Abstract:

Consumers prefer to buy a branded product or service instead of buying a classic product or service. This is why the creation of a branded city is a topic that has emerged in the tourism sector in recent years. With the concept of city branding, cities are trying to differentiate themselves from other cities offering similar services. Therefore there are brand studies in Isparta carried out consciously or unconsciously by the local government. This study is aimed at showing how the public evaluates the brand work done by the local government for the city of Isparta. The semi-configured conversation technique, which is one of the qualitative methods in the study, was preferred because it could express participants’ opinions more clearly. The study emphasizes the importance that Isparta will create the basis in the branding process and ensure that data can be obtained that can help the local government. The research data has been collected by visiting various institutions and organizations in areas where the public is widely viewed. 400 participants interviewed face-to-face research questions. The findings obtained from the study have shown that Isparta, which is on its way to become a brand city, has a rich potential in terms of tourism, is a city connected to its traditions and traditions, its popularity in tourism is increasing but its promotional activities are insufficient. The results from the study showed that the city has significant resources in terms of branding and that these resources should be evaluated.

Keywords: