Amor à Marca: Aplicação da Teoria Lovemarks em Destino Turístico

Brand Love: aplicación de la teoría de las Lovemarks en un destino turístico

Abstract

The aim of this research is to investigate the application of the Lovemarks Theory in the context of the tourist destination Natal-RN, Brazil. The study, of descriptive quantitative nature, proposed to test a theoretical model based on the dimensions of the Lovemarks Theory, which are: mystery, sensuality, intimacy and love for the brand. The data were collected through an online survey that obtained 285 valid answers. The analyses were done with the help of IBM SPSS Statistics version 22 and SmartPLS 3 software. The results showed that all the research hypotheses were supported, validating the application of the Lovemarks Theory in a tourist destination. In terms of the construct 'brand love', it was found to have a more significant relationship with the dimension 'intimacy' (structural coefficient = 0.558). Furthermore, the three latent variables (mystery, sensuality and intimacy) were found to explain 79% of brand love in the tourist destination context. From the theoretical point of view, the study contributes by providing subsidies for the proposed model to be replicated in other destinations, favoring the consolidation of the Lovemarks Theory in this context. In managerial terms, the research suggests actions to develop a destination brand management based on the offer of elements that strengthen emotional connections with the traveler.