WWW.Branding.States.US:An analysis of brand-building elements in the US state tourism websites

The Internet plays a significant role in attracting visitors and facilitating their trip planning and reservations. The website of a destination has become a crucial branding channel. However, electronic branding has yet to be adequately conceptualized, particularly in the context of destination marketing. The current study aims to fill this gap through the analysis of the 50 states’ official tourism websites. Specifically, the researchers attempt to delineate the unique selling propositions (USPs) and positioning strategies of destination organizations at the state level through a content analysis of slogans, graphic projections, verbal expressions, and other explicit or implied messages. The state tourism slogans are categorized and analyzed in terms of USP building and market targeting. Among other findings, five types of slogans emerge: (1) buy us because we are good; (2) common attribute-based; (3) unique attribute-focused; (4) exclusive appeal; and (5) average Joe. Results also show that almost all the states emphasize nature and culture/heritage, and that many of the states’ official websites do not maximize their utility as marketing tools due to lack of consistency among the website elements.