This document discusses culture, destination branding, and relationship marketing in the context of the 2012 Summer Schools in Olympia, Greece. It covers several topics: the meaning of culture; using cultural events like the Olympic Games to brand places and promote tourism; focusing on both cultural products and building long-term relationships with visitors; and framing culture as a driver for sustainable competitive advantage when branding destinations. The document suggests culture, marketing, and people are highly intermixed in the Olympic setting and that the Games could be reconsidered as a special marketing tool for place branding and destination marketing.

1. Summer Schools ‐ Olympia, 2012
Culture marketing People
Culture marketing People
or
People marketing Culture
An acquaintance with the Chariots of Fire
Antonios Giannopoulos
Athens University of Economics & Business
Stella Kladou
Stella Kladou
Hellenic Open University, Istanbul Bilgi University, University of Rome “La Sapienza”
28th July 2012

2. Culture: What do we mean?
Culture:
Culture: What do we mean?
: What do we mean?
The word "culture" is most commonly used in three basic senses:
high culture, which refers to the excellence of taste in the fine arts and humanities,
an integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon the
capacity for symbolic thought and social learning and,
the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and
the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterises an institution,
an institution,
organization or group
Source: Kroeber &Kluckhohn, 1952
Chariots of Fire
Olympic Games‐> cultural event (sports, spirit etc.)
Notions of Olympic Ideals, culture, place image to be discerned
#S
Scene: Eric’s speech (faith and running, values and sports)
Ei ’ h (f ith d i l d t)
Summer Schools ‐ 2012

3. From Culture & Heritage To Destination Branding
Academic works focus on one or more aspects of culture, such as music & cuisine
(
(i.e. Slater, 2004)
)
Flagship cultural projects, such as museums and arts centers, intended to enhance
the city image (Grodach, 2008)
Cultural festivals conducted in a city ‐> lead to improved awareness and assist in
l lf l d d l d d d
updating their role as a sustainable tourism product (McKercher et al., 2006)
The missing link… (focus on product only?)
Paradox to be considered: “the more unique the urban attraction, the less likely is
the visit to be repeated” (Ashworth & Page, 2011, p. 8)
the visit to be repeated (Ashworth & Page 2011 p 8)
e.g. Luxor and Pisa will tend to be a once‐in‐a‐life‐time experience while more
generalized place products selling an ambiance or way of life (Paris, Vienna, New
York) rather than a specific attraction are more likely to generate repeat visits
Y k) th th ifi tt ti lik l t t t i it
# Scene: Paris “cavalier” image vs. US – media coverage
Summer Schools ‐ 2012

4. The Place Brand perspective
Destination branding (tourism field):
“the set of marketing activities that (1) support the creation of a name, symbol, logo, word
mark or other graphic that readily identifies and differentiates a destination; that (2)
consistently convey the expectation of a memorable travel experience that is uniquely
associated with the destination; that (3) serve to consolidate and reinforce the emotional
connection between the visitor and the destination; and that (4) reduce consumer search
between the visitor and the destination; and that (4) reduce consumer search
costs and perceived risk” Source: Blain et al. (2005, p. 337)
e.g. “I ♥ NY”, “Iamsterdam”
In general: Place branding hexagon (Anholt, 2003)
Tourism
Culture, heritage & sport, give places richness,
Export
dignity, trust and respect abroad & quality of life
dignity, trust and respect abroad & quality of life People
brands
at home ‐> distinct dimension Place
Cultural element inherent in all other dimensions
e.g. Made in Switzerland watch (precision
e g “Made in Switzerland” watch (precision, Culture and Brand Foreign and
Domestic
Domestic
reliability etc.) Heritage
Policy
Investment
and
Immigration
# Scene: Country‐of‐origin effect – Jewish (place
brand‐> dimensions and vice versa)
Summer Schools ‐ 2012

5. The Relationship Perspective
Based on the human‐intensive character, tourism services may actually go beyond
the simple dyadic exchange of traditional marketing
Need to create long‐term, trusting, “win–win” relationships that have a particular
effect on customer satisfaction and retention as well as a considerable impact on
effect on customer satisfaction and retention as well as a considerable impact on
loyalty (Huang & Chiu, 2006) i.e. repeaters
Relationship marketing introduced and applied to establish, develop and maintain
successful relational exchange between tourists, the service‐providers and the
local people
“Relationship marketing is to identify and establish maintain and enhance
Relationship marketing is to identify and establish, maintain and enhance
relationships with customers and other partners, at a profit so that the objectives
of the parties involved are met. This is achieved by mutual exchange and
fulfillment of promises (Grönroos, 1994, p.9)
fulfillment of promises” (Grönroos, 1994, p.9)
# Scene: Abraham’s dispute with Dean, Cambridge image, relationships built within, coach‐athlete
relationship, in search of “win‐win”
Summer Schools ‐ 2012

6. Culture, Destination Branding & Relationship Marketing
Source:
Kladou, Giannopoulos, Mavragani and Chytiri, 2012
Kladou Giannopoulos Mavragani and Chytiri 2012
Culture as a driving force for a sustainable competitive advantage: e.g. a well‐branded
cultural event has the advantage of co‐branding itself and the destination, and may finally
help in building and maintaining a strong destination brand over time
help in building and maintaining a strong destination brand over time
Advantage: a framework of D.B. & R.M.
E.g. museum referred as “one of the most transformative symbols of city place‐making
of the last decade” (Evans, 2003, p. 432)
Culture, Marketing and People element: highly intermixed in the “Olympic” setting
(p
(place, event, services etc.)
, , )
Culture Marketing People AND People Marketing Culture
Summer Schools ‐ 2012

7. From Olympia to … the world!
Olympic Games mainly considered
as a single Cultural and Sport Event
i l C l l dS E
Possible reconsider?
A special marketing tool for place branding
and destination marketing
and destination marketing
(& the case of Olympia)
Summer Schools ‐ 2012

8. Let the Game(s) begin!
rack an Olympic ‐related noun/ adjective of at least 6 characters
y p / j f
that will be the name of your team and use it to create an acrostic*
ach word of the acrostic should characterize your team (skills,
ac o d of t e ac ost c s ou d c a acte e you tea (s s,
members etc.)
f p g
ll members of the team should take part during a 5‐minute
presentation describing at least one characteristic
ake sure that you all participate and have fun!!
sure that you all participate and have fun!!
* Verse in which certain letters such as the first in each line form a word or message
Summer Schools ‐ 2012

9. Antonios A. Giannopoulos
Ph.D. Researcher in Services/Tourism Marketing & Communication
Ph D Researcher in Services/Tourism Marketing & Communication
Department of Marketing & Communication, Athens University of
Economic and Business
e‐mail: agiannop@aueb.gr
(Eng): http://gr.linkedin.com/in/antoniosgiannopoulos
(Eng): http://gr linkedin com/in/antoniosgiannopoulos
(Fr): http://gr.linkedin.com/in/antoniosgiannopoulos/fr
Academia: http://aueb.academia.edu/AntoniosGiannopoulos
Twitter ID: antonneve
St ll Kl d
Stella Kladou
Ph.D. Researcher in Place Branding
School of Social Sciences, Hellenic Open University
M.A. in Cultural Management, Istanbul Bilgi University
University of Rome “La Sapienza”
e‐mail: stellakladou@gmail.com
(Eng): http://gr.linkedin.com/in/stellakladou
Summer Schools ‐ 2012

10. will run on the of …
Feel the of the Summer School relay!
Summer Schools ‐ 2012