DOES YOUR CITY HAVE A PERSONALITY? A CRITICAL INVESTIGATION INTO BRAND PERSONALITY IN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY WITH A FOCUS ON THE BRAND PERSONALITY OF THE CITY OF BEIJING

摘要

This paper provides a critical review of the latest research on the brand personality construct and investigates the applicability of this work to the tourism industry and the branding of modern cities in particular. The Beijing city brand is then identified as a suitable choice for empirical investigation for several reasons: the city is experiencing rapid economic and social change; the city will host the 2008 Olympic Games; the capital city has a rich and varied history; and no research has been conducted on brand personality in mainland China before. Primary data has been collected from a cross-section of the Beijing public, both demographically and psychographically. A combination of qualitative (focus groups) and quantitative (structured questionnaires) research has been conducted. The paper concludes that the use of trait theory (the Big Five Factor Model, Aaker's 5 Brand Personality dimensions/traits) is unsuitable for the brand personality of cities, instead a more dynamic approach is required that allows for personality change over time and in different contexts. The paper also concludes that national culture is likely to play an influential role in any consumer's perception of brand personality, especially the brand personality of a major city. Chinese cultural values (Confucian values) , therefore, feature in the suggested personality of the city of Beijing. The paper reveals that there is a relationship between human personality and the brand personality of cities but that is much more complex and transient than the current work suggests. Beijing, in particular, is changing so quickly that it's personality is also changing. Beijing's hosting of the 2008 Olympic Games is also examined as a contributing factor to the changing nature of the Beijing city brand. Finally, the paper calls for more investigative research into brand personality within the tourism industry and China in particular. The tourism industry in China, as well as many other industries in China, appears to lack an understanding of the branding process and the importance of a powerful brand and consequent brand personality. Reasons for this and progress to resolve this are also presented in the paper.