Tourist preference for tourism product brand biographies

Abstract

Tourism product brand biographies are crucial for establishing meaningful emotional connections between tourists and destinations through tourism products. Using three experiments conducted in China, including one field experiment and two laboratory experiments, this study aims to investigate the impact of brand biographies of tourism products on tourist preference and uncover the underlying mechanisms. The findings indicated underdog brand biographies, as opposed to top-dog, exerted a more positive effect on tourists' purchase intention and actual choices. Furthermore, tourist empathy and identification functioned as dual parallel mediators. By examining the effectiveness of brand strategy marketing through the lens of brand biography, this study enriches the literature on tourism product branding. Additionally, practitioners are encouraged to improve tourist preference through underdog brand biographies.