejong the Great Statue unveiled in 2009, illustrating Seoul’s continuous development (Visit Seoul, 2020). As South Korea’s primary royal palace during the Joseon dynasty (Visit Seoul, 2020), the Gyeongbokgung Palace holds significance in the country’s political and imperial history, appealing to tourists who are motivated by the exploration of cultural heritage. To contrast, the Dongdaemun Design Plaza, opened in 2014, highlights the city’s ongoing technological advancements and innovative approach to urban planning (Visit Seoul, 2020). 

Along with architecture spanning several centuries, the intersection of cultural heritage and the contemporary is noticeable in the clothing of brand ambassadors, BTS. Each member of the band is seen wearing a modern outfit, whilst some items also feature classic Korean patterns and elements of the national dress, the hanbok (Lee, 2022). This, again, shows the campaign image’s subtle fusion of history and modernity to promote Seoul as a destination that is progressive whist remaining rooted in tradition. 

BTS themselves also support the promotional material’s focus on the harmony between past, present and future. Korean pop music generally features new and trending sounds, with BTS’ music no exception. Contrastingly, common themes in the band’s songs include significant historical events in South Korea, and traditional Korean values such as resilience, peace, and growth (Spotify, 2021). Promoting BTS at the forefront of the campaign image, surrounded by a culturally rich architectural landscape, highlights the historical preservation and rapid modernisation of Seoul.  

Pop Culture 

BTS are known globally as Korean pop music (K-pop) megastars, releasing multiple internationally successful albums and placing third on Spotify’s list of Global Top Artists in 2021 (Spotify, 2021). Featuring BTS in the campaign image fosters positive connotations for fans of the band and appeals to those whose travel motivations include art and entertainment (Alam et al, 2022). 

With the band’s success on a global level making the members of BTS recognisable figures worldwide, their presence in the campaign image offers viewers a sense of familiarity (Alam et al, 2022). As several members of the band are fluent in English, BTS’ songs often feature a mix of Korean and English lyrics. This shows an interconnectedness of cultures, communicating to the viewer that Seoul is simple for English speakers to navigate. It also helps to build a sense of trust, an important aspect of marketing a destination according to academic research (Alam et al, 2022; Jo et al, 2022; Pradhan et al, 2023). 

The importance of DMO marketing materials building an emotional connection between the viewer and the destination is widely acknowledged (Jo et al, 2022). BTS’ music generally focuses on adventure, love, growth, and fun. Including BTS in the campaign image allows the viewer to associate these themes with Seoul as a destination. It also creates a mental relationship between BTS’ human characteristics, such as their vibrance and youthful energy, and the destination (Alam et al, 2022). These perceptions enable the viewer to form a positive psychological destination image (Alam et al, 2022; Jo et al, 2022; Pradhan et al, 2023).  

Conclusion 

The aim of the campaign image was to promote both domestic and international tourism in Seoul post-pandemic. The promotional material used the city’s national identity and blend of heritage and modernity to create a strong destination image, differentiate from competitors, and appeal to tourists who are motivated by a desire for knowledge and authentic experiences. Additionally, the inclusion of BTS aided the campaign’s goal of building trust and an emotional connection with the audience.  

References 

Alam, G.N., Affandi, R.N., Dermawan, W., Azmi, F. and Mahyudin, E. (2022). Seoul’s Paradiplomacy To The Global Public: The Involvement of Bangtan Sonyeondan (BTS) in the Tourism Industry. Journal of Governance, 7(4). 

Buhalis, D. (2000). Marketing the Competitive Destination of the Future. Tourism Management, 21(1), pp.97–116. 

Hong Kong Tourism Board (2021). Home | Hong Kong Tourism Board. [online] Discover Hong Kong. Available at: https://www.discoverhongkong.com/uk/index.html [Accessed 13 Dec. 2024]. 

Japan National Tourism Organization (2020). Japan Tourist Information Center | Travel Japan | JNTO. [online] Travel Japan. Available at: https://www.japan.travel/en/plan/tic-tokyo/ [Accessed 13 Dec. 2024]. 

Jo, M., Cha, J. and Kim, J. (2022). The Effects of Tourism Storytelling on Tourism Destination Brand Value, Lovemarks and Relationship Strength in South Korea. Sustainability, 14(24), pp.16495–16511. 

Lee, Y. (2022). The white-clad people: The white hanbok and Korean nationalism. Cultural Dynamics, 34(4), pp.271–296. 

Ministry of the Interior and Safety of South Korea (2021). National Administration – National Symbols of the Republic of Korea: The National Flag – Taegeukgi. [online] www.mois.go.kr. Available at: https://www.mois.go.kr/eng/sub/a03/nationalSymbol/screen.do [Accessed 15 Dec. 2024]. 

Palmer, C. (2005). AN ETHNOGRAPHY OF ENGLISHNESS. Annals of Tourism Research, 32(1), pp.7–27. 

Porter, M.E. (1980). Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors. New York; London: Free Press. 

Pradhan, D., Moharana, T.R. and Malik, G. (2023). Influence of celebrity, destination and tourist personality on destination attachment and revisit intention: Moderating roles of endorsement embeddedness, destination crowding and gender. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 27(3), pp.100–120. 

Roy, S. (2024). Balancing Tradition and Modernity: The Brand Personality of Santiniketan as a Tourist Destination. South Asian Journal of Business and Management Cases, 13(3), pp.281–296. 

Seoul Tourism Organization (2021). SEOUL TOURISM ORGANIZATION. [online] sto.or.kr. Available at: https://www.sto.or.kr/english/tourism04/view?stBusinessSeq=42 [Accessed 25 Nov. 2024]. 

Seth, M.J. (2018). North Korea: A history. London: Palgrave. 

Singapore Tourism Board (2017). Home | STB. [online] stb.gov.sg. Available at: https://www.stb.gov.sg/content/stb/en.html [Accessed 13 Dec. 2024]. 

Son, C.M., Soon, C.S. and Sok-Yong, K.K. (2023). Exploring the Impact of Cultural Heritage on Destination Branding and Tourist Experiences: Perspective from South Korea. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 6(1), pp.1–10. 

Spotify (2021). What the World Streamed Most in 2021. [online] Spotify. Available at: https://newsroom.spotify.com/2021-12-01/what-the-world-streamed-most-in-2021/ [Accessed 15 Dec. 2024]. 

Stalmirska, A.M. (2020). Cultural globalisation and food in urban destination marketing. Tourism Geographies, 25(1), pp.1–19. 

Tresidder, R. (2013). The semiotics of tourism marketing. In: McCabe, S. (2013) The Routledge Handbook of Tourism Marketing. 1st Edition, London: Routledge, pp. 94–104. 

VisitSeoul (2020). A Complete Guide to Attractions in Seoul. [online] english.visitseoul.net. Available at: https://english.visitseoul.net/attractions [Accessed 15 Dec. 2024].