Destination Brand Communication in the Digital Age: The Case of Traditional Villages in Jinxing, China

Abstract

Local governments and stakeholders are increasingly focusing on leveraging modern digital media as marketing communication channels to build distinctive place brandings. However, existing research has primarily cantered on well-known tourism destination brands, with limited attention to economically backward areas, and the role of stakeholders in digital media communication remains unclear. Based on stakeholder theory, this study explores the potential of digital media communication in place branding for traditional village tourism destination, focusing on stakeholders' roles, with Jingxing traditional village in Hebei, China as the case study. In-depth interviews were conducted with 16 representatives from four key stakeholder groups: government, business operators, local residents and tourists. This study examines stakeholder roles in destination brand communication, focusing on digital media strategies for less prominent tourism destination, using Jingxing as a case study. It highlights the varying influences of stakeholders, particularly the government's dominant role, to provide insights for branding in economically disadvantaged regions. The findings offer practical implications for destination managers in implementing place branding strategies.