Case studies on co-branding and farm tourism: Best match between farm image and experience activities

Abstract

Tourists' need for experience activities on farms has increased over the past decade; thus, this study adopted a co-branding perspective to examine the best match between farm image and experience activities, and examined whether farm marketers can design farm experience activities based on different source. A total of 706 samples were collected. The results indicate: (1) When a farm's promotional image and the perceptions of tourists visiting that farm are the same, a higher optimal match rate between farm imagery and farm experience activities is achieved, which results in more positive tourist responses. (2) When tourists and farm operators both identify a farm's image as the same, it results in the farm's image being identified as a particular kind of farm, whether by farm operators or tourists, resulting in an optimal match rate between farm imagery and experience activities, with both resulting in a positive tourist response. This study contributes further insights into the farm marketing strategy based on these research findings.