Exploring online destination brand advocacy

This paper explores online brand advocacy (OBA) in a tourism destination context. Through a Social Influence Theory lens, it explores the ways in which residents and overseas tourists discuss Australia as a destination brand on social media. By analyzing a big dataset of social media user-generated content (UGC), this study sought to identify the key dimensions evident in positively valenced social media UGC, to see whether these dimensions varied between residents and overseas tourists, and to see whether the dimensions reflected OBA. The analyses found online destination brand advocacy (ODBA) had five dimensions: Destination Acknowledgement (hashtags), Destination Insights, Destination Positivity and Experience Sharing, Destination Brand Defence and Positive Virtual Visual Cues. The results have implications for the ways destination management organisations (DMOs) use social media. Suggestions for DMOs about incorporating ODBA in their marketing and branding strategies, are given at the conclusion of this paper. Some theoretical implications, specifically the need to further investigate ODBA, are also outlined.