Customer-based place brand equity and investments: study of West Bengal

Some places command greater interests among tourists for prospective visits owing to its place brand equity. Similarly, the places that command higher interests among prospective investors attract higher investments as well. Administrative machinery of ‘places’ engages in public diplomacy so that the ‘place’ can create positive impact among the target audience. This study tests the relationships between the perspectives of customer-based place brand equity (CBPBE) namely, destination branding, public diplomacy and investment attractiveness. The study checks for the impact of destination branding and public diplomacy perspectives of CBPBE on the investment attractiveness perspective. Considering ‘West Bengal’ as the place brand, the study also tests the operationalizability of recent place brand equity scales. Finally, based on the responses given about West Bengal’s brand equity policy implications and insights are discussed.