Destination Marketing Effectiveness: The Matching Effect Between Destination Logos and Advertising Persuasion Tactics

Destination logos and textual content are key components of tourism promotion. However, the ways in which these two elements can be matched to create effective destination advertisements are unclear. This research classifies destination logos based on their perceptual structure (either structured or unstructured) and their textual persuasion tactics (focused on social proof, which highlights a destination’s popularity; or scarcity, which emphasizes its uniqueness). Through four scenario-based experiments, the findings reveal a congruity effect: structured logos paired with social proof tactics and unstructured logos paired with scarcity tactics both enhance visit intention. Destination trust and arousal respectively mediate these effects; individuals’ openness to experience moderates them. Practically, tourism marketers can enhance advertisements’ effectiveness by aligning promotional strategies with destination logos’ structural design. Campaigns can also be tailored based on individuals’ degrees of openness to experience.