Applying Value Proposition to Destination Marketing

Your unique value proposition (UVP) is the primary reason someone should buy your product or service. It’s not a slogan or catchphrase, but a promise of the value that will be delivered. Your team and your destination are not all things to everyone, and that’s what is valuable.

Your UVP should define the business you are in, the customers you seek, why your destination is unique, and what your destination organization will do to improve their experience in return for their business.

If you’re a destination organization, meetings and conventions are one of your target markets. Here are a couple of questions to consider:

Most use some variation of “accessible” or “close to air service” to describe the location. While these are features of your destination, the benefit would be that meeting planners are saving time and money by choosing your destination. Although that is a great benefit, is it a benefit that makes your destination unique?

It’s your job to hit people in the head with what makes you different and worth their attention.

Application: The Elements of a Good Value Proposition

Crafting a value proposition can be intimidating because you’re trying to state what differentiates your product/service from your competitors, ideally in 10 words or less. It calls for substantial reflection on what is unique about your destination and services.

Test Your Value Proposition

You can evaluate your current value proposition by checking whether it answers these four questions:

The best way to test the effectiveness of possible value propositions is through split A/B testing. If you don’t have the resources to conduct A/B testing, create several variations of the messaging and measure the success metrics of each.

Why is a Value Proposition Important in Destination Marketing?

Many destinations market their locations by showcasing a pretty image with creative copy, but what is that ad actually telling consumers? How does your message stand out from every other destination?

Hector Muelas, the former SVP of global creative at Expedia Group, summed it up, stating, “So many travelers prefer booking their vacations with Vrbo, because Vrbo guests always get the whole place to themselves.” That’s a clear, concise UVP.

What Do Meeting Planners Consider a Unique Benefit?

Meeting planners may be seeking destination organizations that can provide intellectual and innovative resources to benefit their industry or their time in your destination.

Community Impact That Elevates the Meeting Experience

Los Angeles is an example of how awareness of the city’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives and DEI values allows planners to tap into one of its UVPs. The LA Career Academy gives students in historically underserved areas of the region the chance to visit the Convention Center during a convention or event and engage with national and global leaders from diverse industries. These leaders, like several of the students, may have taken unconventional paths to reach their positions. The LACC Career Academy is unique to this destination. It can only be experienced in Los Angeles, and it’s an initiative that sets out to represent the community and improve the meeting experience.

Built-In Intellectual Capital as a Competitive Advantage

Another example could be from the medical meetings industry. Medical meeting planners are seeking destinations near top-tier medical institutions to tap for event speakers, sponsors, exhibitors, and tours. With access to local experts, a unique and value-added benefit would be avoiding the cost of flying speakers across the country or offering tours of the medical facility to enhance the attendee experience. This is a unique benefit that meeting planners want, and one you may want to consider highlighting in your value proposition.

Let’s Define What Makes You Different

A clear value proposition isn’t just messaging. It is positioning. If you’re ready to sharpen how your destination stands out across leisure, meetings, and business travel, let’s define what makes you truly different.