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Place branding with native species: Personality as a criterion

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Abstract

Native species are elements of a place that have the potential to represent a tourism destination. The possibility of using native species for destination branding has not been systematically investigated. This research was a preliminary attempt to ascertain the efficacy of using native species in destination branding efforts and hypothesizes that if the perceived personality of a species and the perceived personality of the place of its natural range are similar, there would be a good case for adopting the species as a destination branding tool. Using Salmon as the native species and the state of Alaska as the place, the results of the study indicate that Alaska and Salmon have analogous personalities and that the closer a consumer perceived the personalities to be the more likely they were to think that Salmon represented Alaska well. Initial results verify the potential of native species to uniquely represent place with yet unrealized potential.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Drexel University, Goodwin College of Professional Studies, One Drexel Plaza, 3001 Market Street, Suite 040, Philadelphia, 19104, PA, USA

    Linda J Forristal

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  1. Linda J Forristal
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  2. Xinran Y Lehto
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Correspondence to Linda J Forristal.

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Forristal, L., Lehto, X. Place branding with native species: Personality as a criterion. Place Brand Public Dipl 5, 213–225 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1057/pb.2009.16

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/pb.2009.16

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