Marketing everything and theming sameness: Urban destination marketing in contemporary Europe
This paper reviews the academic and practitioner literature on urban destination marketing, suggesting that it contains within it a dominant paradigm which the author characterises as 'the theory of marketing competitive advantage'. As such, this theory requires towns and cities to differe...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Visoka turistička škola strukovnih studija, Beograd
2014-01-01
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| Series: | Turističko Poslovanje |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://scindeks-clanci.ceon.rs/data/pdf/0354-3099/2014/0354-30991413047H.pdf |
| _version_ | 1818844730891436032 |
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| author | Heeley John |
| author_facet | Heeley John |
| author_sort | Heeley John |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper reviews the academic and practitioner literature on urban destination marketing, suggesting that it contains within it a dominant paradigm which the author characterises as 'the theory of marketing competitive advantage'. As such, this theory requires towns and cities to differentiate themselves through the provision of unique products, based on which they subsequently undertake branding, market positioning, distribution and other activities through bespoke destination marketing organisations (DMOs). Practice is then contrasted with theory by reference to a discordant strad of the literature as well as the actual destination marketing currently being undertaken in 60 European towns and cities. The theory of marketing competitive advantage is shown to be an ideal which rarely translates into practice. Irrespective of whether or not a town or city possesses competitive advantage, DMO destination marketing gravitates almost inexorably towards a 'marketing of everything'. Such an approach, in turn, reduces to a bland and monolithic 'theming of urban sameness', all of which is diametrically opposite to what one would expect to be the case as per the theory of marketing competitive advantage. The author contends that this gap between theory and practice matters, necessitating a rethinking of how academics and practitioners should in future seek to explain or otherwise account for urban destination marketing. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T05:18:25Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0b88d8db772c4e5ead7ebc80555a9b7e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0354-3099 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T05:18:25Z |
| publishDate | 2014-01-01 |
| publisher | Visoka turistička škola strukovnih studija, Beograd |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Turističko Poslovanje |
| spelling | doaj.art-0b88d8db772c4e5ead7ebc80555a9b7e2022-12-21T20:34:34ZengVisoka turistička škola strukovnih studija, BeogradTurističko Poslovanje0354-30992014-01-01201413475910.5937/TurPos1413047H0354-30991413047HMarketing everything and theming sameness: Urban destination marketing in contemporary EuropeHeeley John0Best Destination Marketing and Sheffield Hallam University, UKThis paper reviews the academic and practitioner literature on urban destination marketing, suggesting that it contains within it a dominant paradigm which the author characterises as 'the theory of marketing competitive advantage'. As such, this theory requires towns and cities to differentiate themselves through the provision of unique products, based on which they subsequently undertake branding, market positioning, distribution and other activities through bespoke destination marketing organisations (DMOs). Practice is then contrasted with theory by reference to a discordant strad of the literature as well as the actual destination marketing currently being undertaken in 60 European towns and cities. The theory of marketing competitive advantage is shown to be an ideal which rarely translates into practice. Irrespective of whether or not a town or city possesses competitive advantage, DMO destination marketing gravitates almost inexorably towards a 'marketing of everything'. Such an approach, in turn, reduces to a bland and monolithic 'theming of urban sameness', all of which is diametrically opposite to what one would expect to be the case as per the theory of marketing competitive advantage. The author contends that this gap between theory and practice matters, necessitating a rethinking of how academics and practitioners should in future seek to explain or otherwise account for urban destination marketing.http://scindeks-clanci.ceon.rs/data/pdf/0354-3099/2014/0354-30991413047H.pdfurban destination marketingcompetitive advantagedifferentiationdestination brandingdestination marketing organisation |
| spellingShingle | Heeley John Marketing everything and theming sameness: Urban destination marketing in contemporary Europe Turističko Poslovanje urban destination marketing competitive advantage differentiation destination branding destination marketing organisation |
| title | Marketing everything and theming sameness: Urban destination marketing in contemporary Europe |
| title_full | Marketing everything and theming sameness: Urban destination marketing in contemporary Europe |
| title_fullStr | Marketing everything and theming sameness: Urban destination marketing in contemporary Europe |
| title_full_unstemmed | Marketing everything and theming sameness: Urban destination marketing in contemporary Europe |
| title_short | Marketing everything and theming sameness: Urban destination marketing in contemporary Europe |
| title_sort | marketing everything and theming sameness urban destination marketing in contemporary europe |
| topic | urban destination marketing competitive advantage differentiation destination branding destination marketing organisation |
| url | http://scindeks-clanci.ceon.rs/data/pdf/0354-3099/2014/0354-30991413047H.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT heeleyjohn marketingeverythingandthemingsamenessurbandestinationmarketingincontemporaryeurope |