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Towards a Mekong Tourism Brand
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Peter Semone & Metin Kozak
a
Lao National Institute of Tourism and Hospitality, Vientiane, Lao People's
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b
Mugla University, Mugla, Turkey
Available online: 08 Dec 2011
To cite this article: Peter Semone & Metin Kozak (2011): Towards a Mekong Tourism Brand, Asia Pacific
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2. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, iFirst article, 2011
Towards a Mekong Tourism Brand
Peter Semone1 and Metin Kozak2∗
1
Lao National Institute of Tourism and Hospitality, Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic
Republic
2
Downloaded by [202.62.103.13] at 18:18 12 December 2011
Mugla University, Mugla, Turkey
In early 2008, the Bangkok-based Mekong Tourism Office (MTO) led a noteworthy
regional tourism brand development exercise, the objective of which was to create a
more recognizable identity for the Greater Mekong Subregion’s (GMS) burgeoning hos-
pitality and tourism industry. This paper provides a synopsis of the stakeholder-inclusive
approach taken by the MTO to develop a tourism logo and slogan for the GMS. The
branding exercise was part of a larger marketing plan for the subregion and applied a
very practical methodology. In total, the Mekong Tourism brand development was con-
ducted in five phases, each of which is described in this paper along with any relevant and
pertinent lessons learned. The paper ends with a summary of implications for the practical
implementation of the study findings.
Key words: destination marketing, destination branding, stakeholder approach, case
study
Introduction grams can be hugely significant, particularly
to developing economies. With tourists
The United Nations World Tourism Organiz- around the world spending an average of
ation (UNWTO) forecast that well over one US$2.7 billion a day, it is no wonder that the
billion international annual tourists would competition among destinations is fierce.
spend almost one trillion US dollars annually With thousands of tourism destinations trying
in over 100 countries around the world in the to attract potential visitors with their golden
2010s. When all of the direct and indirect econ- beaches, exotic cultures, snow-covered moun-
omic and social benefits of tourism are con- tains and smiling people, it is difficult for a
sidered, its contribution to a nation’s foreign place to stand out from the rest; and with the
exchange earnings, employment, poverty alle- emergence of 24/7 cable television, social
viation initiatives and social inclusion pro- media and an information-hungry public,
∗
Email: M.Kozak@superonline.com
ISSN 1094-1665 print/ISSN 1741-6507 online/11/000001– 20 # 2011 Asia Pacific Tourism Association
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10941665.2011.635663

3. 2 Peter Semone and Metin Kozak
getting the international travelers’ attention is tative of broad stakeholder input, resulted
no easy feat. For any destination marketer, from the online survey. The second survey
tourism entrepreneur or public policymaker, was conducted at a Bangkok SKAL Club
the difficulty is in finding a way to stand out meeting. SKAL is an international grouping
from the competition. In today’s competitive of travel professionals. The 46 SKAL
tourism marketplace, identifying and capitaliz- members present at the meeting, all of
ing on “destination differentiators” is the key whom were engaged in one way or another
to success. with Mekong Tourism, indicated a clear pre-
In early 2008, an exercise in tourism brand ference among the two options.
development was undertaken by the Mekong 4. Final refinement of the logo was under-
Tourism Office (MTO). The objective was to taken based on the phase 3 outcomes. It
create a more recognizable tourism identity was thereafter presented to the GMS
for the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS). Tourism Working Group (GMS-TWG),
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This paper provides a synopsis of the consulta- which eventually adopted the resultant
tive approach that was taken to develop a logo and slogan as representative of the
tourism brand through a stakeholder input official brand of Mekong Tourism.
process. The branding exercise was part of a 5. Modification of the slogan was rec-
larger marketing plan for the subregion, por- ommended by the GMS-TWG after nearly
tions of which are included in this paper and a year in the travel and tourism market-
which describe in considerable detail the place. The GMS-TWG endorsed a more
context of the branding exercise. comprehensive and descriptive slogan to
The five phases to the MTO brand develop- include the words “six countries . . . one
ment approach can be summarized as follows. river”.
1. Identity of a commonly agreed upon “desti- This paper provides a detailed description of
nation theme” and “core messages” that each of the above-mentioned phases and the
the Mekong Tourism brand should com- lessons learned. The paper begins with a
municate and convey. During this phase section that presents an overview of the
initial conceptual ideas both in terms of a current literature on how to develop a path for
logo design and a supporting slogan were destination branding. It continues by describing
developed. This was done through exten- the institutional role of regional destination
sive interactive focus group discussions marketing organizations such as the MTO,
and the engagement of a graphic artist. which will provide the reader with the necessary
During this phase, the choice of logos/ context to understand how and why the brand-
slogans was narrowed to four. ing exercise was undertaken. The paper ends
2. Administration of an online survey in which with a summary of implications for the practical
participants were asked to rank their visual implementation of the study findings.
preferences of the four options developed in
phase 1. Survey participants were also asked
to provide relevant comments. Literature Review
3. Administration of a second survey, following
further refinement of the logo/slogan options Over the last decade, branding has become an
presented in phase 2. Two options, represen- increasingly popular marketing tool because of

4. Towards a Mekong Tourism Brand 3
a changing business environment marked by According to Gnoth (2007), branding a
increasing competition and consolidation of destination means offering place values for
corporations. In the tourism industry, both the tourist consumption. Ritchie and Ritchie (1998,
accommodation and restaurant sectors have p. 103) define a destination brand to be “a
successfully applied the branding concept to name, symbol, logo, word mark or other
build unique identities and differentiate them- graphic that both identifies and differentiates
selves from their competitors. Hilton, Sheraton, the destination; furthermore, it conveys the
Club Med and McDonald’s are some of the promise of a memorable travel experience that
examples of accommodation and food service is uniquely associated with the destination; it
brands successfully implemented on the also serves to consolidate and reinforce the recol-
national and international arena. Realizing the lection of pleasurable memories of the destina-
benefits of branding in acquiring a competitive tion experience”. In fact, marketing of many
edge in both domestic and international travel destinations does not begin from a zero base
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marketplaces (Dwyer & Chulwon, 2003; (Hankinson, 2004). Pechlaner, Raich, and
Heath & Wall, 1992; Kozak & Baloglu, Zehrer (2007) explain reasonable brand manage-
2011), many destinations have also been ment as contributing extensively to a desti-
trying to adopt branding strategies that are nation’s success or failure and ensuring an
used in product and service industries. effective use of resources actively to maintain
The basic assumption is that geographic and reinforce unique values of the products as
locations – much like products and people – signified by the brand. Morgan, Pritchard, and
can also be branded. Thus, the literature Pride (2005) propose that a successful destina-
describes destination branding at the general tion branding initiative should comprise trust,
country level (Kozak & Baloglu, 2011) and quality and lifestyle connotations that consumers
in some cases particular countries such as can associate with them. Place branding there-
Britain (Hall, 2004), New Zealand (Morgan, fore inevitably becomes a coordinated process
Pritchard, & Piggott, 2003) or Denmark rather than a managed activity (Hankinson,
(Ooi, 2004). Meanwhile, others focus on 2004).
branding nations (Fan, 2006) or states such Every city has its own name, which can be
as Oregon (Curtis, 2001) and even regions used as an analog to a brand for products
such as Central and Eastern Europe (Hall, and services. Next, branding strategies take
1999), Western Australia (Crockett & into account direct and indirect competitors,
Wood, 1999), the Alps (Pechlaner, Raich, & incorporating positioning strategies. Also, the
Zehrer, 2007), Pays Cathare (Woods & assessment of city branding includes evalu-
Deegan, 2003) and Alto Minho (Edwards, ations of marketing activities such as advertis-
Fernandes, Fox, & Vaughan, 2003). ing effectiveness, positioning analysis,
Additional empirical evidence suggests the competitive performance analysis and market
branding of countryside such as Surrey Hills segmentation. Consumers are bombarded
(Nininen, Hosany, & Ekinci, 2007) or even with choices that are easily substitutable
rural destinations (Cai, 2002). There are also because more and more cities try to attract
several examples of research on city branding visitors to gain economic benefits. Most
issues (Merrilees, Miller, Herington, & places emphasize attributes of attractiveness
Smith, 2007; Phillips & Schofield, 2007; such as friendly people, beautiful scenery or
Trueman, Klemm, & Giroud, 2004). nice facilities, which no longer help potential

5. 4 Peter Semone and Metin Kozak
visitors distinguish and choose among ing. The existence of both private and public
competing cities. Therefore, it is crucial for sectors and different managerial approaches
countries or cities as tourism destinations of also complicate the process of branding.
varying sizes, regardless of their size, to differ- The creation of partnerships in destination
entiate themselves from others by fostering branding can also improve the funding
their “unique” identity or personality, based process and increase the availability of
on their core values (Kozak & Baloglu, finances for marketing and promotion pur-
2011; Ritchie & Crouch, 2003). poses. However, it is important to conclude
On the other hand, branding major cities that “a successful brand campaign leading to
could be relatively more effective and efficient increased yields for local businesses does not
than branding other cities within a country, translate into increased revenue of DMOs
ceteris paribus. Major cities are usually the [destination marketing organizations]” (Pike,
places that attract the highest proportion of 2005, p. 181). The idea of partnerships in
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domestic or international tourists visiting a order to improve branding has been developed
country (e.g. London, Istanbul, Paris, in Western Australia through the establish-
New York), particularly in the context of ment of advisory councils in order to support
business tourism. It is well known that Paris marketing (Crockett & Wood, 1999).
is a major factor in drawing millions of tour- Success of branding depends on the under-
ists to France. Generally speaking, major standing by government of marketing con-
cities in Europe are usually the capital cities cepts. Henderson (2007, p. 269) discusses the
and have a higher rate of recognition owing success of branding and tourism in Singapore
to their association with politics and the result- through good conceptual planning and finan-
ing high visibility in the media. Though not the cial support. This has enabled Singapore to
capital of Turkey, Istanbul, as a major urban achieve a competitive position and to gain
destination, is revealed as a highly recognized new businesses and events (Henderson,
city of Turkey. Jensen and Korneliussen 2007). An orchestra playing synchronized
(2002) contend that particular places or cities music together serves as a strong metaphor
in a country, such as London, Paris, Rome for successful destination branding; where all
and Istanbul, can act as “halos” or partners play in unison the melody outlined
“summary constructs” for the whole country. in the marketing strategy of a destination.
Additional approaches such as co-branding
and creation of partnerships in tourism desti-
nations are recommended by academics (Cai, Mekong Tourism Office Institutional
2002; Prideaux & Cooper, 2002; Telfer, Review
2001) because without common vision and
synchronization of branding and marketing This section of the paper describes the MTO
processes the implementation of branding is and its standing as the leading subregional
not easy or effective. The idea of a strong tourism institution for the six Mekong
brand umbrella and the coordination of activi- countries. The MTO was formed in January
ties under the same brand concept (logo, 2006 as the coordinating institution for the
slogan, brand identity, mission, vision, implementation of the GMS tourism develop-
values, etc.) are crucial in brand extension ment and marketing agenda as outlined in
and developing the idea of cooperative brand- the GMS Tourism Sector Strategy (TSS).

6. Towards a Mekong Tourism Brand 5
The stated institutional mission of the
MTO is:
to develop and promote the Mekong as a single desti-
nation, offering a diversity of good quality and high-
yielding subregional products that help to distribute
the benefits of tourism more widely; add to the
tourism development efforts of each GMS country;
and contribute primarily to poverty reduction,
gender equality and empowerment of women, and
sustainable development, while minimizing any
adverse impacts. (www.mekongtourism.org).
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Prior to the establishment of the MTO, the
Agency for Mekong Tourism Activities
(AMTA) was charged with orchestrating subre- Figure 1. Initial Version of Logo for Mekong.
gional marketing. AMTA, which was headquar-
tered at the Tourism Authority of Thailand
(TAT), was discontinued in late 2005 and the above-average-spending visitors rather than
responsibility of GMS subregional tourism mar- high yield (MTO, 2008). In the context of
keting was assumed by the MTO. At the time, the overall marketing strategies for the subre-
there was only a marketing-focused agenda gion to 2015, the key marketing objectives to
linked to AMTA and development-related 2010 as set out in the TSS Action Plan are
issues were relegated to the GMS-TWG, the to: develop and strengthen the subregional
Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Pacific institutional capacity to market the subregion
Asia Travel Association (PATA). Throughout as a single destination; enhance subregional
this early period, the logo shown in Figure 1 product development and product quality;
was used to brand both the collaborative frame- and enhance the promotion of the subregion
work of the GMS-TWG members as well as des- as a single destination (ADB, 2005).
tination Mekong. The thinking behind this rather In recognition of resource limitations and
abstract logo was to show a river flowing through capacity constraints when the MTO was
six countries, each depicted by a face. launched in 2006, a modest step-by-step
The marketing mission statement of the approach to implementing the marketing
MTO is to increase the number of high yield program was proposed in the TSS Action
subregional travellers (ADB, 2005), whereby Plan (ADB, 2005). These steps included:
high yield is defined as someone who stays
for 10+ days and/or has per diem expendi- 1. Launch a modest campaign to present a
tures of US$100+ per day and subregional tra- unified Mekong tourism branding through
veler is defined as any person who visits two a consistently updated web page presence,
or more GMS countries during any single collateral development engaging the ser-
visit to the subregion. The marketing plan vices of a professional PR/advertising
slightly modified the marketing mission by group, arranging travel trade familiariz-
defining the focus market as long-stay and ation tours, presenting “The Mekong” at

7. 6 Peter Semone and Metin Kozak
regional trade shows and rebranding ating budget, the MTO had a marketing
AMTA as the Mekong Tourism Office. budget of US$25,000, which comprised
2. Organize interactions with core interest residual AMTA marketing funds that were
groups of the private sector (e.g. investors, transferred to the Mekong Tourism Coordi-
ground tour operators, tour operators of nating Office (MTCO) in 2006. This market-
generating markets, infrastructure develo- ing money was earmarked to be spent in 2008
pers, etc.) to engage them in dialogue, on enhancing the Mekong Tourism brand, the
present views of the potentials of Mekong MTO website and supporting collateral,
tourism and seek support for the program public relations activities and trade show
as partners. attendance.
3. Energize and stage a relaunch of “Mekong
Tourism” as the universal thematic tourism
focus of the GMS with supporting collat- Going Forward with the MTO Marketing
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eral and strategies, including private Agenda
sector-driven initiatives.
The limited marketing budget of the MTO dic-
At the time of the writing of the MTO Mar- tated that in the short term the subregion did
keting Plan in November 2007, the above- not have the luxury of the massive spending
stated marketing steps (as prescribed in the power enjoyed by many competitive desti-
TSS) had been implemented either partially nations to draw visitors to the subregion.
or not at all and significant marketing efforts Any marketing project undertaken by the
were required (MTO, 2008). MTO in the short term needed to be highly
focused and aimed at developing a strong mar-
keting framework. In order to attract private
MTO Finances sector support for its marketing programs,
the MTO had to revitalize its institutional
Since its inception in 2006, the operational credibility, which was viewed as “weak” at
costs of the MTO have been underwritten best by key stakeholders.
by an annual contribution of US$15,000 by A Private Sector Advisory Group (PSAG)
each of the member governments (Cambodia, comprising senior executives of regional
China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and private sector organizations was formed to
Vietnam). At the close of 2007, the MTO provide advice and direction to the MTO’s
account held an operating surplus of some marketing program. During a 31 October
US$40,000. In addition to US$90,000 in 2007 meeting of the Advisory Group,
annual operational funding, Thailand’s Min- members expressed concern that the MTO’s
istry of Tourism and Sports provided office reputation had been seriously diminished as a
space (including utility costs). From August result of inactivity and lack of continuity. It
2007, the French government seconded a was unanimously agreed that if the MTO
senior-level tourism expert to coordinate and were ever to receive financial support from
oversee implementation of the 28 develop- the private sector as prescribed in the TSS
ment projects identified in the GMS Tourism Marketing Strategy it would need to establish
Sector Strategy, which are part of the MTO its relevance and authority as the “lead mar-
development agenda. In addition to the oper- keting organization for cooperative GMS

8. Towards a Mekong Tourism Brand 7
tourism” (MTO, 2008). It was furthermore
expressed by the private sector that in order
to be realistic, any financial contributions to
the MTO’s marketing activities must provide
clear and tangible returns on investment.
Figure 2. An Example of a Logo for Africa.
Comparable Regional Tourism
Organizations
lines and ground operators, and those who
In light of the footprints of a benchmarking service the market throughout the world, tour
exercise for tourist destinations (Kozak, and web-based operators, travel agents, rep-
2002, 2004; Kozak & Baloglu, 2011), many resentation companies, tourist boards and all
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stakeholders have suggested that there are sectors of the media. The prime role of the
lessons to be learned from understanding association is to channel information and
how comparable regional tourism organiz- breaking news to its wide membership
ations market their respective subregions. An through its sophisticated web distribution
Internet search using key words such as email service “ATTAK”. National tourist
“tourism association”, “regional tourism mar- boards, the media, the British Foreign Office
keting organization” and “regional tourism and the membership itself use this distribution
cooperation” produced links to a number of facility to keep the industry informed.
comparable tourism organizations similar to Response time is fast and information is
the MTO. As a result of this desk research, quickly distributed. ATTAK enables members
methods of marketing collaboration were throughout Africa and the UK to keep abreast
identified. Additionally, approaches to logos of the rapidly changing affairs of tourism.
and slogans in support of the regional brand Meanwhile, the ATTA logo and slogan
were reviewed. In total, six regional tourism (Figure 2) were viewed as being strong in pro-
organizations were identified as being similar viding a sense of location and dimension of
to the GMS tourism endeavor. They are the African continent as well as clearly stating
described in the following subsections. the organizational objectives of the associ-
ation. The logo seems to provide a strong insti-
tutional branding position for ATTA.
The African Travel and Tourism However, it does not appear to be directed at
Association the end user traveller.
The African Travel and Tourism Association
(ATTA) creates a hub for the positive develop- The Baltic Sea Tourism Commission
ment of travel and tourism in Africa. With over
350 members, it is Europe’s largest trade The Baltic Sea Tourism Commission (BTC) is
association promoting Africa. Membership a networking marketing association with the
covers all sections of the tourism industry. aim of promoting tourism to the Baltic Sea
They are drawn from those who supply the region in North America, Asia and Spain.
product, including hotels, lodges, camps, air- The main activities of the BTC include: press

9. 8 Peter Semone and Metin Kozak
and trade familiarization trips, an annual Greater Tumen Initiative (Joint Tourism
tourism conference, participation in tourism- Promotion)
related projects, advocacy of the tourism
industry among political decision-makers, Tumen River Region Development Area, com-
cooperation with other Baltic Sea organiz- prising China, North Korea, the Russian Fed-
ations and the provision of tourism eration and Mongolia, offers cultural and
information. The BTC logo is unremarkable natural heritage, and historic and wildlife-
in terms of any branding for either the insti- based tourism products, targeting mainly
tution or the Baltic tourism region. North East Asian and European markets that
seek soft and hard adventure experiences in
this once secluded area. The United Nations
Development Program and the Tumen
The European Quartet
Program supported a familiarization tour of
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the Tumen Region for selected tour operators
The European Quartet is a group of central
and travel journalists in October – November
European countries including the Czech
1999. The participants from China, South
Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia.
Korea and European countries assessed the
The organization has an annual budget of
tourist attractions, facilities and services of
E200,000 – 400,000, which is funded by
the area. They also had meetings with local
member governments and, to a lesser degree,
tourism officials and inbound tour operators
the private sector. Activities include: mainten-
and travel agents to generate ideas about
ance of a common website, www.european-
multi-destination tours in the region. The
quartet.com; a multi-language promotional
project included publication of a promotional
brochure (Chinese, Japanese and English);
brochure for the Tumen Region entitled The
statistical information press releases and
Tumen River Area – New Horizons in
photo library; a common promotional video;
Travel, which has been translated into
road shows to key markets; marketing work-
Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Russian and
shops; and special interest promotions. The
widely distributed to local tourism agencies,
logo is shown in Figure 3.
tour operators and travel journalists. The
project has been successful at increasing
awareness of the Tumen Region’s tourism
resources in key markets, and has been
helpful in terms of development of tourism
products in the area. The project has been
complemented by Tumen Program partici-
pation in a number of international tourism
fairs in Asia, which are good opportunities to
draw international attention to the attractions
of the Tumen Region as a tourist destination
(total budget of US$70,000). There appears
to be no concise branding in the form of a
Figure 3. An Example of a Logo for Central logo or slogan for this initiative.
European Countries.

10. Towards a Mekong Tourism Brand 9
Figure 4. An Example of a Logo and Slogan for the South Pacific.
The South Pacific Tourism Organization Tourism Vancouver Island
The South Pacific Tourism Organization Tourism Vancouver Island is a destination
(SPTO) is the mandated intergovernmental marketing organization whose vision is “To
organization for the tourism industry in the Position the Vancouver Island Region as a
South Pacific. In the early 1980s, an informal Premier Destination”. The organization is a
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association of South Pacific national tourism not-for-profit association representing the
organizations was formed, which sub- tourism stakeholders within the Vancouver
sequently became the SPTO. The SPTO is an Island region, which includes all the islands
organization with a membership that substan- located between Vancouver Island and the
tially represents both the public and private mainland coast and also includes coastal
sectors. Current full government member areas of the mainland coast between Moses
countries include The Cook Islands, Fiji, and Bute Inlets. Tourism Vancouver Island is
French Polynesia, Kiribati, New Caledonia, one of six regional DMOs in British Columbia
Niue, Papua New Guinea, People’s Republic that are contracted by the Tourism British
of China, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Columbia to deliver marketing initiatives on
Tuvalu and Vanuatu. Private sector members behalf of the region. As part of this contract
include over 200 of the major tourism oper- each region administers the Tourism Partner
ators in the region. The SPTO’s mission state- Program for their respective region. Through
ment is: “to be an internationally dynamic and the Tourism Partner Program, Tourism Van-
leading tourism organization in the develop- couver Island is able to offer tourism stake-
ment of public and private sector tourism holders within the region the opportunity to
businesses in the South Pacific”. Key market- participate in marketing initiatives at greatly
ing activities of the SPTO include: regional reduced costs. In partnership with tourism sta-
branding; overseas representation; travel keholders and Tourism British Columbia,
show/road show coordination and facili- Tourism Vancouver Island coordinates over
tation; regional collateral material; regional US$1.5 million in advertising and promotional
tourism magazine; website development and campaigns targeted at driving tourism business
promotion; Internet marketing; lead gener- to the Vancouver Island region. The associ-
ation; tourism products database; and Internet ation is governed by a board of directors that
and marketing training/consulting. Mean- is made up of industry professionals from
while, the SPTO logo and slogan are clearly various parts of the Vancouver Island region.
focused on branding the organization and The marketing committee meets regularly to
the website rather than the South Pacific evaluate and recommend strategies and
(Figure 4). tactics that are focused on reaching the vision

11. 10 Peter Semone and Metin Kozak
of the association. The branding of Vancouver In the case of the MTO, the previously men-
Island is part of the overall British Columbia tioned Mekong Tourism logo appears to be
logo and slogan of “Super, Natural”. trying to position both the institution and the
The above subregional groupings as well region. However, owing to the highly esoteric
as other individual competing destinations’ nature of the logo, it arguably does neither
positioning concepts range over: landscape, well. In the highly competitive global destina-
sightseeing and urban tourism based on shop- tion branding environment, it is unlikely that
ping and nightlife of Hong Kong, Macau, the average consumer would have an appreci-
Zuhai and Canton in the Pearl River Delta; ation or understanding of the Mekong, or the
soft and hard adventure and Buddhist culture fact that it is comprised of six nations. This
in the Asia Subregional Economic Coop- reasserts the need for a destination brand
eration (SASEC); relaxation and fun in tropi- that is more explicit, understandable and
cal island resorts of the South Pacific and effective in its promotion of the Mekong
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Caribbean; hard and soft adventure in the tourism region.
Tumen River Area; and wildlife tourism in
the Southern African Development Commu-
nity (SADC). In Association of Southeast
Case Study: The Mekong Tourism
Asian Nations, Malaysia positions itself as a
Branding Exercise
microcosm of Asia (Malaysia – Truly Asia),
whereas Singapore positions itself as an
This section describes how the MTO has
urban tourism destination and gateway to
developed a subregional tourism brand for
Asia (Uniquely Singapore). Within the broad
the coordinated marketing efforts of Cambo-
positioning framework among potential com-
dia, China (Guangxi and Yunnan Provinces),
peting regional destinations for its markets,
Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam
the GMS is distinctive in its ownership of the
(Figure 5). The evolution of the brand (and
Mekong River and its rich array of ethnic
supporting slogan) took place over a 2-year
peoples and cultures. What is clear from
period. The logo and slogan described in
seeing what comparable organizations are
phase 5 is the one the MTO is currently auth-
doing in terms of marketing activities is that
orized by the GMS-TWG to use for all subre-
any MTO marketing plan must include the
gional marketing programs.
consideration of several core channels, includ-
ing: trade marketing, consumer marketing,
market research and intelligence, media and
public relations, global branding and Internet Phase 1: Defining Destination Attributes
marketing. and Initial Logo/Slogan Designs
As for branding logos and slogans of the
various comparative regional tourism organiz- This phase entailed identifying Mekong
ations, most appear to be more focused on the tourism attributes, developing supporting
positioning of the respective institution rather descriptive words, and establishing an initial
than on the subregion being represented. The slogan and logo. This phase lasted approxi-
exception to this is the European Quartet, mately 2 months and involved a lead consult-
which has a brand that emphasizes the market- ant as well as a focus group of 10
ing of destinations more than institutions. representatives of the public and private

12. Towards a Mekong Tourism Brand 11
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Figure 5. Map of Greater Mekong Subregion.

13. 12 Peter Semone and Metin Kozak
Table 1 Core Themes used in Describing the Mekong Region
Nature Community Culture
Eco-(lodges, tourism, tours) Tourism Reigion
Sustainable Village Heritage
Green People Buddhism
Verdant Market Animism
Nature-based Local Native
Diverse Rural tourism Tribal
Agro tourism Home stays Huts
Soft adventure Mekong Rustic
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Water Pure Authentic
Untainted Indigenous Real
River Simple Fresh
Note: Associated tourism-related activities: cycling, trekking canoeing, hiking, rafting, elephant treks, self-drive holidays,
backpacking, cultural exploration and camping.
sectors. A graphic design artist was also culture (Table 1). Ten focus group members
engaged at this stage. were identified, which included a cross
Initially, an overall evaluation of Mekong section of both public and private sector stake-
Tourism was conducted by one of the holder representatives. In informal ad hoc
authors of this paper, as lead consultant, in meetings with focus group participants, the
collaboration with various tourism industry three core elements were evaluated for their
public and private sector stakeholders. It was individual suitability and merit. The focus
clear from the outset that the objective of the group participants were also asked to identify
exercise was to create a brand with a support- activities that they strongly associated with the
ing logo and slogan that would go beyond the Mekong, resulting in a list of core tourism
existing Mekong Tourism logo in supporting activities. From this wealth of words produced
consumer awareness building and marketing. by the focus group members, an initial slogan
It was agreed by the GMS-TWG that the exist- was developed by the lead consultant:
ing brand was overly focused on promoting “Explore Asia’s Last Frontier: the Mekong”.
the MTO as an institution rather than the Following the above-described exercise of
Mekong as a tourism destination. building a brand foundation, a graphic artist
Through content analysis, and review of was commissioned to develop visual themes
grey literature from the Asian Development that supported both the destination attributes
Bank and other institutions (both private and identified and the aforementioned initial
public sector) by the lead consultant, core slogan.
themes used in describing Mekong tourism This initial phase of the branding process
were identified. Three core elements emerged resulted in 15 treatments of the logo and sup-
immediately, namely: nature, community and porting slogan, as shown in Figure 6.

14. Towards a Mekong Tourism Brand 13
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Figure 6. List of Logos Included in the Branding Colour online, B/W in print Exercise.

15. 14 Peter Semone and Metin Kozak
Phase 2: Stakeholder Consultation provide any relevant comments. The email cir-
cular that was sent by the lead consultant in
This phase entailed review of the initial logo early March 2008 appears in Appendix 1 of
and slogan designs developed in phase 1 by this paper. The online survey was conducted
original focus group members as well as a over a 2-week period and resulted in 120
broader stakeholder audience through an responses (a 60% response rate), many of
online survey. Various treatments developed which included detailed comments.
in phase 1 were first individually reviewed and The online survey results identified logo
discussed with the 10 focus group members. option C as the most preferred, with options
As a result of these consultations the lead A and B a close second (see Appendix 2).
consultant was able to narrow the 15 logos to Perhaps more important than the ranking of
a shortlist of four, as shown in Figure 7. preferences was the variety of comments pro-
Subsequent to this phase of consultation vided, which were incorporated into a
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with the focus group members, an online second round of logo and slogan development.
survey was administered using the open A particularly valuable comment was “why
source software Lime Survey (http://www. not start off with your strongest brand asset:
limesurvey.org). The lead consultant circulated MEKONG and say Explore the MEKONG,
an email to 200 individuals directly involved in Asia’s last Frontier”. This, along with other
Mekong tourism asking them to participate in comments, instigated the thinking that fewer
the online survey and to rank from 1 to 4 words may be more powerful in conveying
(“1” indicating “most favorite” and “4” indi- the Mekong Tourism brand and more easily
cating “least favorite”) the four logos and remembered by consumers. This resulted in
Figure 7. A Shortlist of Four Logos.

16. Towards a Mekong Tourism Brand 15
the shortening of the slogan to simply with mid- to high-level management represent-
“Explore Mekong”. ing travel agents, tour operators and hoteliers.
Phase 3: Refinement and Additional Phase 4: Consensus by the GMS Tourism
Stakeholder Engagement Working Group (The MTO Board)
This phase, which lasted 1 month, required the This phase, which lasted 1 month, entailed pre-
re-engagement of the graphic designer and paring and delivering a compelling presen-
another round of broad stakeholder consul- tation to the six country representatives for
tation. With a shortened slogan and a myriad final endorsement by the GMS-TWG or
of comments on usage of colors and themes, Board of Directors, all of whom are public
the graphic artist was asked to develop a new sector civil servants. In May 2008, the final
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version of the brand that incorporated this version of the logo was presented to the
common wisdom. This reaped two new treat- GMS-TWG by the lead consultant, and with
ments, which were presented and voted on at a some final fine-tuning by the graphic designer,
Bangkok SKAL club luncheon. In total, 46 responsive to Board-level comments, the
people voted on the two options, with the fol- logo/slogan shown in Figure 9 was eventually
lowing results (see Figure 8). Four people adopted as the Mekong Tourism brand. It
abstained from voting, indicating that they was used for all consumer marketing activities
did not like either of the options. Based on of the Mekong Tourism Office on its consumer
the SKAL luncheon survey and additional website, www.exploremekong.org, from June
comments collected during individual inter- 2008 onward.
views, the logo was refined further in an
attempt to incorporate as many constructive Phase 5: Adjustments to the Slogan Text
observations as possible. The profile of the
Bangkok SKAL members is industry-focused This unanticipated phase, which occurred a
year later, led to the adjustment of the
Figure 8. Votes for the Two Shortlisted
Logos. Figure 9. The Logo Recommended.

17. 16 Peter Semone and Metin Kozak
slogan. In mid-2009, the GMS-TWG at the heavily on the goodwill of key industry stake-
behest of the Mekong Tourism Office sec- holders to share their opinions and time.
retariat determined that additional descriptive
words in the slogan would help enhance
consumer awareness and understanding of Conclusion and Implications
Mekong tourism. At their annual meeting,
the MTO Board voted unanimously to adjust Part and parcel of being competitive in the
the slogan to read “Explore Mekong Six international tourism arena is the need for a
Countries . . . One River”. This additional geo- recognizable destination brand. Branding is
graphic description was seen as an enhance- typically done at the national level as a single
ment to the brand, which would potentially destination; however, increasingly often an
improve the effectiveness of the Mekong agglomeration of destinations will attempt to
tourism brand in attracting consumer atten- attract visitors to a region, of either a single
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tion. The resultant logo/slogan is shown in country or a group of countries. Developing
Figure 10. Since 2009, this has been the official logos and slogans that underpin destination
logo and slogan of the Mekong Tourism sub- brands in marketing and promotion cam-
regional marketing effort. paigns can be a costly and complicated exer-
Interestingly, it is noted that this entire cise. The verbal and graphic artistic nature of
brand development exercise was respectful of logos and slogans makes liking or disliking
the limited financial resources of the MTO them subject to personal opinion and tastes.
and the steps recorded in this paper were com- It is therefore almost impossible to develop a
pleted with a budget of less than US$2,500, logo and slogan that will be agreeable to every-
making this a low-cost approach that is one. This should be accepted as fact from the
easily replicable for even the most financially onset of any branding or rebranding process.
cash-strapped of destination marketing Therefore, as suggested in the literature
organizations. Of course, the approach relied (Crockett & Wood, 1999; Fyall & Garrod,
2005; Morgan & Pritchard, 1998; Morgan
et al., 2003), encouraging stakeholder partici-
pation is a critical success factor for any
branding exercise, e.g. the stage of developing
and practical use of brands.
The study findings are valuable for
suggesting several implications in specific refer-
ence to the case of tourism authorities in
Mekong. In addition to heeding the advice of
the PSAG, the MTO has had to abide carefully
by the following marketing guidelines, which
were incorporated in the Marketing Action
Plan: (1) to maximize the potential of the Inter-
net as an effective marketing tool and source of
comprehensive visitor information; (2) to
Figure 10. Revised Version of the Logo facilitate coordinated joint marketing and pro-
Recommended. motional activities with all stakeholders and

18. Towards a Mekong Tourism Brand 17
partners; (3) to encourage more effective and conveyed. A strong focus group comprised of
targeted subregional tourism marketing based people with strong verbal and visual creative
on sound market research and understanding stills is invaluable. This group can and should
of consumer needs; (4) to establish a stronger, be consulted throughout all phases of the
more systematic and coordinated basis for sub- brand development process as it provides a
regional destination marketing by MTCO degree of continuity and consistency.
member countries and the private sector; (5)
to increase awareness of the GMS by creating
a strong and distinct image (brand) and clear References
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