Interpersonal influence and destination brand equity perceptions

Purpose – This study seeks to examine the effect of two types of social influence, normative and informational, on travelers' perceptions of a destination's brand equity. Design/methodology/approach – A brand equity measurement model, previously developed for a tangible product brand, is applied and validated in the context of a destination brand. The structural model is then estimated to test the effects of normative and informational influence on brand equity. Findings – Normative but not informational influence has a significant effect on brand equity perceptions. Originality/value – The empirical results help to strengthen the claim that branding principles can be readily generalized to tourism destinations.