|
2007 Annual International CHRIE Conference & Exposition
44
preference and usage or evoke consumer emotions (Sirgy, 1982; Biel, 1993). In particular, the relationship between
culture and brand personality is very important in today’s globalized tourism industry.
Past research has exploited the perspective of “culture meaning” by focusing on how the constructs of self-
congruity, self-expression and brand personality are influenced by the cultural orientation of consumers (Aaker, &
Maheswaran, 1997; McCraken, 1986; Singelis, 1994). For instance, Usunier (1994) suggests that consumers are
cross-culturally different in both their preferences for products and their behavior towards brands. McCraken (1986)
emphasises that all types of products are imbued with cultural meaning from the “culturally constituted world”
through instruments of advertising and fashion. The concept of self-congruity suggests that people tend to choose
situations and companions that reaffirm their self-schema (Linville & Carlston, 1994). Hence, a tourism destination
brand with a reliable personality that is congruent to the personality of the tourist can play the role of a partner,
associate or friend. In light of this, people are perceived to prefer brands that are associated with a set of personality
traits congruent to their own (Kassarjian, 1971; Sirgy, 1982). The positive attitude towards familiar brands that are
self-congruent is due to the fact that individuals exploit brands as an avenue for self-expression (Swann, 1987). The
premise of the self-expression model which is consistent with self-congruity is that for certain groups of people,
certain brands (including tourism destinations) can become vehicles to express part of their self-identity (Kassarjian,
1971; Sirgy, 1982).
While reviewing the literature, some gaps are inherent. Generally, the researchers call for more diverse
geographical and demographic profiles to be included in future studies to shed new light on the universality in
attitude formation. Different dimensions of brand personality should also be explored. The choice of product
category and brand is also crucial for such studies. The product for research should be high in utility and exposure –
various tourism destinations have been found to satisfy these prerequisites (Christou, 2003). The brand must also be
dominant in the market and one that has a strong brand personality association. For the present study, the
internationally well-known tourism destination of Mykonos Island in Greece was chosen, as it fulfils the above
attributes.
Previous studies perceived the development of brand personality as an active role by marketers and
advertisers. The focus on the role of consumers is less evident (Aaker & Schmitt, 1998); it can be inferred from the
literature review that the perceived personality of a preferred brand for consumers can actually be influenced by
their personality preference. This is based on the fact that people who possess a favorable perception of a brand are
more likely to build a trusting relationship with it (de Chernatony & Riley, 1997). Therefore, tourists will reinforce
positive attitudes such as their preferred personalities on to the destination brand’s personality. The brand preference
may also be segmented by using Kotler’s (1997) “top of mind” and “share of heart” concepts. Top of mind is
defined as brands that are most on people’ minds, and share of heart as brands that have an emotional connection
with people.
As tourists interact with their preferred destination brand, they not only participate actively in receiving the
personality that the brand projects, but also transmit and create a new personality to it (Dittmar, 1992). Ultimately, a
person who prefers a certain tourism destination will perceive that its personality is congruent to his/her preferred
personality and will project their preferred personality on to the destination brand. This is in contrast with other
research, where self-congruity was seen to develop from the fit found between the personalities of the person and of
the brand. The following hypotheses summarize the preceding discussion:
•
H1a: Perceived personality dimensions of Mykonos are influenced by the personality dimensions for
respondents who share both “top of mind” and “share of heart” preference for Mykonos Island.
•
H1b: Perceived personality dimensions of Mykonos are not influenced by the personality dimensions for
respondents who do not share both “top of mind” and “share of heart” preference for Mykonos Island.
Do'stlaringiz bilan baham: |
