A Destination Brand for the BSR: From Wishful Thinking to Operation?

Time:       13th June, 15.15 - 16.45
Venue:     Stresemann-Saal
    
Description:
Larger entities usually have more power. Connecting individual destination brands to one brand for the BSR might raise the power of the tourism sector, too. But how do we want to connect exactly? This interactive workshop aims at lifting the long-lasting discussion from a more strategic level (Steering Group) to the operational level (DMOs) aiming at a broader consensus building, a needs assessment and suggestions for implementation. – PLEASE, BRING YOUR SMARTPHONES!

Moderator:

• Anja Gelzer, PA Tourism

Speaker: 

• Björn P. Jacobsen, Stralsund University of Applied Sciences

Potential video contributions will be from:

• A European institution which has experience in transnational branding | marketing, i.e. European Cities Marketing (ECM) or the European Travel Commission
• Completed Interreg projects which focused on transnational product development and marketing, i.e. Enjoy South Baltic! (completed EUSBSR flagship) or BaltMetPro (completed EUSBSR flagship)
• A regional (BSR based) DMO which is also committed to transnational (project) activities

Organiser(s) & contact details:

• Ministry of Economics, Employment and Health Mecklenburg-Vorpommern; PA Tourism | EUSBSR: Anja Gelzer This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.   +49 385 588 5246

Elaboration:
Background
As overall objective PA Tourism seeks to “establish the BSR as a common and coherent tourism destination”. Strategically, common branding would be a key element of achieving this objective. However, a first in-depth workshop (2016) with members of the Steering Group revealed that currently the key conditions for a joint branding are not met: a common BSR tourism identity and a common BSR tourism image are missing. Agreement was reached that initial joint actions should focus on identity building and joint potential products.

Angle of debate | Expected outcome

• The organizers would like to clarify whether the topic deserves further attention.
• Input from the audience regarding the topic is needed and will be facilitated.
• The organizers would like to learn from the video contributions what may have worked in the past and what not.
• Suggestions for further steps, stakeholder responsibilities and financing sources should be collected.

More precisely, we are looking for answers to the following questions (preselection, final list TBD):

• Do you consider identity building | branding | marketing activities for the whole (or clusters of the) BSR – in addition to your destination activities – important?
• How are branding and marketing activities organized and financed in a European context? Is such a model transferable to the BSR?
• Is targeting third (distant) markets, i.e. China, the US an option? Is it the only option? Which source markets are attractive to you?
• Can you imagine promoting your product | region | destination in a BSR context?
• Could “Sustainable tourism experiences” become something like an umbrella USP?
• What are USPs in the BSR context? Nature? Cultural Heritage? Cruise?
• What are transnational products in the BSR context? Cruise only?