Investigating brand strategy gap in Hong Kong: first impressions and unique attractions

ABSTRACT A brand strategy gap refers to a deviation of the projected destination image of the destination marketing organizations (DMOs) from the perceived image of residents. This gap can be represented by the perceptions of the city’s most salient features and unique attractions by government officials and local residents. Given the difference in sample sizes, the gap is examined with the aid of CATPAC, a neutral network content analysis software which allows the quantification of the frequency and clustering of textual answers of the respondent groups, and the relationships across such answers. In Hong Kong, an empirical study confirms that the two groups share similarities and discrepancies regarding both the most salient destination images and unique attractions. They share characteristics of an urban destination as the first impression, and features (Victoria Harbour, cultural attributes, skyscrapers and beaches) that are unique attractions though respondents also create different mental interrelationships in their perceptions of the destination image.