Sustainable Tourism and Residents' Perception towards the Brand: The Case of Malaga (Spain)

Abstract

A brand can turn a geographical location into a landmark and influences the tourist planification of a city. Although the world tourist sector recognizes Malaga as The Coast of Sun, this analysis also reveals several more elements, which should be substantiated if a rebranding is carried out. If the brand is well managed, the residents’ perspective must be taken into account. Avoiding the seasonality and keeping the destination in the future will allow the sustainable development of the tourism in the city of Malaga. In order to achieve the goals set in this research, a descriptive methodology has been used. This study has been carried out using a questionnaire in which 1230 residents have participated. Indeed, the results show that Malaga brand is being built under the concept of culture and that some attributes are vital for the territory’s image. This encourages economic growth and hence employment. This paper offers important implications to both public and private institutions insofar as they promote tourism campaigns.

Full text

sustainability
Article
Sustainable Tourism and Residents’ Perception
towards the Brand: The Case of Malaga (Spain) †
Elena Cruz Ruiz 1, Elena Ruiz Romero de la Cruz 2, * and Francisco J. Calderón Vázquez 3
1Department of Economics and Business Administration, University Malaga,
29013 Malaga, Spain; ecruz@uma.es
2Department of Theory and Economic History, University Malaga, 29013 Malaga, Spain
3Department of Applied Economics, University Malaga, 29013 Malaga, Spain; fjcalderon@uma.es
*Correspondense: emruiz@uma.es; Tel.: +34-687-507-807
† This paper has been presented in 10th International Conference on Islands Tourism 2018 ICIT Palermo
(ITALY) 7–8 September 2018.
Received: 3 November 2018; Accepted: 24 December 2018; Published: 8 January 2019


Abstract:
A brand can turn a geographical location into a landmark and influences the tourist
planification of a city. Although the world tourist sector recognizes Malaga as The Coast of Sun,
this analysis also reveals several more elements, which should be substantiated if a rebranding is
carried out. If the brand is well managed, the residents’ perspective must be taken into account.
Avoiding the seasonality and keeping the destination in the future will allow the sustainable
development of the tourism in the city of Malaga. In order to achieve the goals set in this research,
a descriptive methodology has been used. This study has been carried out using a questionnaire
in which 1230 residents have participated. Indeed, the results show that Malaga brand is being
built under the concept of culture and that some attributes are vital for the territory’s image.
This encourages economic growth and hence employment. This paper offers important implications
to both public and private institutions insofar as they promote tourism campaigns.
Keywords: territory brand; residents’ perception; city brand identity; Malaga tourism
1. Introduction
The Mediterranean cities constitute a geographical space in which tourism represents a source of
income for their economies.
We have taken the city of Malaga as a reference due to the regeneration process of the brand that
is now under way. Malaga, as can be seen in Figure 1, is a municipality and the capital of the Province
of Malaga, in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, Spain. Malaga is the fifth most populated
city in Spain. It is located in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, in a privileged spot. The city covers
398.25 square kilometers and has a population of almost 571,069 inhabitants, although almost a million
people live in the metropolitan area.
As can be seen, tourism represents the leading sector in the economic context. Andalusia beat,
in 2017, a tourist record reaching 29.5 million visitors, a historical figure that translates to a 4.7% increase
with respect to the preceding year. The income earned in 2017 was also historical: 20,400 million euros,
4.5% more than the preceding year. With regard to the province of Malaga, 2017 was its best year ever
in terms of tourism. It was consolidated as the fastest growing urban destination with a stay of over
1.3 million people, more than 2.4 million overnight stays, and an occupancy rate of 79% [1].
Sustainability 2019,11, 292; doi:10.3390/su11010292 www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability

Sustainability 2019,11, 292 2 of 16
Figure 1. Map of the Mediterranean Sea.
As can be seen, tourism represents the leading sector in the economic context. Andalusia beat,
in 2017, a tourist record reaching 29.5 million visitors, a historical figure that translates to a 4.7%
increase with respect to the preceding year. The income earned in 2017 was also historical: 20,400
million euros, 4.5% more than the preceding year. With regard to the province of Malaga, 2017 was
its best year ever in terms of tourism. It was consolidated as the fastest growing urban destination
with a stay of over 1.3 million people, more than 2.4 million overnight stays, and an occupancy rate
of 79% [1].
Malaga brand was and still is the brand of the territory of Malaga. The Malaga territory brand
includes the main elements that defines the territory of the province of Malaga: sun, beach, museums,
Mediterranean diet, parties, friendly people, good weather, and traditions. In the sixties, when only
the Malaga brand existed, other subsidiary brands appeared. One of them (The Coast of the Sun)
positioned itself ahead of the Malaga brand. Why does Malaga need rebranding? The Coast of Sun
brand is associated with the sun and the beach and if the institutions want Malaga to be a sustainable
city in the future, rebranding is necessary. If institutions and local government want to avoid
seasonality and offer other tourist services, they will have to return to the Malaga territory brand
concept. Malaga, a city of contrasts, could not only be characterised by a sun and beach tourism. The
city council is carrying out marketing campaigns of rebranding, but it is important to know if the new
brand is being built on a stable structure. In short, it needs to be a brand that integrates everyone’s
opinions.
The objective of this research is to know if the new Malaga brand includes the perceptions of the
residents. Currently, the rebranding process is focusing on Malaga as a culture city, a distant image
of the old concept of Malaga as a city of sun and beaches. The cultural campaigns initiated by the
Council of Malaga in order to market the destination in the winter months is focusing on museums.
However, in the opinion of the residents, should culture be the basis of rebranding? For rebranding,
we must take into account not only the external perception (tourist), but also the internal one (locals).
If we create a new image of Malaga, we will make the destination sustainable. With regard to this
research, the territory brand will be considered and hence the city brand as a set of differential
elements of a geographical space.
The present paper addresses the city brand from the specific perspective of the residents of the
city of Malaga. Until recently, this is the most forgotten aspect of branding studies although they can
legitimize the city in a political sense [2]. The typology of these studies offers great advantages,
although they may fall into potential stereotypes. It is undeniable that this point of view offers a
unique opportunity to represent the common history of the territory and it becomes a fundamental
piece in branding strategies [3].
In contrast to the perception offered by the visitors, the residents’ opinions are always a more
complex picture and closer to the sense of identity [4,5]. These studies must be the ground on which
Figure 1. Map of the Mediterranean Sea.
Malaga brand was and still is the brand of the territory of Malaga. The Malaga territory brand
includes the main elements that defines the territory of the province of Malaga: sun, beach, museums,
Mediterranean diet, parties, friendly people, good weather, and traditions. In the sixties, when only
the Malaga brand existed, other subsidiary brands appeared. One of them (The Coast of the Sun)
positioned itself ahead of the Malaga brand. Why does Malaga need rebranding? The Coast of
Sun brand is associated with the sun and the beach and if the institutions want Malaga to be a
sustainable city in the future, rebranding is necessary. If institutions and local government want to
avoid seasonality and offer other tourist services, they will have to return to the Malaga territory
brand concept. Malaga, a city of contrasts, could not only be characterised by a sun and beach tourism.
The city council is carrying out marketing campaigns of rebranding, but it is important to know if
the new brand is being built on a stable structure. In short, it needs to be a brand that integrates
everyone’s opinions.
The objective of this research is to know if the new Malaga brand includes the perceptions of the
residents. Currently, the rebranding process is focusing on Malaga as a culture city, a distant image of
the old concept of Malaga as a city of sun and beaches. The cultural campaigns initiated by the Council
of Malaga in order to market the destination in the winter months is focusing on museums. However,
in the opinion of the residents, should culture be the basis of rebranding? For rebranding, we must
take into account not only the external perception (tourist), but also the internal one (locals). If we
create a new image of Malaga, we will make the destination sustainable. With regard to this research,
the territory brand will be considered and hence the city brand as a set of differential elements of a
geographical space.
The present paper addresses the city brand from the specific perspective of the residents of the
city of Malaga. Until recently, this is the most forgotten aspect of branding studies although they
can legitimize the city in a political sense [
2
]. The typology of these studies offers great advantages,
although they may fall into potential stereotypes. It is undeniable that this point of view offers a
unique opportunity to represent the common history of the territory and it becomes a fundamental
piece in branding strategies [3].
In contrast to the perception offered by the visitors, the residents’ opinions are always a more
complex picture and closer to the sense of identity [
4
,
5
]. These studies must be the ground on which to
build, improve, and polish the existing brands or the brand structures of a territory, in a process called
“rebranding" [6–9], applied to commercial brands or to cities [10].

Sustainability 2019,11, 292 3 of 16
The definition of the territory brand would be the device that combines the differential elements
of a territory. The identity in a competitive context appears as the recognition element in the cities’
positioning process. Territory brands imply a fundamental rebirth of the places from a construction
process of the brand (branding) on which individual and collective identities are given value [
11
].
The perceptions are used as basis for the construction of the experience of "identity", so the elements
that could form that identity and its relationship with those that, under the broad culture spectrum,
offer exclusive advantages that make them different from others should be explored. The coexistence
of several brands around a territory (city) determines the importance of rebranding [
10
], in order to
implement new strategies and objectives for city brands [12].
Each territory can have different meanings depending on the people who are linked to it and it is
important that these images are perceived individually and collectively and managed by institutions.
They would be talking about construction policies and territorial image communication [
13
].
The research should be based on an informed opinion and a deeper understanding of the city brand
among residents. It will pave the way to formal and correct involvement of local governments in the
review of an appropriate framework, which manages and modifies the attitudes that influence this
public good [14] (p. 362).
2. State of Art
The complexity of the territory brand and the reality on which it is projected is heterogeneous
and diverse, according to Jiménez Morales and San Eugenio [
15
] (p. 237). Some authors wonder if
the territories brands are a necessity [
16
]. Others recognize that brands offer the elements that help us
differentiate ones from others. Thanks to this attribute we can market a destination and make it more
competitive [17].
The evolution and the sense of the territory brand leads to San Eugenio’s view [
18
] (p. 197)
in the era of the "branding of places". That means strengthening the mark and its capacity for
differencing territories.
It is necessary to take into account the city’s qualities or identifiable attributes, whether tangible
or intangible. In this last chapter, there are a number of complex concepts, such as beliefs, attitudes,
and experiences. We discuss the important elements that can contribute to the positioning of a brand
in relation to the territory [19–21].
In addition, it is precisely on that level where we can talk about the importance of the territories,
in the sense in which these become speeches [
22
], influencing both visitors and residents. In this way,
we will descend from a territory brand to a city brand, with its concretion and proper management of
the identity and the projected image being of vital importance.
According to Merrilees et al., [
14
] the creation of a city brand should consider the perception of
residents in a city, whose attitudes represent key elements, capable of affecting the consolidation of
a city through its brand. This represents a new research line that allows the city to takes value and
that is followed by a group of authors, whose studies deal with the relationship between residents
and the own city brand [
2
,
23
–
28
]. All these authors lead us to consider the interest of analysing
the perception of residents and the city brand applied to the Malaga brand. The most common
indicators in the definition of the positioning of brand territory and consequently in the city brand
will be identity, culture, heritage, traditions, and events, among others [
11
], which are included in our
research questions.
This article tries to determine if the marketing campaigns of the new Malaga branding are
consistent with the residents’ perceptions. In order to answer this, we posed three research questions.
2.1. Brand and Identity
Users are exposed to image of places, symbols, and representations, with which they elaborate
meanings, and with which a particular place can be identified. This is vital both for visitors and for
residents [4,29].

Sustainability 2019,11, 292 4 of 16
The development process of the identity of a place begins in childhood and continues through
time; therefore, this is a dynamic process and that associates the product of the interaction of memory
with the awareness of certain values [
30
]. The identity of the territories involves the research and the
enhancement of their identity roots. This stage can be described as a contemporary, postmodern and
global process. This underlines the economy of the identity, image, and symbolism [11] (p. 207).
The rebranding process maximizes the benefits of the image that is projected. On a practical level,
“Place Branding” relates the identity and the image of a space with the consumption experience of
the place [
19
]. A good image must be built and sustained, not invented [
8
], hence the importance of
citizen participation in its construction. The bonding between individuals and their environment is
important [
31
]. The citizen participation improves the sense of belonging to a place. This identification
can contribute to the cooperation among organizations, clubs [
32
], and to the union between the
resident and his/her city.
The distinctive character of a place can identify the resident [
33
] so that identification gains a
fundamental relevance. The identification of the brand by the residents is a benefit for the city [
34
]
since it reinforces their own identity.
RQ1Do the residents identify with the brand that represents their city?
RQ2Do the residents know the brands that represent their city?
2.2. Brand and New Cultural Image
The promotion of culture is a greatest challenge in the design of campaigns to promote cities,
in terms of the global economy [
35
]. This offers new possibilities to cities that find in this element,
a formula to make the promotion a success [
36
]. If the residents identify themselves with their city and
the institutions do respect their opinions, the city may offer activities related to the culture that promote
the image of the city and, at the same time, achieve a climate of attraction for tourists, new residents,
or investors [28].
The city brand is used for projecting an image in the world and has become a very powerful
asset with which to promote tourism., It may also affect citizens’ quality of life [
37
], generating new
business opportunities, claiming the identity of its territory, and, consequently, highlighting its market
share [38] (p. 157), [39].
The culture significance and entertainment activities in general favour the construction of a
destination [
40
] and specifically, the culture becomes a way to authenticate destinations [
19
] not only
for visitors, but also for residents. The role of culture and residents’ perception of other Mediterranean
cities, such as Barcelona [
41
], can create leverage to successfully address the theme in other places,
as this kind of study are still scarce for Spanish speakers [
3
]. Culture is so important for the brand of
the city that is used as a strategy for the economic, social, and environmental renewal of the cities,
being one of the strategies that improves the competitiveness of destinations [42,43].
RQ3Do the residents perceive the new image of Malaga as a cultural city?
RQ4Do the residents think that the new brand is built on the correct elements?
2.3. Brand and Events
The city brand is defined as the bridge between the real and objective space and its perception;
these differences may be key and the great events may, when they are created by an organization,
modify the attitude towards brands [
44
]. Through experiences, the city brand can be improved and
consolidated. When the event fulfils the requirements and it becomes significant, it will improve the
attitude of visitors and residents towards the city brand [14].
The inherent symbolism to the city is channeled through the brand, which is consolidated as
an important intangible asset of the city, on which the majority of the urban and/or metropolitan

Sustainability 2019,11, 292 5 of 16
communication processes are based [
11
] (p. 204). Big events or those that have a great projection,
can become generators of emotions of satisfaction [45], impacting the city brand.
The differential characteristics of marketing of events exhibited by Vila Lopez et al. [
46
] (p. 195),
following [
47
] show, from the offering side, the capacity of a destination to attract visitors, but it also
makes them a better place to live from the perspective of the residents themselves.
The type of events that take part in the development of experiential marketing is very
diverse [48–50]
.
There are few examples of studies focusing on residents’ perceptions for “mega-events” [
51
,
52
]. However,
the review of the literature has revealed that the numbers of brand studies from the residents’ perspective
are increasing [
53
,
54
]. In addition, the relations that are created between the event and the image that is
projected from the city can reveal the importance of the affective and symbolic components, in the transfer
process between the perceptions of the sponsored activity and the brand [55].
In sum, these studies show a relationship between emotional experiences and attitude towards
the brand, as confirmed by Vila Lopez, et al. [
46
] (p. 197), considering that the Malaga brand has
repercussions on events due to their capacity to promote tourism and to modify the attitude of the
residents towards the same city brand.
In this framework, in the interest of the events and the repercussions that they may have on the
city brand, the following research questions have been raised:
RQ
5
Do the emotional experiences lived through the events modify the residents’ attitude towards the
city brand?
RQ6What are the events that can represent the city?
3. Methodology
The aim of the survey was to measure the residents’ perception about the Malaga brand.
The quantitative opinion survey was used as a study method in order to answer the questions that
were raised in this research. A pilot study of the questionnaire was conducted to ensure suitability,
clarity, and relevance of the research instrument. There were no substantial changes after it. The final
survey was translated into the three most important languages in the city of Malaga, Spanish, English,
and German. Respondents were selected by the snowball sampling strategy [
56
]. McMillan and
Schumacher [
57
] indicate that this technique is defined as the application of a standardized procedure to
gather information from a large sample of subjects who meet the desired characteristics for our research.
Snowball sampling can happen in a number of ways. The questionnaire was sent to potential
participants, recruiting them for the study. In the first step, the authors sent it to young people,
students of different ages, workers, unemployed individuals, housewives, and professionals.
Then, those participants recommended additional participants, and so on, thus building up like
a snowball rolling down a hill. This procedure may show certain deficiencies (Non-random, anchoring,
and lack of control over sampling method) [
58
]. However, as pointed out by San Eugenio [
41
],
Brickman Bhutta [
59
], and Unkelos Shpigel, et al., [
60
], it is possible to locate hidden or specific
populations, and among other advantages, it could be useful as complementary methodology in order
to boost the quality of the research.
The snowball sampling formula with online application involves sending the questionnaire
via social networks such as Facebook [
61
,
62
], LinkedIn [
51
], mail, and Whatsapp. It allows us to
gain information through a fast, cheap, and efficient process [
63
]. The internet makes possible to
conduct survey research faster than ever before. In economic terms, this useful way is considerably
cheaper than other methods, taking into account the time and the tools. On the other hand, Baltar and
Brunet [
64
] consider that the virtual response rate is higher when using social networks than with the
traditional snowball technique. According to the list of companies in the city, the invitation has been
sent through their Facebook profiles, which means that businesspersons from the province can also
see their opinion expressed in the survey. In an exponential way, Whatsapp has been used to reach a
whole network of individuals of different ages and professional economic conditions through family

Sustainability 2019,11, 292 6 of 16
members, representative of the reality of the city of Malaga. We conducted the analyses and graphs
using IBM ISPSS software.
Sampling
Data collection was performed during the period between 15 May 2018 and 15 July 2018.
After collecting and debugging the information, 1106 valid questionnaires were validated. An error of
2.1% for a confidence level of 95% was obtained (p = q = 0.5). In our study, sampling is reflected in
Table 1.
Table 1. Sample characteristics.
Geographical area Malaga
Universe 571,069
Sample size 1106 valid questionnaires (90%)
Sampling error 2.1%
Confidence level 95.00%
Sampling procedure Snowball technique
Preliminary questionnaire Pretest to 150 residents
Fieldwork activities May 2018–July 2018
Source: The authors.
The study made use of a questionnaire as the research instrument. The final structured
questionnaire was prepared using mainly close-ended questions. In an investigation related to the
perception of the Malaga brand, it was necessary to carry out a review of the literature, which allowed
us to select the adequate items. For studying the demographic profiles of the respondents, questions
with multiple choices were framed in the study. The survey was divided into two sections. The first
one was profiled to determine the sociodemographic characteristics of the population. The respondents
were asked about their gender, age, nationality, level of studies, work activity, income level, and about
the number of years that they had been living in Malaga.
In the second section, we focus on the fundamental aspects for the research; the questions related
to the residents’ perception of the Malaga brand. In this part, there are 24 questions of which 9 were
answered through a Likert scale of 7 points, specifying the level of interest, importance, or significance
of the issues raised, where ‘1’, indicates Not at all importance or Strongly disagree and ‘7’ Extremely
important or Strongly agree.
Issues are related to the identity and identification of the city brand, its management, the degree
of economic interest for companies, its geographic capacity, that is, whether the brand affects the entire
province or only the city.
The search for the reconstruction of the Malaga brand (rebranding) has led to intense analysis and
debate considering its importance and seeking the perception of the products or services with which it
should be associated. It is also important to keep in mind that the brand has to give an adequate image
not only in the local sphere but also at national and international level. The choice of the elements
(places, smells, images, events, and sounds) that best represent Malaga and the cultural elements that
identify it are issues of great interest. In this sense, we have tried to take into account which words
identify the Malaga brand and what are the products or services associated with it.
A series of questions related to the perceptions that the residents have of the events that take
place in the city are addressed here. These are “emblematic” celebrations, such as Holy Week, The Fair,
and The Film Festival, among others. The objective is to know the degree of satisfaction of the
residents because sometimes these events cause massive tourism in some urban areas of the city.
Finally, the questionnaire reflects on the brand and the senses. In order to build, manage, and position
a brand, it must incorporate elements that activate the senses. The consumer will not only identify it
by its excellence, but also generate sensations and emotional memories that can be connected with
the brand.

Sustainability 2019,11, 292 7 of 16
4. Results
A total of 1106 subjects participated in this survey. Regarding the socio-demographic
characteristics of respondents, there were 530 women and 576 men. The distribution of age groups
is representative, although a high response rate was given by people over 56 years old (49.7%).
The majority of participants were Spanish nationals (96.6%). Regarding the level of education, 65.2% of
subjects had university or postgraduate qualifications, and 1.20% of the informants had primary
qualifications. The distribution by activity is quite dispersed. Retirees were the largest group in terms
of occupation (26.1%), while 32.9% had individual incomes between 25,001 to 40,000 euros per year.
We thought it was important to know if the residents had been living in Malaga for a long time in
order to know if there is a relation between the identification and the years of residence. To the question:
How many years have you been living in Malaga? they answered “all of life” 59.6% and 22.4% “more
than 20 years”. In this sense, there is no correlation between identification with the brand and years
of residence. Pearson’s test was applied and the result shows that rwas equal to 0, meaning no
linear correlation. The Malaga brand is perceived as valid for the province by 67.8% while 32.2% of
respondents feel that it only represents the city and not to the rest of the municipalities. Responding
to the first question of the second section, the participants were asked about the identification with
the present Malaga brand. As can be observed in Table 2, women identified with the brand more
than men did, but it is important to note that 44.2% of respondents did not identify with the present
Malaga brand.
Table 2.
Cross tabulation and Chi-Square test of gender and identification with the present
Malaga brand.
Identified with Malaga Brand Not Identified with
Malaga Brand Total
Gender
Male % within Gender 48.7% 51.3% 100.0%
% within Identification with Malaga brand 41.8% 55.6% 47.9%
% within Gender 62.4% 37.6% 100.0%
Female % within Identification with Malaga brand 58.2% 44.4% 52.1%
Total
Count 615 487 1102
% within Gender 55.8% 44.2% 100.0%
% within Identification with Malaga brand 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
Value df Asymptotic Significance (2-sided) Exact Sig. (2-sided) Exact Sig. (1-sided)
Pearson Chi-Square 20,915 a1 0.000
Continuity Correction b20,363 1 0.000
Likelihood Ratio 20,966 1 0.000
Fisher’s Exact Test 0.000 0.000
Linear-by-Linear
Association 20,896 1 0.000
N of Valid Cases 1102
a
0 cells (0.0%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is 233.34;
b
Computed only for a
2×2 table. Source: The authors.
Residents identified with the new culture brand but consider that the Malaga territory brand is
not well managed (61.7%). In a Likert scale, the responses to ‘Malaga territory brand is well managed’
are concentrated between ‘1’ and ‘3’ (Strongly disagree, disagree, and somewhat disagree).
In addition, it is important to bear in mind what residents consider about the benefits of the brand.
They perceive that the territory brand brings benefits since most of the answers to ‘A territory brand
provides benefits to the business fabric’ are placed in the best sections of the Likert scale. Specifically,
69.4% of the interviewees give a rating between ‘5’ and ‘7’ (Somewhat agree, agree, and strongly agree).
On the question of who should be responsible for rebranding and for implementing the necessary
changes, the respondents are in complete agreement. The Council of Malaga received the highest
percentage (69.8%), well ahead of the Malaga Provincial Council with 16.6%.
The survey also asked a question to know if the residents know the brands that already exist in
the province. In this sense, it was possible to verify whether the most well-known brands are related
to different elements and values. The main ones are those indicated below.

Sustainability 2019,11, 292 8 of 16
1.—Coast of the Sun (32.5%)
The aim of this brand is to promote the coastline in the province of Malaga. There are many
tourist services of all types, including berths for sporting boats at 13 marinas and yacht clubs, as well
as golf courses, all types of sports facilities, casinos, and a myriad of leisure and entertainment options.
2.—Malaga Flavour (20.3%)
The first major objective of this brand is to unify the highest quality products in the province
under a global image. The second objective is to promote the commercialization of all products linked
to the brand, highlighting the quality and uniqueness of each of them.
3.—Malaga Great City (19.5%)
The objective is to promote the tourism supply, events, temporary exhibitions, and museums.
In relation to the importance for promoting Malaga as a destination, the residents consider the
brand “Malaga Flavour” (32.5%) firstly, followed by “Malaga Great City” (20.3%) and “Malaga The
Coast of the Sun” (19.5%). The study also shows the preponderance that exists in the perception of
residents about the Costa del Sol brand in comparison with the Malaga brand. In fact, the participants
consider that the first one is still the most important (543 responses between the scores of ‘6’ and ‘7’.)
The truth is that the latter includes the former.
Regarding Malaga’s image at national and international levels, the residents were satisfied.
The ratings between ‘5’ and ‘7’ reached 76.4% and 55.4%, respectively.
The question about the kind of products/services that should be associated with the Malaga
brand allowed us to observe, from the resident’s opinion, the list headed by the culture and cruise
sector (317 and 301 respectively). As can be seen in Figure 2, other outstanding elements are
leisure and the agroalimentary sector (products with designation of origin), chosen by 77 and
151 participants, respectively.
the necessary changes, the respondents are in complete agreement. The Council of Malaga received
the highest percentage (69.8%), well ahead of the Malaga Provincial Council with 16.6%.
The survey also asked a question to know if the residents know the brands that already exist in
the province. In this sense, it was possible to verify whether the most well-known brands are related
to different elements and values. The main ones are those indicated below.
1.—Coast of the Sun (32.5%)
The aim of this brand is to promote the coastline in the province of Malaga. There are many
tourist services of all types, including berths for sporting boats at 13 marinas and yacht clubs, as well
as golf courses, all types of sports facilities, casinos, and a myriad of leisure and entertainment
options.
2.—Malaga Flavour (20.3%)
The first major objective of this brand is to unify the highest quality products in the province under
a global image. The second objective is to promote the commercialization of all products linked to
the brand, highlighting the quality and uniqueness of each of them.
3.—Malaga Great City (19.5%)
The objective is to promote the tourism supply, events, temporary exhibitions, and museums.
In relation to the importance for promoting Malaga as a destination, the residents consider the
brand “Malaga Flavour” (32.5%) firstly, followed by “Malaga Great City” (20.3%) and “Malaga The
Coast of the Sun” (19.5%). The study also shows the preponderance that exists in the perception of
residents about the Costa del Sol brand in comparison with the Malaga brand. In fact, the participants
consider that the first one is still the most important (543 responses between the scores of ‘6’ and ‘7’.)
The truth is that the latter includes the former.
Regarding Malaga’s image at national and international levels, the residents were satisfied. The
ratings between ‘5’ and ‘7’ reached 76.4% and 55.4%, respectively.
The question about the kind of products/services that should be associated with the Malaga
brand allowed us to observe, from the resident's opinion, the list headed by the culture and cruise
sector (317 and 301 respectively). As can be seen in Figure 2, other outstanding elements are leisure
and the agroalimentary sector (products with designation of origin), chosen by 77 and 151
participants, respectively.
Figure 2. Residents’ perception towards the products and/or services associated with the Malaga brand.
Source:
The authors.
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
Figure 2.
Residents’ perception towards the products and/or services associated with the Malaga
brand. Source: The authors.
Participants were asked about the words that identify the Malaga Brand. As can be seen in Table 3,
Espetos (skewer of sardines), Sea, and Biznagas (bishop’s weed) received 260, 259, and 243 respectively.

Sustainability 2019,11, 292 9 of 16
Table 3. Words related to Malaga brand.
Frequency Percent Cumulative Percent
Lights 163 14.7 14.7
Sea 259 23.4 38.2
Biznagas 243 22.0 60.1
Espetos 260 23.5 83.6
Beach 87 7.9 91.5
Wine 29 2.6 94.1
Cenachero (Fish vendor) 21 1.9 96.0
Jábega (Beach seine) 44 4.0 100.0
Total 1106 100.0
Source: The authors.
As can be seen in the Figure 3, when asked about the cultural elements that identify the
Malaga brand, indicating a maximum of three responses, the most representative would be the
Picasso Museum and Birth House, followed by the Roman Theatre and Arab Military Fort with
227, 183, and 142 informants, respectively. These are followed by Carmen Thyssen Museum and
Cervantes Theatre.
Participants were asked about the words that identify the Malaga Brand. As can be seen in Table
3, Espetos (skewer of sardines), Sea, and Biznagas (bishop’s weed) received 260, 259, and 243
respectively.
Table 3. Words related to Malaga brand.
Frequency Percent Cumulative Percent
Lights 163 14,7 14,7
Sea 259 23,4 38,2
Biznagas 243 22,0 60,1
Espetos 260 23,5 83,6
Beach 87 7,9 91,5
Wine 29 2,6 94,1
Cenachero (Fish vendor) 21 1,9 96,0
Jábega (Beach seine) 44 4,0 100,0
Total 1106 100,0
Source: The authors.
As can be seen in the Figure 3, when asked about the cultural elements that identify the Malaga
brand, indicating a maximum of three responses, the most representative would be the Picasso
Museum and Birth House, followed by the Roman Theatre and Arab Military Fort with 227, 183, and
142 informants, respectively. These are followed by Carmen Thyssen Museum and Cervantes
Theatre.
Figure 3. Residents’ perception: Cultural elements identified with the Malaga brand. Source: The
authors.
In relation to the traditional events, as can be seen in Table 4, Holy Week is the most highly
valued, followed by the Film Festival. Holy Week was considered to have the biggest contribution to
the Malaga brand. However, the Carnival of Malaga, a tradition that has been interrupted in the last
century, had lower impact.
Table 4 Residents’ perception towards the events.
Malaga Fair Film Festival Holy Week Christmas Lights Carnival White Night
N
1106 1106 1106 1106 1106 1106
Mean 4.66 6.68 6.73 5.06 3.38 3.85
0 50 100 150 200 250
Picasso Museum
Pompidou Centre
Carmen Thyssen Museum
Russian Art Museum
Arqueological Museum
Cervantes Theater
Picasso's Museum-Birth house
CAC Malaga
Roman Theather and Arab Military Fort
Figure 3.
Residents’ perception: Cultural elements identified with the Malaga brand. Source:
The authors.
In relation to the traditional events, as can be seen in Table 4, Holy Week is the most highly valued,
followed by the Film Festival. Holy Week was considered to have the biggest contribution to the
Malaga brand. However, the Carnival of Malaga, a tradition that has been interrupted in the last
century, had lower impact.
Table 4. Residents’ perception towards the events.
Malaga Fair Film Festival Holy Week Christmas Lights Carnival White Night
N 1106 1106 1106 1106 1106 1106
Mean 4.66 6.68 6.73 5.06 3.38 3.85
Std. Error of Mean 0.051 0.027 0.027 0.054 0.048 0.044
Std. Deviation 1.693 0.891 0.899 1.811 1.607 1.470
Source: The authors.

Sustainability 2019,11, 292 10 of 16
The newest events of the city are Christmas Lights, White Night, and Malaga Film Festival. If we
take into account the maximum impact on the brand (Likert scale ‘7’), the results vary from 26.2%,
8.4%, and 36.6% respectively, making the Film Festival one of the events with the greatest impact on
the brand.
The study of the senses has come to offer very significant nuances, regarding the colours, smells,
sounds, and places associated with the Malaga brand, as well as the image that best represents them,
allowing in this case a maximum of three responses.
Regarding colours (Table 5), the most recognized were green and purple (the colour of the Malaga
flag), by 288 and 294 respondents, followed by the range of blues; the lightest, representative of the sky
and sea was chosen by 251 interviewees and 135 opted for the dark blue.
Table 5. Colour perception.
Frequency Percent Cumulative Percent
Valid
Yellow 21 1.9 1.9
Red 12 1.1 3.0
White 78 7.1 10.0
Purple 294 26.6 36.6
Green 288 26.0 62.7
Orange 12 1.1 63.7
Dark blue 135 12.2 75.9
Light blue 251 22.7 98.6
Others 15 1.4 100.0
Total 1106 100.0
Source: The authors.
Regarding the smells (Table 6), the Biznaga, known in English as bishop’s weed, is the element
that best represents the Malaga brand; specifically, it was mentioned by 55.9% of the respondents,
followed by the Espetos (skewer of sardines) and sea saltpeter, with similar percentages of 18.4% and
17.4%, respectively.
Table 6. Smell perception.
Frequency Percent Cumulative Percent
Valid
Biznaga 618 55.9 55.9
Salpeter/Sea 192 17.4 73.2
Espeto 203 18.4 91.6
Orange Blosson
93 8.4 100.0
Total 1106 100.0
Source: The authors.
Regarding sounds (Table 7), they associate the Malaga brand with the sound of the sea (42.3%),
the Verdiales (party music and local dances, 40.1%), and finally with the bells of the cathedral (10.8%).
Table 7. Sounds perceptions.
Frequency Percent Cumulative Percent
Valid
Bells of the Cathedral of Malaga 119 10.8 10.8
Sound of the sea 468 42.3 53.1
Verdiales 443 40.1 93.1
Castanets 14 1.3 94.4
Guitar 62 5.6 100.0
Total 1106 100.0
Source: The authors.

Sustainability 2019,11, 292 11 of 16
The places that best capture the spirit of the city are, in the opinion of the residents of Malaga:
the Larios Street, the Cathedral, the Port of Malaga, the Alcazaba (Arab military forts), and La Farola
(the lighthouse) with 307, 270, 204, 195, and 130 mentions, respectively.
5. Discussion
The brand from the residents’ point of view should be improved inside and outside the city.
This is reflected in the low percentage of identification with the Malaga brand (55.8%) in comparison
with not identified (44.2%). There is a high percentage of responses indicating that the institutions
must implement changes in the promotion of the destination. In response to the second research
question, the residents of Malaga know many brands, but the most important, the Malaga brand,
was not chosen by any participant. This datum is very relevant when the current target is to place
value on the Malaga brand.
Responding to the third and fourth research questions, the new cultural image of the city is being
perceived by the residents. This means that there must have been a change. In relation to the elements
associated with culture, it can be seen that not all of them are museums. The study shows that the
residents take into account a wide range of elements, which have been forgotten by institutions. This is
evident when we compare residents’ and the Malaga City Council’s perceived images of Malaga.
In relation to the events, the residents agree with the stakeholders’ strategy. The Holy Week is the
top-rated event. This traditional event has a major economic impact on the territory.
If we pay attention to the study of the senses, residents provide very important assessments.
While the Malaga City Council chooses the colour blue for the marketing campaigns, the residents
choose purple and green. We must emphasize that these two colours are those of the flag of the city.
Responding to the two final research questions, residents who reported having taken part in
the event gave it a high level of impact on the brand. Therefore, we understand that the emotional
experience lived through the events modifies the attitude of the residents and affects the city brand,
with the Holy Week having the greatest impact and the Carnival having the lowest impact on the
Malaga brand.
Concerning the specific question regarding smells, the Biznaga is the element that best represents
the Malaga brand. It is important to note that this flower does not appear in the announcements of
the city.
The sounds are also an important part of this study. The sound of the sea and the Verdiales,
the music of the typical dances of the city, are the sounds with the greatest frequency in the responses
of the participants.
The main street of the city, Larios Street, is the place that best captures the spirit of the city,
followed by the cathedral, known as La Manquita because it is an unfinished building, and Muelle Uno
(the port).
Finally, this study reveals that the residents of Malaga identify the Malaga brand with a cultural
coastal city. According to residents, Malaga has the scent of the Bizganas and the sea. Malaga is a city
painted in green, purple, and blue where visitors can hear Verdiales and the sound of the waves. It is a
place that loves Picasso and has his paintings as a cultural reference. A city that, in spite of having one
of the most famous museums of the world, the Pompidu Centre, values first the birthplace of a painter.
It is a place in the Mediterranean where traditional events such as Easter Week coexist with new ones
such as the Malaga Film Festival.
6. Conclusions
The current tourism model has been called into question from various points of view. It has
both positive and negative effects, which, once analysed, need to be renewed, taking into account
the necessities of the tourists and residents. The fact of the seasonal nature of the tourist sector is a
problem for many coastal cities.

Sustainability 2019,11, 292 12 of 16
Economic growth in Spain has been sensitive to persistent expansion of international tourism.
This growth is the main interest for institutions, but in the case of Malaga, another problem of
touristification could happen in the near future. Another topic could be the competition among
destinations. Tourism accounts for a high percentage of Spain’s economic output and the number of
foreign visitors rose to eighty-two million last year. Therefore, Spain is the world’s second most visited
country after France. Malaga has benefitted from the military attacks and other political problems in
Turkey, Tunisia, and Egypt but they are experiencing a resurgence, marking a revival of demand for
these destinations. This may present a risk for Malaga since the growth rates will start to slow down
over the next year. That is why the brand is extremely important. Institutions are not looking for a
happy coexistence between tourists and residents at this time. The Government wants to increase the
number of tourists, the spending per tourist, and the percentage of tourism-generated revenue.
The city of Malaga has evolved from sun and beach tourism to a new model of a cultural
city. Malaga is undergoing major transformations in regards to its infrastructure. New museums,
the rehabilitation of the historical centre, and a change of mentality are the fundamental factors in the
new image of the city. Malaga is now a modern and vibrant city with long multicultural traditions,
an active city that does not depend only on the climate and the sea. The objective of reforming the
brand is not simply to do better than before, but to do better than elsewhere. The rebranding process
in this case is understood as a tool that takes advantage of a coherent and positive image, which serves
as the engine to improve the perceptions of the public and contributes to improving its competitive
capacity. Malaga offers a wide selection of services for all types of visitors and pockets.
From an economic point of view, without an attractive and distinctive brand, a tourist destination
cannot achieve high future value, profitability, and loyalty of its visitors. The brand is competitiveness.
For the Malaga City Council, the brand is understood as a step towards promoting economic benefit.
The image and the brand are associated with the perceptions of the city and they have the capacity to
influence investment offerings, political and diplomatic relations with other cities, possible visitors, etc.
The coexistence of several brands around a territory determines the need to start a rebranding
process. This research has contributed with elements and proposals that will lead to the successful
introduction of an improved base on which a new global brand can be built. We consider that this
study should be drawn up to give a clearer picture about the identification between the residents and
the Malaga brand. In this sense, the answers could be useful for institutions. Traditional studies in
Malaga have not included the internal viewpoint of residents. Therefore, it is extremely important to
progress towards better coordination between institutions and the local people.
In the city, there is a variety of brands which many residents support. In this case, there is a need
to merge them into the same idea. Each brand must enhance or value different elements of the city
but all must be under the same concept. The coexistence of several brands within the same territory
determines whether it is necessary to carry out a rebranding process. There must be synergy between
public institutions in order to focus on the rebranding process. This could be a problem if the brands
are not well managed. Due to this, it would be interesting to study what the existing brands’ projected
images are and how to improve them. In this research, we investigated how the residents perceive the
city and then compared the findings with the Malaga City Hall campaigns.
In this sense, we can find many differences between what residents think and what the institution
thinks. The resident has several roles. On the one hand, the resident can help with the choice of the
attributes that define the image and therefore help the brand. The residents are the best ambassadors
of their city, so it is very important that they identify with it. In short, the citizen lives every day with
the city and with the visitors. We can affirm that the campaigns that promote Malaga as a destination
use an image of Malaga that does not resemble the image perceived by the residents. While Malaga
City Council focuses its efforts on promoting the new Pompidou Center, residents consider Picasso’s
Birthplace as the museum that best represents the Malaga brand. The results reflect that there are
two big issues in relation to the brand. On the one hand, the perception of the residents has not been
taken into account in the rebranding process and, on the other hand, the brands are not focused on the

Sustainability 2019,11, 292 13 of 16
same objective. What happens when the brands are in competition with each other? If the objective
is to recover the Malaga brand and its attributes, we cannot continue to promote others ahead of it.
We must remember that the Malaga brand includes The Coast of the Sun, Malaga Flavor, Malaga Great
City, and Malaga Smart City, among others.
Before a rebranding process, it is necessary to know what the most important elements are,
what our identity is, what our needs are, what our destination needs, and what our values are.
Then, the City Council must study each brand to promote them in a correct way.
Despite this, the projection of the Malaga brand should continue to develop. In this sense, the high
percentage of responses in favour of the image at national level is countered by the perception obtained
at the international level. Therefore, as we said before, institutions, companies, citizens, and tourists
should continue together to improve the image in order to get better results. The new image of the city
of Malaga must be projected in relation to the culture. All of these famous elements must be taken
into account. This is one of the ambitious wishes of the institutions, so it is relevant for our research to
formulate research questions in this regard. It also allows us to verify if the residents perceive the new
image of Malaga as a cultural city.
Seasonality is still present in the city of Malaga. If we want to have a sustainable destination,
we need to distribute tourism throughout all the months of the year. This is not possible if the
promotional campaigns only talk about the beaches. Malaga has a wide range of cultural and leisure
offerings; however, institutions continue to promote the climate. This would not be a poor policy if
the city could show all its attributes. Malaga is not a city with new monuments. Brands differentiate
between destinations but if Malaga offers the same brand as other places it will not be special. In that
case, Malaga will not compete in culture, tradition, events, or Mediterranean diet, then, Malaga will
only compete on price.
So, while the destinations are competing, we must present a robust brand that can not only attract
tourists at all times of the year, but also continue to grow economically and facilitate coexistence.
Author Contributions:
Conceived and designed this project—E.C. and F.C.; conceptualization, methodology and
formal analysis—E.C; writing—E.R. and F.C; review and editing—E.C., E.R. and F.C.
Funding:
The article has been made under the specific collaboration agreement between the Department of
Tourism of Malaga and the University of Malaga (OTRI 8.07/5.25.5146), for the realization of the project “Ayer y
hoy de la marca Malaga: Su impacto en el sector turístico”. In the same way, this research has been carried out
under the perspective included in the OTRI project 8.07/525.5038, an agreement between the Goteo Foundation
and the University of Malaga, through the crowdfunding and the slogan “Malaga para ti y para mí”.
Acknowledgments:
The authors sincerely thank editors and all anonymous reviewers for their beneficial
suggestions to improve the quality of this article.
Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.
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