Social media usage among South African DMOS to link brand identity and projected brand image

Abstract

Tourism plays a significant role in the economies of many countries, with tourism activity fundamentally being a destination-lead initiative. Destination Marketing Organisations (DMOs) are pivotal in strategic planning, policy development, marketing communication and branding. The branding function is a prominent differentiator among contesting destinations, as DMOs wield the capability to create the destination’s image based on destination attributes that define its identity. Destinations continually face an arena characterised by escalating competition.

The advancement of information, communication, and technology (ICT) has led to paradigm shifts across numerous sectors. For DMOs, the influence of ICT in the area of marketing and communication is widespread, particularly through social media. Social media has emerged as a significant medium for marketing and communication due to its wide reach and cost-effectiveness in connecting with wide audiences. However, for many destinations, challenges often arise when attempting to strategically align the brand image with the brand identity of the destination. This misalignment undermines the overall branding strategy and objectives. Although many destinations have documented strategic plans, they often struggle to translate them effectively, particularly on social media platforms. Social media is not effectively prioritised and integrated into the overall branding strategy as a core component as DMOs fail to recognise the significance thereof as a strategic branding tool. Resultantly, the pace of social media adoption differs, and there are notable inconsistencies in brand articulation across social media content.

Comprehension of effective strategies to curate appropriate content and placement on social media platforms is crucial for aligning the destination’s brand identity with its image. This knowledge presents formidable challenges for DMOs since they must navigate social media complexities while maintaining consistency and authenticity in how they project the destination brand across various platforms. This shortage is particularly noticeable in the deficit of both theoretical awareness and empirical investigations into the precise impact of social media content on destination brands.

The study investigates how DMOs translate their destination’s brand identity, as articulated in their strategic documents, into a brand image projected across various social media platforms. To reach this aim, a multi-phase mixed-methods approach was taken. Three consecutive phases were employed, and each phase attended to a different but interconnected research problem.

Phase 1 applied a Systemic Quantitative Literature Review (SQLR), focusing on destination branding and social media research articles. Publication trends were described using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and Two-step Cluster Analysis. Phase 2 and Phase 3 adopted a case study approach using seven South African DMOs. In Phase 2, DMOs’ strategic documents were analysed using a deductive thematic analysis to identify content related to strategy, brand identity, and social media implementation. In Phase 3, a social media content analysis determined the extent to which themes derived from the document analysis, featured in the composition of social media content posted on Facebook, Instagram and X. It also measured the nature and extent of user engagement with this content.

The objective of the SQLR in Phase 1 was to provide a description of the existing knowledge in the field by categorising and summarising identified publications using a set of predefined descriptors. The review encompassed 300 publications from 2010 to the first half of 2020, focusing on destination branding, as well as social media within destination branding. The sample included a search on significant databases including the most relevant databases for tourism research [EBSCO Host (Hospitality and Tourism Complete); Science Direct (Elsevier); Emerald; Scopus; Web of Science; ProQuest; and Sage publications and one search engine Google Scholar]. Google Scholar was utilised to classify literature that might have been omitted from the databases. A total of 20 journals from different disciplines (tourism, marketing, business) were included.

This phase systematically distinguished trends in the literature, including the dimension of destination branding under study, social media platforms included in the study of destination branding, scholars’ methodological inclinations, as well as the geographical contexts of the studies This phase was instrumental in the development of the themes used to analyse social media usage and strategies; allowing the study to determine strategies that DMOs apply on social media, and evaluate their effectiveness. A key finding is the fact that the majority of the research in destination branding originates from the Global North (GN). The disparities noted perpetuate imbalances in the destination branding research narrative, leaving out inherent dynamics in the Global South (GS), and thus, restricting the applicability and generalisability of the findings in a global context.

Phase 2 examined how DMOs articulate brand identity through strategic documents, along with the integration of social media strategy as an element within strategic planning. The process commenced with data collection of seven South African DMOs’ strategic documents, which included annual reports, strategic plans, and promotional materials. Data were analysed using ATLAS.ti software, applying deductive thematic analysis based on predetermined themes derived from destination competitiveness models and the literature reviewed in Phase 1. The strategy theme covered long-term planning through the categories of vision and mission as expressed through official statements. Brand identity, as the lifeblood of destination competitiveness, focused on how destinations position themselves, articulate their values and describe their characteristics in terms of product offerings. Lastly, the social media theme included four categories reflecting DMOs' strategic approach to social media utilisation. These categories were platforms, content strategy, promotions, and monitoring and analytics.

Following upon the thematic content identified in the documents, Phase 3 examined DMOs’ social media activities through a deductive content analysis to determine whether the thematic content aligned across social media platforms (Facebook, X, and Instagram) with the brand identity articulated in the strategic documents in Phase 2. The study employed systematic sampling where every second post on the respective social media pages was selected retrospectively from 03 March 2022. A total of 1260 posts were collected on each platform, including both textual and photographic formats. Collected data were analysed and captured on a Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet and analysed around three key aspects of social media applications, namely content composition, content format, and user engagement. This analysis provided an evaluation of the extent to which and in what format DMOs communicate their strategic brand identity on the respective platforms and how users engage with the content.

Collectively, results from Phases 2 and 3 indicated instances of alignment and inconsistencies between strategic documents and social media practices within the seven-case study DMOs, as well as trends across the total sample. The strategic documents and social media outputs of DMOs demonstrated varying degrees of application when communicating content about vision, mission, positioning, values, and product offerings. While most DMOs showed consistency in aligning social media content to strategic documents, others exhibited gaps and misalignments, indicating the disconnect that exists between brand identity and the image projected on social media. The gap was particularly evident among DMOs that view social media as an add tional element of marketing rather than a strategic component destination branding.

The main theoretical contributions of the study are captured in a proposed Destination Branding-Social Media Alignment framework. The framework is premised on underlying principles incorporating strategic management, strategic planning, and social media, contextualised within destination branding. The framework emphasises continuous evaluation, agility, and data-oriented decision-making while adapting to the dynamic nature of social media and user engagement. It consists of six interlinked sections that illustrate optimal strategic alignment as a fundamental principle. This alignment is not static but rather a dynamic process with both brand identity and image continually reinforcing each other. This dynamic process is achieved through perpetual monitoring and analytics, thus allowing DMOs to stay abreast of changes in the social media landscape while remaining aligned with their core brand identity. The framework provides a holistic understanding of social media as a core component in strategic planning, creating an avenue for systemic research on how DMOs can maximise social media utilisation to remain competitive in the dynamic tourism landscape.