It has been a long time since Mr. Hu first planned a weekend of gambling in Macau. He boarded the train in Dongguan, arriving in Kowloon mid-morning on a Saturday, following which he wasted no time in getting a ferry to COTAI. His first time in Macau.
Something strange happened, however, on the boat: the television screen blasted a promotional film of the city, with not an image or phrase related to gambling. Mr. Hu is perturbed, asking himself: “Am I on the right boat?”
Yes, he is; and it is heading towards Macau, the largest gambling hub in the world.
Intrigued, he searches the mobile site for the tourism website to find information that may be useful, but it only alludes to heritage, shopping, events and food.
What Mr. Hu does not know – and would hardly understand – is that although 90 per cent of Macau’s budget depends upon casinos the Region has long sought to project an image that distances itself from hardcore gambling.
The truth is that Macau’s image and brand continue to be closely linked to gambling. Which is why experts are demanding a new type of promotion – which is what the Tourism Office have been doing, trying to reach the Las Vegas threshold: the gambling capital in the US is seen by many as a place of entertainment and MICE events.
But the external image of Macau is duplicitous, so duplicitous that Mr. Hu cannot comprehend it.
On the one hand, as the first part of the research project of authors Hsu and Song (2012) shows, when they analysed 26 articles in China’s popular travel magazines they report that “Macau’s projected image in travel magazines is dominated by gambling and hotels.” But in their subsequent study, Hsu and Song note that “Culture, history and art” are the most frequently mentioned destination images projected in reviewed travel magazine articles, followed by “leisure and recreation . . . [and] . . . tourism infrastructure.”
More research (by Choi, Lehto, and Morrison, 2007) “uncovers the image representations of Macau on the Internet by analysing the narratives and visual information on Macau travel-related websites [including Macau’s official tourism website, tour operators’ and travel agents’ websites, online travel magazines and guides as well as travel blogs],” according to Does Repetition Help? Impact of destination promotion videos on perceived destination image and intention-to-visit.
“The content analysis results reveal that Macau is projected as a destination with a unique mixture of Portuguese and Chinese cultures as well as an international city with many old buildings, heritage attractions, and modern facilities in the online marketplace,” say the findings. “The results further indicate that the official tourism website painstakingly stays away from the image of a gaming city or a casino city. Instead, cultural events and facilities are highlighted on the official tourism website, reflecting the culture-oriented image of Macau.”
“The rhetoric ‘we want non-gaming elements’ exists, but for it to be reality it is crucial to have a brand image” – Glenn McCartney
Because “the cultural image of Macau, as a gambling city, is rooted in the minds of people, due to excessive dependence upon gaming . . . [it becomes necessary] . . . not to promote a city image of gambling; moreover, the local tourism organisation has avoided it, making greater efforts to divulge the cultural heritage of the territory with relevance, since Macau is part of World Heritage,” according to António Monteiro, in a paper published in the Public Administration and Civil Service Bureau magazine.
But when talking of the need to consolidate an alternative image to that of gambling the most authoritative voice is that of Glenn McCartney. For more than 15 years this professor from the University of Macau has been talking about the subject without a solid proposal to date.
“There is a need to assess the level of appeal and impact Macau’s current brand messaging is having upon enticing new markets and changing perceptions of those target audiences not considering Macau for leisure or business, or on how the brand induces additional visits and spending from current markets,” he states.
McCartney understands “we need a consistent branding strategy; I said that 15 years ago and we still do not have one. It [requires] the involvement of the public and private sectors and this does not yet exist. The rhetoric ‘we want non-gaming elements’ exists, but for it to be reality it is crucial to have a brand image. As long as both sides do not work side by side we will have fragmented communication on a regional and global level, and this in the context of growing competitiveness in tourism – an approach that will not result in the diversification of Macau,” he said in a recent JTM interview.
No advertising
Mr. Hu is returning home after an afternoon of experimenting with the various COTAI casinos.
The day did not go well for him, but that’s not what it’s all about, as the ferry plies its way to Kowloon.
Hu, who did not know Macau, was waiting for more information.
The casinos he visited did not disappoint him, but how to choose one over the other?
Since he did not do his homework, he was expecting to find advertising information when he arrived in Macau (or even on the ferry).
What Mr. Hu did not know – and we are unable to explain – is that casino advertising is banned in Macau vis-a-vis a law that is almost 40 years old and that applies to all types of marketing conducted in Macau, including games of chance played offline and online.
