Culinary Excellence: Crafting Denmark's Gastronomic Image

Abstract

Purpose: During the last two decades, Danish gastronomy has undergone exponential development, significantly increasing the international publicity surrounding Denmark's culinary scene. Ultimately, food and gastronomy have become an integral part of Denmark’s brand image, establishing new grounds for tourism. As The New Nordic Manifest celebrates its 20th jubilee in 2024, the newsworthiness of the Manifest declines, and questions on how to sustain Denmark’s culinary brand arise.
Approach: This thesis identifies a gap in academic literature concerning the construction of brand image, through food and gastronomy, and addresses the culinary rise of Denmark through the scope of practical implementations. The research contributes to the existing literature with context-based research on the development of Denmark’s culinary capital, and a practical approach to brand image, from the perspective of decision-makers. The thesis employs qualitative semi-structured interviews with a diverse set of key stakeholders, including both culinary experts and destination marketing organisation members, investigating the actionable insights from internal perspectives.
Observations: The research presents four primary data findings: segments, branding activities, issues, and insights. The findings reveal inadequacies in the current classification of gastronomic segments, an unexpected focus on talent attraction, essential practices in branding, as well as potential challenges and opportunities for the future.
Implementations: First, due to observations in both the data findings and the secondary literature a conceptual framework is introduced to address the lack of homogeneity in defining the gastronomic segments. The framework serves as a guideline to disseminate on-brand differentiated communication, and to adapt place promotion and place branding to the gastronomic interest of the receiver. Additionally, the thesis suggests utilising image-building concepts to apprehend the perception of Denmark from the perspective of international talent, highlighting positive aspects and mitigating liabilities. To unlock new channels for promoting lesser-known areas, the thesis suggests utilizing external stakeholders to influence tourists’ perception of the Danish brand image. Lastly, the thesis explores the potential of leveraging the existing gastronomic brand image to develop innovative, sustainable food products, thereby diversifying and enriching Denmark’s culinary image.