Brand architecture in tourism branding: the way forward for India

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to arrive at a brand architecture model for promoting India as a tourism destination brand, carrying with it a diversity of tourism products and states/regions. Design/methodology/approach – The principal methodology adopted is discursive analysis and argument. Relevant examples from other countries have been drawn upon. Brand architecture concepts are used in the analysis. Findings – The Government of India's tourism ministry has been promoting the country as a monolithic brand with the tagline “Incredible India” over the past seven years. This approach has so far been quite successful. However, to maintain growth momentum, the paper proposes migration towards a cohesive brand architecture model with a hierarchy of well‐connected brands. At the apex would be “India” as the master brand, which would endorse sub‐brands along two principal dimensions – tourism product categories and geographic regions/states. Regional aspirations would thus be accommodated. At the same time, India and its numerous constituents can be promoted in a structured manner with greater clarity and focus. Originality/value – The paper offers a framework for reorienting India's tourism branding strategy so as to be more cohesive and effective. The model can also be applicable to other large countries with competing geographic regions and varied tourism products.