Projected and Perceived Destination Brand Personalities: The Case of South Korea

A destination can seek to convey a certain brand personality through various branding strategies and advertising messages. However, consumers may interpret the communicated messages through the prism of their own perceptions and thus may respond differently to a brand message than was intended. This research attempted to understand the relationship between the perceived and projected destination brand personalities, using South Korea as a case in point. The projected destination personality was assessed through analyzing the contents of the official Korean tourism website, while the perceived destination personality was determined from a survey conducted among a sample of U.S. travelers. The findings revealed significant discrepancies between the two. This research established a methodological framework that could become a practical tool for tourism marketing organizations in their efforts to determine and eliminate potential destination personality incongruence.