The importance of opinion leaders and Social Networking on destination brand development: The case study of discover Melgaço brand

Abstract

Opinion leaders tend to influence consumers’ decision-making process. We live in a digital world where people have an increasing relevance and ability to transmit a message to others, the so-called influencers or opinion leaders, with the power to inspire and influence followers. Influencers are a group of people who publish their attitudes, opinions, and preferences through multiple social media and blogs. Their fans sympathize with them because the content they post is close to them, tells them something, and reminds them of their own lives or situations they face or would like to experience in the future. In fact, in literature we can find several pieces of evidence on influence marketing, defined as the process of researching, identifying, supporting, and engaging people in high-impact conversations and content adapted to the “momentum.” This article aims to understand how opinion leaders can give contributes to the desire to visit Melgaço, realizing the degree of partnership the municipality of Melgaço has with them to reach a better promotion of the region. It also aims to analyze the investment the municipality has on social networks to promote and develop the brand “Discover Melgaço.” A qualitative study was carried out using the analysis of secondary data and interviews to achieve these goals. Finally, the article provides a new perspective on the impact of opinion leaders and social networking on the development and promotion of the Discover Melgaço brand, and it defines the characteristics that are most important in influencing tourists.