WebinarOnline
Destination marketing in the digital age: From academic theory to global campaign success
Friday, 4 December 2026
Learn how research, place identity and better measures can improve digital campaigns and their value to destinations.
About this event
Digital platforms enable destination organisations to reach international audiences with exceptional speed and precision. At the same time, fragmented social media environments, commercial creators and algorithmic distribution increasingly shape how places are represented. This webinar examines how destination image theory, consumer psychology and research on place identity can inform effective campaigns without reducing complex communities to simple products. It will consider the relationship between projected brand narratives, visitor expectations and the ways residents understand their own destination.
Panellists will move beyond clicks, impressions and follower counts as the principal measures of campaign success. The discussion will assess visitor dispersal, seasonal balance, length of stay, resident sentiment and demand from visitor groups that create greater local value with lower impact. It will also address ethical data use, cultural representation and the responsibilities involved when working with influencers or user-generated content. Campaign objectives will be examined in relation to destination capacity and wider management priorities.
Participants will learn how to translate academic research into a clear creative brief, appropriate channel choices and a defensible evaluation plan. They will consider how audience segmentation can be used without relying on discriminatory assumptions or excessive personal data. The session will provide questions for testing whether imagery, language and performance measures reflect the lived realities of a destination. Delegates will be equipped to design marketing that supports strategic public goals and authentic representation rather than pursuing visibility and volume as ends in themselves. This approach connects promotional effectiveness with responsible destination governance and strategic planning.