Designing a Conceptual Model of Place Branding for the Border Provinces of West Azerbaijan with a Communicative and Persuasive Approach
Keywords:
Destination Branding, Persuasive Communication, Border Tourism, Image Management, Media DiplomacyAbstract
Due to geopolitical complexities and the prevalence of conflicting mental images, place branding in border regions necessitates a paradigm shift from traditional promotional methods to contemporary communication strategies. This research aims to develop a conceptual branding model tailored for Iran’s border provinces—specifically West Azerbaijan—with a distinct emphasis on the roles of persuasion and media management. Employing a systematic literature review and qualitative content analysis, this study identifies key components by scrutinizing 20 selected articles published over a ten-year span. The findings indicate that the optimal model for these regions comprises a four-dimensional structure: “Environmental and Identity Drivers,” “Governance and Co-creation Context,” “Communicative and Persuasive Strategies,” and “Value-Adding Outcomes.” The novelty of this framework lies in prioritizing storytelling and intelligent image management to neutralize negative publicity and transform border-related threats into tourism opportunities. The results suggest that branding success in such regions depends not merely on physical advertising, but on establishing a digital ecosystem, ensuring inter-institutional coordination to prevent contradictory messaging, and leveraging local residents as brand ambassadors. Implementing this model can facilitate the rectification of audiences’ mental images while enhancing soft security, attracting sustainable investment, and reinforcing national identity in border areas.
Downloads
References
[1] G. Afandiyeva, "Border regions as emerging tourism destinations: The case of the Caucasus," Journal of Borderlands Studies, vol. 37, no. 2, pp. 245-260, 2022.
[2] G. Warnaby, "Place branding in border regions: A re-evaluation of the 'gateway' concept," Journal of Place Management and Development, vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 45-58, 2023.
[3] D. A. Aaker, Building strong brands. New York: Free Press, 1996.
[4] K. L. Keller, Strategic brand management: Building, measuring, and managing brand equity, 3rd ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2008.
[5] J. N. Kapferer, The new strategic brand management: Creating and sustaining brand equity long term, 3rd ed. London: Kogan Page, 2004.
[6] R. Clifton and J. Simmons, The future of brands: Twenty-five visions. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2004.
[7] P. Kotler and K. L. Keller, Marketing management, 15th ed. Boston: Pearson, 2016.
[8] L. Mossberg, "A marketing approach to the tourist experience," Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism, vol. 7, no. 4, pp. 59-74, 2007, doi: 10.1080/15022250701231915.
[9] S. Anholt, Competitive identity: The new brand management for nations, cities and regions. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2007.
[10] S. Anholt, Places: Identity, image and reputation. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010.
[11] G. Hankinson, "Relational network brands: Towards a conceptual model of place brands," Journal of Vacation Marketing, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 109-121, 2004, doi: 10.1177/135676670401000202.
[12] R. Govers, Regional place branding. London: Routledge, 2021.
[13] M. Kavaratzis, "From city marketing to city branding: Towards a theoretical framework for developing city brands," Place Branding, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 58-73, 2004, doi: 10.1057/palgrave.pb.5990005.
[14] M. Kavaratzis and G. Ashworth, "City retailing and retail-led urban regeneration," Cities, vol. 22, no. 6, pp. 501-512, 2005.
[15] E. Oliveira, "Place branding in strategic spatial planning: A content analysis of development plans in Portugal," Planning Practice & Research, vol. 37, no. 2, pp. 189-211, 2022.
[16] J. E. Grunig and T. Hunt, Managing public relations, Updated ed. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2021.
[17] D. Buhalis, "Marketing the competitive destination of the future," Tourism Management, vol. 21, no. 1, pp. 59-74, 2000, doi: 10.1016/S0261-5177(99)00095-3.
[18] V. T. C. Middleton and J. Clarke, Marketing in travel and tourism, 4th ed. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2006.
[19] L. Dwyer, Z. Livaic, and R. Mellor, "Competitiveness of five Australian tourism regions," Tourism Review International, vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 79-93, 2004, doi: 10.3727/154427205774791726.
[20] B. W. Ritchie and J. R. B. Ritchie, Destination branding: Insights and practices from destination management organizations. Bristol: Channel View Publications, 2022.
[21] Y. Ekinci, "A review of theoretical debates on the source of destination image and brand personality," International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 15, no. 6, pp. 333-338, 2003, doi: 10.1108/09596110310462996.
[22] H. Saffarzadeh, "Globalization of border cities and branding challenges," Geography and Human Relationships Journal, vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 110-125, 2021.
[23] M. Zare, A. Sharifi, and M. Ghasemi, "Analysis of investment barriers in border villages with emphasis on security and infrastructure," Journal of Rural Development, vol. 25, no. 1, pp. 15-32, 2022.
[24] European Commission, "Regional branding in EU border areas: Best practices report," EU Publications, Brussels, 2024.
[25] S. Gössling, S. A. Cohen, and J. F. Hibbert, "Persuasive narratives in place branding: Beyond the visual," Annals of Tourism Research, vol. 100, pp. 110-120, 2023, doi: 10.1016/j.annals.2023.103456.
[26] J. A. García, M. Gomez, and A. Molina, "Communication in destination branding," Tourism Management, vol. 45, pp. 117-125, 2014.
[27] L. Adamus-Matuszyńska, P. Dzik, and J. Michnik, "Visual clues in place branding: A crowded or a clear space?," Sustainability, vol. 14, no. 16, p. 10345, 2022, doi: 10.3390/su141610345.
[28] R. S. Kaplan and D. P. Norton, The balanced scorecard: Translating strategy into action. Boston: Harvard Business Press, 1996.
[29] S. Hamidi, "The role of social media in recreating the image of border destinations," Tourism Management Studies Quarterly, vol. 18, no. 62, pp. 45-68, 2023.
[30] Y. Li, X. Wang, and L. Zhang, "Building a comprehensive tourism brand in Zhanjiang using integrated marketing communications," Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, vol. 54, pp. 345-358, 2023, doi: 10.2991/978-2-38476-098-5_9.
[31] Unwto, "International tourism highlights (2023 Edition)," World Tourism Organization, Madrid, 2023.
[32] Unwto, "Tourism towards 2030: Global overview," World Tourism Organization, Madrid, 2025.
[33] T. Digital Tourism Think, "Digital strategies for border tourism resilience," Journal of Tourism Futures, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 200-210, 2024.
[34] J. R. Freire, "Place branding in peripheral regions: Turning distance into distinctiveness," Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, vol. 20, no. 1, pp. 34-45, 2024, doi: 10.1057/s41254-024-00382-1.
[35] J. A. García, "Value co-creation in destination branding: The role of residents," Journal of Business Research, vol. 142, pp. 1134-1145, 2022.
[36] G. Hankinson, "The management of destination brands: Five guiding principles based on recent theory," Journal of Vacation Marketing, vol. 13, no. 3, pp. 240-254, 2007, doi: 10.1057/palgrave.bm.2550065.
[37] A. Minaei, Principles of urban branding and a reflection on explaining the strategic model of realizing the Iranian city brand. Tehran: Tahan Publications, 2018.
[38] M. Nassaji Kamrani, "Explaining factors affecting the promotion of the tourism brand of the Islamic Republic of Iran," Strategic Management Studies Quarterly, vol. 8, no. 29, pp. 95-115, 2017.
[39] A. Rahimian, Urban branding in Iran: Function, experiences, and process. Tehran: Tehran Urban Research and Planning Center, 2025.
[40] M. Rezagholizadeh, "A review of media effects on tourism," Tourism Studies Quarterly, vol. 6, no. 14, pp. 170-185, 2010.
[41] A. Mostofian, S. Hosseini, and K. Mohammadi, "Analyzing tourism development challenges in West Azerbaijan province," Geography and Tourism Planning Journal, vol. 11, no. 4, pp. 225-245, 2021.
[42] P. Yaghoubi Manzari and S. Aghamiri, "Identifying sustainable development strategies for Iran's tourism industry using the Meta-SWOT technique," Tourism Planning and Development Quarterly, vol. 7, no. 24, pp. 1-20, 2018.
[43] M. Kavaratzis, G. Warnaby, and G. J. Ashworth, A critical analysis of destination branding. Oxford: Elsevier, 2023.
[44] R. Ștefan, A. Popa, and C. Albu, "A new model for tourism branding in Eastern Europe: The case of Romania," Sustainability, vol. 16, no. 3, p. 1234, 2024.
[45] T. H. Phung and T. T. Nguyen, "Sustainable tourism branding: A bibliometric analysis and review," Current Issues in Tourism, vol. 26, no. 5, pp. 789-805, 2023.
[46] H. Lazgi and M. Siyami, "Place branding in Iran: Challenges and opportunities," Tourism Studies Quarterly, vol. 12, no. 39, pp. 153-170, 2017.
[47] A. Amini, Tourism branding: Principles and modern methods. Tehran: University of Tehran Press, 2020.
[48] I. Solimar, "Destination branding toolkit," ed, 2023.
[49] M. J. Page et al., "The PRISMA 2020 statement: An updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews," BMJ, vol. 372, p. n71, 2021, doi: 10.1136/bmj.n71.
[50] V. Braun and V. Clarke, "Using thematic analysis in psychology," Qualitative Research in Psychology, vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 77-101, 2006, doi: 10.1191/1478088706qp063oa.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Mahyar Mahmoudzadeh, Mehran Samadi, Ebrahim Irannezhad (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
