Increasing tourists’ intention to visit wineries via novel instruments of brand communication and brand image
(A2021-93034)

AUTHORS

Mar Gómez, University of Castilla-La Mancha; Arturo Molina, University of Castilla-La Mancha; María Leticia Santos-Vijande, University of Oviedo

ABSTRACT

Brand preference significantly influences tourists’ behavior and, therefore, it is widely acknowledged as a key instrument to attract tourists to visit wineries. Previous research on how to develop brand preference has focused on the role of brand communication and brand image without considering recent advances in the conceptualization of these constructs. This paper develops a model in the wine tourism context that examines the role of brand communication, assessed with conventional, digital, and social measures, and brand image, evaluated considering tangible and intangible dimensions, as critical drivers of brand preference, which ultimately the wine tourists’ intention to visit wineries. In this way, our study contributes to the extant literature by incorporating to the analysis novel instruments of brand communication and brand image. Similarly, previous empirical evidence on how to improve tourists’ brand preference and visits referred to the Old-World wineries is very scarce. We used a survey questionnaire to collect data in wineries and we estimated the model using partial least squares. The findings confirm the structural relationships and offer several recommendations for managers to develop the strategic role of novel brand communication and bran image to enhance brand preference.