Destination web reputation as “smart tool” for image building: the case analysis of Naples city-destination

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 406-423 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberto Micera ◽  
Raffaele Crispino

Purpose Grounded in destination web reputation, the purpose of this paper is to propose a methodological framework for the analysis of the destination image-building process, where the sentiment analysis (SA) is integrated with social network analysis (SNA) tools and social media analytics (SMA), making them accessible and functional for destination management choices. The outlined framework was successively tested through an empirical analysis carried out on the image and web reputation of Naples as a tourism destination. Design/methodology/approach Critical analysis of literature on web reputation has allowed the building of the conceptual framework applied to analyse the online reputation of the case study of the city destination of Naples. The empirical research was based on the use of a platform to listen to and analyse social media conversations that allowed one to collect the data on both the destination image and the online reputation of the city. Findings The paper conceptualises the theme of destination web reputation, proposing an online discourses classification, presenting and ranking destination dimensions, which might influence prospective tourist decision-making processes. Furthermore, this study can also be apt for all destination managers who need to monitor their destination online reputation and brand, and better manage their online presence. Originality/value From a theoretical perspective, through the integration of destination management principles with SA, SNA and SMA, this paper provides an original point of view for the analysis. The web reputation analysis of a destination is one of the instruments which – if systematically used – allows us to develop an effective policy to promote a destination in a tourist-centric way, in which the local offer system will be increasingly co-created and thus tailored to customers.

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lluís Garay ◽  
Soledad Morales Pérez

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the analysis of the potential contribution of festivals in generating a destination image through social media (particularly Twitter). Design/methodology/approach This study follows a multi-method approach by recollecting, analyzing and mixing quantitative and qualitative techniques. The authors focus on the case of Vic (Spain), analyzing the destination’s image as projected by different users (administration, private sector, particular users, residents) on Twitter in relation to an international musical festival, El Mercat de Música Viva de Vic (the Vic Live Music Market). Findings From a theoretical perspective, the study’s results advocate a reconsideration of the role of social media in the processes of creating a destination’s image. It is important to take into account the need to perform a specific analysis for each platform and consider how it operates and which stakeholders prevail by weight, by the clusters they pertain to and by their elicited descriptions. In the particular case of Twitter, the image-formation continuum generated by different actors through different sources is present here on one single platform. Research limitations/implications This study is limited in terms of being based on only one social media site, and it would be very interesting to complement it by analyzing other relevant social media platforms. Practical implications From a practical point of view, this presents a challenge to destination managers to learn how to work on each specific platform in order to oversee the different destination visions and their resources. Originality/value From the results, the authors affirm that destination-branding analyses now need a platform-specific approach as well as an in-depth stakeholder analysis, since it is no longer possible to separate producers and consumers in brand image creation. Branding is becoming a more inclusive and collaborative process.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael S. Lin ◽  
Yun Liang ◽  
Joanne X. Xue ◽  
Bing Pan ◽  
Ashley Schroeder

Purpose Recent tourism research has adopted social media analytics (SMA) to examine tourism destination image (TDI) and gain timely insights for marketing purposes. Comparing the methodologies of SMA and intercept surveys would provide a more in-depth understanding of both methodologies and a more holistic understanding of TDI than each method on their own. This study aims to investigate the unique merits and biases of SMA and a traditional visitor intercept survey. Design/methodology/approach This study collected and compared data for the same tourism destination from two sources: responses from a visitor intercept survey (n = 1,336) and Flickr social media photos and metadata (n = 11,775). Content analysis, machine learning and text analysis techniques were used to analyze and compare the destination image represented from both methods. Findings The results indicated that the survey data and social media data shared major similarities in the identified key image phrases. Social media data revealed more diverse and more specific aspects of the destination, whereas survey data provided more insights in specific local landmarks. Survey data also included additional subjective judgment and attachment towards the destination. Together, the data suggested that social media data should serve as an additional and complementary source of information to traditional survey data. Originality/value This study fills a research gap by comparing two methodologies in obtaining TDI: SMA and a traditional visitor intercept survey. Furthermore, within SMA, photo and metadata are compared to offer additional awareness of social media data’s underlying complexity. The results showed the limitations of text-based image questions in surveys. The findings provide meaningful insights for tourism marketers by having a more holistic understanding of TDI through multiple data sources.


2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (11) ◽  
pp. 2609-2627 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Rosario González-Rodríguez ◽  
Rocio Martínez-Torres ◽  
Sergio Toral

Purpose This paper aims to explore the image of travel destinations after the visit by analysing sentiment orientation of the online reviews, and how this orientation, as well as other electronic word of mouth (eWOM)’s credibility sources, can affect the perceived helpfulness of shared opinions measured through the helpfulness score. Design/methodology/approach Tourist destinations are increasingly affected by travel-related information shared through the Web. More and more people first check the previous travel experiences of other people to build their own destination image and to help them in their choice of destination. This paper analyses the shared opinions related to the city of Barcelona in a well-known eWOM website. The reviewers’ opinion and the credibility sources of eWOM are extracted from the web using a webscraper, while the sentiment score to analyse the discourse orientation (positive vs negative) is calculated using computer-based sentiment analysis techniques. Findings Online reviews’ users are reluctant to provide extreme polar opinions (very negative, very positive) to any travel subcategory (hotel, restaurant, attractions and night-life) of a tourist destination. The results obtained also reveal that eWOM’s perceived helpfulness grows with the expertise of the reviewer. However, the helpfulness score given to the reviews posted is not influenced by the sentiment orientation of the author’s opinion. Research limitations/implications This research is limited to the case study of Ciao, which is a well-known consumer platform, and the city of Barcelona, which is a top touristic destination. However, the approach proposed can be easily extended to other similar consumer platforms and cities using the same methodology. Practical implications Understanding the information posted in the media environment is a major concern in the field of marketing destination planning. Positive and negative eWOM offers potential consumers a clear picture on the tourist destination, and this information can be used by Destination Marketing Organisations to meet customers’ needs and expectations. The perceived helpfulness of reviews analysed in this paper can also help practitioners and scholars to understand those factors that make reviews more trustable. Originality/value From a methodological point of view, the main contribution of this research is the utilisation of an unstructured approach to the measurement of the destination image based on the sentiment analysis of shared opinions. From a theoretical point of view, the study relates the post-visit destination image with the pre-visit image formation process, using the sentiment orientation of the former and the perceived helpfulness of the latter.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vanessa Gaffar ◽  
Benny Tjahjono ◽  
Taufik Abdullah ◽  
Vidi Sukmayadi

Purpose This paper aims to explore the influence of social media marketing on tourists’ intention to visit a botanical garden, which is one of the popular nature-based tourism destinations in Indonesia. Design/methodology/approach This study sent questionnaires to 400 followers of the botanical garden’s Facebook account who responded to the initial calls for participation and declared that they have not visited the garden before. Analyses were conducted on 363 valid responses using the structural equation model. Findings The findings revealed several key determinants influencing the image of the botanical garden and its future value proposition, particularly in supporting the endeavour to shift from a mere recreational destination to a nature-based tourism destination offering educational experiences. Originality/value This paper offers a fresh look into the roles of social media marketing in increasing the intention to visit a tourism destination that is considerably affected by the destination image.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathy R. Fitzpatrick ◽  
Paula L. Weissman

PurposeThe aim of this study was to understand how public relations leaders view and use social media analytics (SMA) and the impact of SMA on the public relations function.Design/methodology/approachThe research involved in-depth interviews with chief communication officers (CCOs) from leading multinational corporate brands.FindingsThe findings revealed that although CCOs perceive social media analytics as strategically important to the advancement of public relations, the use of social media data is slowed by challenges associated with building SMA capacity.Theoretical and practical implications – The research extends public relations theory on public relations as a strategic management function and provides practical insights for building SMA capabilities.Originality/valueThe study is among the first to provide empirical evidence of how companies are using social media analytics to enhance public relations efforts.


2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 329-344 ◽  
Author(s):  
Armando Papa ◽  
Gabriele Santoro ◽  
Lia Tirabeni ◽  
Filippo Monge

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study the effects of social media usage on four knowledge creation processes, namely socialisation, externalisation, combination and internalisation, and innovation in small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Design/methodology/approach A sample of 96 SMEs has been used to gather data through a standardised questionnaire and test the hypotheses through OLS regression models. Findings The results indicate that social media influence positively three out of four knowledge creation processes and that they help to foster the innovation process. Originality/value From a theoretical perspective, the study contributes to literature considering a specific digital tool and its effect on knowledge creation and innovation. In fact, a few studies have considered the impact of social media usage on other variables, such as ROI and productivity, but never on knowledge creation and innovation through a quantitative study. From a managerial perspective, the research suggests managers to implement and involve social media within business and innovation processes.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 2793 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia P. Iglesias-Sánchez ◽  
Marisol B. Correia ◽  
Carmen Jambrino-Maldonado ◽  
Carlos de las Heras-Pedrosa

Instagram is a popular social media platform. Its ability to convey feelings through photographs has become a valuable communication tool for tourism destination branding. The cases of two destinations in Southern Europe provide an understanding of how Instagram can be used to promote a destination’s image by Destination Management Organizations (DMOs). For this purpose, a content analysis is carried out, first of the official Instagram accounts of Algarve (Portugal) and Costa del Sol (Spain), and then of the most popular hashtags related to them, showing User-Generated Content (UGC) from the points of view of both destination managers and tourists. The results show that Instagram is a strategic social media platform for enhancing the brand image by engaging customers. Destinations seize content generated by tourists; therefore, the hermeneutic circle of representation is inverted, as photos taken by tourists aim to reproduce the perceived image of a destination and motivate tourists to capture their experiences with the best picture. Additionally, it is worth highlighting, as a main finding, the role of sustainability as a key factor in UGC for DMOs and for Instagram users. This research provides valuable information about designing promotion strategies for DMOs, in order to understand the potential of Instagram in building a destination’s image and inspiring tourism through images.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thi Hieu Hanh Truong

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to look into the mechanism in which customers involve themselves in omni-channel retail setting and use its advantages.Design/methodology/approachVia an empirical analysis through surveying customers, this paper assesses and confirms the drivers of omni-channel shopping intention within the context of fashion retailing sector in Danang.FindingsThe findings highlight the significance of customer perception of research shopping (including showrooming and webrooming) behaviours, compatibility and risk to their intention towards omni-channel shopping, implying profound understanding of designing effective omni-channel retailing strategy.Originality/valueFrom a theoretical perspective, comprehending customer perception of the omni-channel concept has emerged as an important theme in recent literature as well as in practitioners' reports. Hence, the meaningful contribution of this study is the involvement in the attractive steam of study. From a managerial perspective, this study could offer guidance to retailers or managers about developing a successful omni-channel strategy from a customer point of view.


2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 608-622 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dmytro Olehovych Oltarzhevskyi

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to distinguish the corporate communication channels by typology, by the designation of their characteristics and features of application, as well as to institutionalize the concept of corporate media. Design/methodology/approach In the theoretical part, with the help of general review, critical analysis, systematization and generalization, the main scientific works devoted to corporate communications have been studied. In practical part, the method of typology there has been used and descriptive analysis of types of communication channels has been carried out. Findings The research distinguishes the types of channels used in modern corporate communication. It reveals that corporate communication channels can be divided into two main types according to the criteria of relation to the company: outsiders and insiders. Then the channels can be divided into broad functional subtypes: events, advertising, media and a specific category – social media. The typological separation also can be based on the auditorium and communication technologies indications. Originality/value This study makes a significant contribution to the development of studies of corporate communication through structuring communication channels. The establishment of types, features and prospects for the development of communication channels, in particular such specific ones as corporate and social media, contribute to a more systematic approach to the methods of their use. From a practical point of view, companies can be guided by the results of this research during the formation of a mix of corporate communication.


2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (5) ◽  
pp. 647-669 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yichuan Wang ◽  
Minhao Zhang ◽  
Ying Kei Tse ◽  
Hing Kai Chan

PurposeUnderpinned by the lens of Contingency Theory (CT), the purpose of this paper is to empirically evaluate whether the impact of social media analytics (SMA) on customer satisfaction (CS) is contingent on the characteristics of different external stakeholders, including business partners (i.e. partner diversity), competitors (i.e. localised competition) and customers (i.e. customer engagement).Design/methodology/approachUsing both subjective and objective measures from multiple sources, we collected primary data from 141 hotels operating in Greece and their archival data from TripAdvisor and the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels (HCH) database to test the hypothesised relationships. Data were analysed through structural equation modelling.FindingsThis study confirms the positive association between SMA and CS, but it remains subject to the varied characteristics of external stakeholders. We find that an increase in CS due to the implementation of SMA is more pronounced for firms that (1) adopt a selective distribution strategy where a limited number of business partners are chosen for collaboration or (2) operate in a highly competitive local environment. The results further indicate that high level of customer engagement amplifies the moderating effect of partner diversity (when it is low) and localised competition (when it is high) on the SMA–CS relationship.Originality/valueThe study provides novel insights for managers on the need to consider external stakeholder characteristics when implementing SMA to enhance firms' CS, and for researchers on the value of studying SMA implementation from the CT perspective.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document