This report examines how Poland capitalised on the opportunities associated with the country’s co-hosting of the UEFA EURO 2012 with regards to building a destination brand and identifies strategies that may be implemented in order to further establish and strengthen this brand.
In the course of this report the "6Ts of creative destination reputation" are applied to Poland specifically in the context of the country's co-hosting of a major international football event in 2012. It also gives some historical background on the development of the tourism sector in Poland in the last decades and examines and analyses both outcomes of the UEFA 2012 and the associated destination brand-building campaign "Feel Invited" for the country.
Poland's co-hosting of the EURO 2012 has provided the local Destination Marketing Organisation with opportunities to be exploited in terms of building competitive destination brand for the country. This report explores how these opportunities were exploited, taking into account the image of Poland that was held within its target markets for international tourism before and after the event. Finally, it assesses the success of the brand-building initiative during EURO 2012 and gives recommendations with regards to possible future challenges in destination branding the Polish Tourism Organisation should be aware of, as well as how this awareness may influence upcoming campaigns.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Terms of Reference
3. Poland as a destination
3.1. Tourism to CEE and Poland in particular
3.2. Perception of Poland as a destination by Western Europeans pre-EURO 2012
3.3. Destination Branding Challenges for Poland
4. Creating a viable Destination Brand for Poland
4.1. The successful Destination Brand
4.2. Poland’s Ts in the creation of a creative destination reputation
4.2.1. Tradition
4.2.2. Testimonies
4.2.3. Channelling Tradition and Testimonies into Tone
5. Leveraging a Major Sporting Event in terms of Destination Branding
5.1. “Feel Invited”
5.1.1. Communicating “Poland-Feel Invited” during EURO 2012
5.2. “Come Back”
5.3. Future challenges in firmly establishing the “Feel Invited” brand
5.3.1. Lack of appeal to non-football supporters
5.3.2. Possible negative effects of EURO 2012 on country image
5.3.3. The risk of losing momentum
6. Conclusions & Recommendations
6.1. Conclusions
6.2. Recommendations
Objectives and Core Themes
This report examines how Poland utilized its role as a co-host of the UEFA EURO 2012 tournament to enhance its national image and establish a sustainable, competitive destination brand within the international tourism market.
- Strategic development of a "creative destination" reputation.
- Integration of major sporting events into national branding strategies.
- Analysis of the "Feel Invited" campaign and its impact on visitor perceptions.
- Challenges in overcoming historical stereotypes and long-term brand maintenance.
- Evaluation of post-event strategies to mitigate the "sleeper effect."
Excerpt from the Book
5.1. “Feel Invited”
A year before EURO 2012, POT launched a multi-channel video campaign introducing and promoting the destination’s new strap line “Feel invited”. The campaign targeted three big Western European markets – Germany, the UK and France- and was built around a TV ad (PNTO London, 2012) showcasing the diverse attractions the country has to offer (PolandTravel, 2011). These included the historical parts of its main cities (i.e. Tradition), but in the context of a vibrant cultural scene. This can be interpreted to be an initiative on the part of POT to create the kind of in-demand authenticity, as described in section 4.2.1., for the destination.
The ad also emphasised the hospitable mindset of the Polish and hinted heavily towards EURO 2012 being expected to be an exceptional experience.
The main TV ad was complemented by five additional viral videos advertising active holidays, farm breaks, nature watch, business meetings and city breaks in the country, featuring storyboards based on foreign visitors’ comments (i.e. Testimonies). This clever combination of online and offline media shows that Poland as a destination has a certain Transformability potential, which can influence the creation of a strong Destination Brand in terms of creative destination reputation favourably (see section 4.1.). Total YouTube views of all six videos amount to 843.134 today (21/11/12). Especially the English version of the TV ad attracted a lot of attention from YouTube users, with over 600.000 views (PNTO London, 2012).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter outlines the increasing competition between destinations and the strategic role of mega-events in building a national brand.
2. Terms of Reference: This section defines the scope of the report, specifically focusing on Poland's efforts to capitalize on the EURO 2012 co-hosting opportunity.
3. Poland as a destination: This chapter explores Poland's tourism history, current perceptions by Western Europeans, and the branding challenges inherent in post-communist restructuring.
4. Creating a viable Destination Brand for Poland: This section introduces the "virtuous circle" model of creative destination reputation and identifies the specific "Ts" (Tradition, Testimonies, Tone, etc.) relevant to Poland.
5. Leveraging a Major Sporting Event in terms of Destination Branding: This chapter analyzes the "Feel Invited" and "Come Back" campaigns and discusses the risks, such as the "sleeper effect" and limited appeal to non-sporting audiences.
6. Conclusions & Recommendations: This final chapter synthesizes the findings, confirming the initial success of the branding efforts, and suggests future strategies for sustaining the "Feel Invited" brand.
Keywords
Destination Branding, EURO 2012, Poland, Tourism Marketing, Creative Destination, Feel Invited, Nation Branding, Sporting Events, Reputation Management, Western European Markets, Authenticity, Visitor Perception, Transformability, Brand Ambassadors, Sleeper Effect
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this report?
The report analyzes how Poland utilized the UEFA EURO 2012 tournament as a catalyst to build and strengthen its national destination brand in Western European markets.
What are the core themes addressed in the text?
The central themes include the application of creative destination branding models, the strategic use of sports mega-events for image restructuring, and the challenges of maintaining long-term brand presence.
What is the primary research goal?
The objective is to identify how Poland capitalized on the EURO 2012 opportunities to create a competitive brand and to recommend strategies for establishing this brand in the long term.
Which scientific framework is used in this work?
The analysis primarily utilizes the "virtuous circle of creative destination reputation" framework, as proposed by Morgan, Pritchard, and Pride (2011).
What topics are covered in the main section of the document?
The main section details the "Feel Invited" campaign, the importance of "Tradition" and "Testimonies" in branding, and the potential threats to brand momentum post-tournament.
How is the success of the branding initiatives measured?
Success is evaluated through metrics such as media coverage, YouTube viewership, visitor satisfaction ratings, and perceived safety improvements during the EURO 2012 event.
What is the significance of the "Feel Invited" campaign?
The "Feel Invited" campaign served as the core communication strategy to reshape the Polish national image from a post-communist perception to a vibrant, hospitable, and modern destination.
Why is the "sleeper effect" a concern for Poland?
The "sleeper effect" is a concern because of the time lag between the conclusion of EURO 2012 and the launch of the follow-up "Come Back" campaign, which may cause the brand awareness to fade in the minds of potential consumers.
How does the author suggest Poland should maintain its brand image?
The report suggests continuous endorsement-based marketing, potentially bidding for future mega-events, and regular reinforcement of advertising messages to prevent memory decay in target markets.
What is the role of the Polish football team in the branding strategy?
The Polish national football team acts as brand ambassadors due to their international profile, which helps bridge the link between the sporting event and the nation's broader tourism appeal.
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- Charlotte Brodtkorb (Autor:in), 2012, Destination Brand-Building and Major Sporting Events. The Case of Poland and the UEFA Euro 2012, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/448938
