Expert: Tourism branding goes beyond advertising
While tourism has emerged as one of the primary growth drivers of Cebu, there have been efforts to level up the province’s tourism brand.
Local tourism stakeholders have hoped that Cebu become the face of Philippine tourism.
For branding strategist Jacqueline Thng, branding Cebu or even the Philippines in general as a tourism destination goes beyond advertising or a catchy tagline.
PR FOR TOURISM
“PR (public relations) is another exercise beyond advertising,” Thng, chief executive of Singapore’s Lexis Branding, told tourism industry stakeholders yesterday during a branding workshop in Cebu. The workshop was done by Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Mega Cebu with other private and public institutions.
“We need to have good PR that tells good stories – not lie but having stories that are more meaningful…,” the branding expert added.
Good perception about a tourism destination, according to Thng, is very important to sustain the interest of the tourists.
She said the government and the industry should be more wary as to how the country’s brand image is being shown to the world.
Citing an example, she believed the government was wrong when it allowed the country to be featured in the foreign movie Bourne Legacy which shows the dirty slums, gritty and crowded streets of Manila.
While it is a fact that bad events like crime happen in the Philippines, the Lexis CEO emphasized the country has to make an effort in establishing a good image to attract more visitors from outside the country.
CEBU BRAND
Speaking at the forum, Cebu Vice Governor Agnes Magpale claimed that creating a good branding for Cebu’s tourism industry particularly “is not an easy task”.
“Because tourism is a very highly competitive industry both in the global and local context,” she said.
But the government official believes Cebu can make its unique brand given its edge in the aspects of history, culture, food, shopping, investment, natural resources, arts and entertainment.
Milagros Espina, tourism chair of the CCCI, said Cebu really needs an integrated branding to promote its 44 municipalities and 9 independent and component cities.
The Singaporean expert also noted branding a place involves the cooperation of the various stakeholders and the rise in infrastructure investments.
The tourism brand for Cebu, she said, should be one and consistent while it supports the objectives of province’s cities and municipalities.
The Philippines in general can learn from South Korea’s successful promotion through its Korean dramas and K-pop, she said.
Thng said South Korea use the entertainment industry to promote its places, culture and people and that the Philippines must also do the same.